2 killed in Afghanistan last week

KABUL (Pajhwok): Last week, the OIC expressed concern over the forced deportation of Afghan refugees.  Officials said a plan was being developed to expand economic cooperation between Afghanistan and Russia.

Additionally, the Unired Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) underlined support for the Afghan media.

Key developments of last week:

• The arrival of Pakistan’s special envoy in Kabul. for Afghanistan
• IEA: Plan being devedevised to expand cooperation with Russia
  • OIC concerned over forced deportation of Afghan refugees
• UNICEF: One in five deportees from Pakistan a child
  • UNAMA seeks support for media in Afghanistan.
  • IOM requests emergency aid for deportees from Pakistan.
  • Chinese firm wants to invest $50m in auto-manufacturing industry

Casualties

Two people were killed in separate incidents in Afghanistan last week. Security offcials in Ghazni said the body of a man, who had gone missing, was found in Jaghori district.

Security officials in Takhar province said two individuals killed a resident of Farkhar district using a knife due to a family dispute. The suspected killers were arrested by security forces.

In the previous week, seven people had been killed and two others injured in various incidents across Afghanistan.

Before the regime change in 2021, hundreds of civilians, insurgents and security personnel would get killed and maimed in clashes and bomb blasts every week.

Trilateal meeting

A trilateral meeting among Afghanistan, China and Pakistan was held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) in Kabul.

A reliable source told Pajhwok Afghan News the meeting was convened to follow up on issues previously discussed by foreign ministers of Afghanistan, China, and Pakistan.

Previously, five meetings of the trilateral mechanism involving the foreign ministers had been held in various countries, during which they pledged to cooperate on political and economic matters.

Economic cooperation expansion

Last week, Afghanistan’s Ministry of Finance announced that a meeting was held between relevant ministries to develop a “reasonable plan” for expanding economic and trade cooperation between Afghanistan and Russia.

The meeting resulted in a decision to create a comprehensive and practicable plan for identifying various aspects and strategies for bilateral economic collaboration with Russia.

This development comes as a Chinese automobile company expressed interest in investing $50 million in Afghanistan’s car manufacturing industry.

Separately, Iran’s Ambassador in Kabul Alireza Bigdeli called on Iranian companies to invest in Afghanistan’s mining sector.

Additionally, the UAE’s special envoy for Afghanistan announced plans to organise a conference in Kabul for Emirati investors and businessmen to discuss economic development projects.

Refugees

The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) voiced its concern over the forced deportations of Afghan refugees from Pakistan.

Dr. Muhammad Saeed Al-Ayash said the forced expulsion and maltreatment of Afghan refugees by Pakistan had raised serious concerns within the OIC.

He added the largest Islamic bloc was working to mobilise aid for the refugees and hoped OIC member states would give special attention to supporting Afghan migrants.

He announced the bloc was seeking financial resources to set up a mosque in the Salang area of central Parwan province at the request of local residents in coordination with MoRR.

For his part, Refugee Minister Maulvi Abdul Kabir appreciated the OIC for its assistance in various sectors and emphasised the importance of positive engagement with the international community, particularly Islamic nations.

Following a sharp increase in the number of Afghan refugees returning from Pakistan, IOM and partners launched an appeal to scale up urgently needed support at crossing points and neighbouring areas.

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) stated around 20 percent of the Afghans deported from Pakistan were children, many of whom returned without families and were in urgent need of shelter, food, and access to education.

With the start of the second phase of the forced deportation of Afghan refugees from Pakistan, hundreds of families are returning to Afghanistan daily through the Torkham and Spin Boldak crossings. The returning refugees have complained about mistreatment by Pakistani police.

World Press Freedom Day

May 3 marked World Press Freedom Day. Ministry of Information and Culture spokesperson Khabeeb Ghafran, said the Islamic Emirate, recognising the importance of media, supported all media outlets that operated within the framework of Islamic law.

Additionally, UN Secretary-General António Guterres remarked the freedom of the people was tied to the freedom of the press, and journalists should be able to report “without fear or discrimination” across the world.

The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) also issued a statement calling for support for media in Afghanistan and reaffirming its solidarity with journalists and media outlets in the country.

sa/mud