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27% of Afghans regularly use tobacco: health ministry

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(Last Updated On: May 31, 2023)

Marking World No Tobacco Day, Public Health Ministry officials said on Wednesday that 27% of Afghans regularly use tobacco, of which 2.7% are women.

Mohammad Hassan Ghiyasi, Deputy Minister of Policy and Planning of the Ministry of Public Health, said that tobacco kills eight million people worldwide every year and tobacco smoke is one of the main causes of air pollution, which causes dangerous diseases such as lung cancer and heart diseases.

Citing a national survey conducted in collaboration with the World Health Organization, he added that nearly 20 percent of Afghan people use smokeless tobacco, mainly Naswar.

A number of other officials of the Ministry of Public Health also said that the number of patients with mouth cancer due to the use of tobacco has increased recently in the country.

“Tobacco not only causes respiratory or heart diseases, but also mouth cancer, which has been observed among young people who use Naswar and Paan (both smokeless tobacco) in Afghanistan and Pakistan. The number of people suffering from this disease is increasing day by day,” Haider Khan Haider, Director General of Disease Prevention and Control of the Ministry of Public Health, said.

Meanwhile, a representative of the World Health Organization said that 80% of tobacco cultivation and processing takes place in countries that are poor.

“The World Health Organization wants the honorable Ministry of Public Health to continue its technical support in the area of tobacco control, like other areas,” Naeemullah Safi, representative of WHO, said.

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Deputy foreign minister meets UNAMA head

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(Last Updated On: October 3, 2023)

The Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General and Head of UNAMA, Roza Otunbayeva, met with the Political Deputy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanakzai, the ministry said.

According to the ministry during the meeting, Stanakzai requested international assistance in the areas of regional coordination, the fight against drugs, and ways to revitalize the business and banking sector.

The Political Deputy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said despite the difference of opinion in some areas, there is a need to work together on common issues and give Afghanistan the right to participate in various international forums, including the United Nations.

He also said that humanitarian affairs should be kept separate from politics and political differences should not be allowed to hinder interaction in humanitarian aid, drug fight, mine clearance and other areas.

Meanwhile, Roza Otunbayeva shared information about her recent visit to the United Nations and added that they are trying to fight against drugs, treat drug addicts, and promote legal crops in addition to making efforts around food security and are attempting to attract international aid.

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Muttaqi leaves for China to attend Trans-Himalaya Forum

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(Last Updated On: October 3, 2023)

Acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi left Kabul for China to participate in the third Trans-Himalaya Forum for International Cooperation, it was announced Tuesday.

Hafiz Zia Ahmad, deputy spokesman for Foreign Ministry, said on X that Muttaqi had received an official invitation from China.

Deputy Minister of Economy Abdul Latif Nazari and a number of other officials of the Islamic Emirate are accompanying Muttaqi in the visit.

Ahmad said that in the meeting, the countries surrounding the Himalayas will discuss economic cooperation, regional connectivity and ecological changes.

He added that the Islamic Emirate delegation will also have a bilateral meetings with the Foreign Minister of China and representatives of other countries on the sidelines of the forum.

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Pakistan tightens entry rules for Afghan travelers

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(Last Updated On: October 3, 2023)

Pakistan has decided that all citizens of neighboring Afghanistan will be required to enter the country with a valid passport and visa starting next month, similar to travelers from other countries, VOA reported on Monday.

The “one document regime” policy will replace the decades-old practice of granting special travel permits to individuals with divided tribes straddling the Durand Line.

The “passport as the only traveling document is going to be implemented from November 1, 2023,” according to an official federal directive sent to immigration authorities at all Afghan border crossings.

“No other document shall be accepted to travel from Afghanistan to Pakistan,” the document said. 

The Pakistani government has yet to make a formal announcement about the new policy. 

VOA cited a senior Pakistani official as saying that Islamabad hopes the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) would cooperate in implementing the “one document regime” decision to help deter illegal crossers, including militants and smugglers.

The IEA did not immediately comment on the new travel requirements.

The new policy comes amid a nationwide crackdown on Afghans living illegally in Pakistan or not renewing their visas.

Last Thursday, Pakistani caretaker Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani announced that his government would deport illegal Afghan and other foreign immigrants.

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