Serik Zhumangarin, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy of Kazakhstan, said during a meeting with Mullah Mohammad Hassan Akhund, Prime Minister of the Islamic Emirate, that Kazakhstan seeks to increase Afghanistan’s exports to the country, and for this purpose, the Afghan-Kazakh Joint Chamber of Commerce will be inaugurated in Kabul on Saturday.

According to a statement from the Arg, Zhumangarin, who arrived in Kabul on Saturday at the head of a high-level delegation, said the purpose of his visit is to expand and strengthen his country’s economic and political relations with Afghanistan.

Also present at the meeting were Amir Khan Muttaqi, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nooruddin Azizi, Minister of Industry and Commerce, and Mullah Abdul Wasi, Chief of Staff of the Prime Minister’s Office.

Zhumangarin also stated that the President of Kazakhstan pays special attention to Afghanistan and closely follows relations between the two countries.

Referring to Afghanistan’s progress in various sectors under what he described as sound leadership, he said Kazakhstan is ready to cooperate with Afghanistan in all fields.

Representing the President of Kazakhstan, he also invited Mullah Mohammad Hassan Akhund for an official visit to Kazakhstan.

He added that Kazakhstan places special importance on humanitarian cooperation with Afghanistan, particularly support for returning migrants and Afghans affected by natural disasters. For this purpose, eight wagons of humanitarian aid, including tents, medicine, and other essential supplies, were also brought to Afghanistan today.

During the meeting, Mullah Mohammad Hassan Akhund described relations between the two countries as important and said notable progress has been made in various sectors, which he said is the result of cooperation among friendly countries.

He stressed that all relevant institutions will be instructed to take practical steps toward expanding cooperation and strengthening ties between Afghanistan and Kazakhstan.

Akhund also said that Afghanistan and Kazakhstan are two Muslim countries that share many political, economic, religious, and cultural commonalities.

He concluded by inviting the President of Kazakhstan for an official visit to Afghanistan.

Amnesty International’s South Asia Regional Office has raised alarm over what it describes as the mass and accelerating expulsion of Afghan refugees from countries around the world, warning that the situation is worsening day by day.

In a statement, the rights group said millions of Afghans are being forced to leave host countries, where many face arbitrary arrests and family separations. It added that those who are returned to Afghanistan are increasingly exposed to serious human rights violations, at a time when the country is already facing one of the world’s most severe humanitarian crises.

“Millions of Afghan refugees are being expelled across the globe, and that number keeps climbing day by day,” the organization said, highlighting what it called a growing pattern of forced returns and rights abuses.

Amnesty International stressed that such expulsions must end immediately, urging all states to respect international obligations. It said individuals in need of international protection must be safeguarded in line with international human rights law and refugee protection standards.

The organization did not name specific countries in its statement but called for stronger global accountability to prevent further harm to vulnerable Afghan migrants and asylum seekers.

Humanitarian agencies have repeatedly warned that Afghanistan’s fragile socio-economic conditions make large-scale forced returns particularly dangerous, especially for families, women, and children.

Amnesty International urged governments to prioritize protection over deportation and to ensure that Afghan refugees are not returned to unsafe conditions.

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has stressed that a peaceful, stable and economically resilient Afghanistan is essential to ensuring the safe, dignified and sustainable return of Afghan refugees.

In a message marking World Refugee Day, Sharif said the occasion serves as a reminder that protecting refugees and supporting their safe rehabilitation is a shared responsibility of the international community.

He noted that millions of Afghans sought refuge in Pakistan following the events of 1979, fleeing decades of conflict and insecurity. Despite limited resources, Pakistan opened its crossings and hosted Afghan refugees for more than four decades, providing access to education, employment and essential services.

Sharif said Pakistan has remained one of the world’s largest refugee-hosting countries and has managed the welfare of millions of Afghan nationals throughout this period.

He added that Pakistan launched a phased, orderly and dignified repatriation process in September 2023, with more than 2.4 million Afghan nationals returning home by June 2026.

The prime minister acknowledged that hosting millions of refugees placed significant economic, social, environmental and security pressures on Pakistan, while reaffirming his country’s commitment to working with the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and international partners to support the voluntary return and reintegration of Afghan refugees.