Acting Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani met with Mohammed bin Abdulaziz bin Saleh al-Khulaifi, Minister of State for the Foreign Affairs of Qatar, to discuss bilateral political and economic issues, it was announced on Thursday.

According to a statement released by the Interior Ministry, in the meeting the two sides agreed on the expansion and continuation of bilateral cooperation.

Based on the statement, the Qatari official announced that Qatar will stand by the “brother country” of Afghanistan in any situation.

He expressed hope that Afghanistan will strengthen and progress in the political, security and economic fields.

On the other hand, while thanking the Qatari delegation for their good wishes, the Acting Minister of Interior appreciated the efforts of the “brother country” of Qatar regarding Afghanistan.

Sirajuddin Haqqani also thanked the Qatari government for its emergency assistance to flood affected families in Afghanistan.

The visit of the high-level Qatari delegation to Kabul comes as Doha is expected to host the third meeting of special representatives of the countries for Afghanistan on June 30.

Michael McCaul, chairman of the US House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee, has stressed on pressuring the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) to lift restrictions on women and girls.

McCaul said at the meeting of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the US House of Representatives that Afghanistan under the rule of the Islamic Emirate is facing a devastating humanitarian crisis.

He emphasized that the “hard fought gains to advance women’s rights and promote democracy were wiped out by President Biden’s decision to unilaterally withdraw.”

“Girls have been banned from attending school beyond sixth grade. Women are banned from working for [non-governmental organizations],” he stated.

McCaul also claimed that the Islamic Emirate has continued to harbor “terrorists”.

According to him, the American taxpayer funded aid is flowing to IEA fighters and loyalists, rather than suffering Afghan women and children. 

The Islamic Emirate have previously rejected such remarks.

Officials of the Islamic Emirate have emphasized that the education and work of girls and women is an internal matter and countries should not interfere in it.

They have also said that IEA will not allow Afghanistan’s soil to be used against any other country.

The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) on Friday welcomed the announcement of Ireland, Spain and Norway that they would recognize a Palestinian state, calling it a “positive step.”

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs noted that the development comes while in addition to the “aggression on the historical land of Palestine, the Zionist occupation is trying to bring a demographic change by committing war crimes and genocide.”

The ministry said that it deems the Palestinian land as “the historical and legitimate right of the Palestinian nation, and strongly condemns the ongoing genocide by the Zionist invaders directed at broader regional instability.”

The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan “once again calls on the international community, in particular the Islamic states, to take urgent measures to prevent the ongoing disaster in accordance to their responsibility and the right of defense and freedom of the Palestinian nation,” the statement added.

Ireland, Spain and Norway announced on Wednesday that they would recognize a Palestinian state on May 28.

About 144 of the 193 member-states of the United Nations recognise Palestine as a state.

Israeli attacks in Gaza since October 7 last year have left more than 35,000 people dead.