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Pakistan remains safe harbor for “terrorist groups”: US
Pakistan is a safe harbor for “regionally focused terrorist groups”, allowing the groups to target Afghanistan, the US State Department said in a report.
In its annual terror assessment, released Wednesday, the Department said that Pakistan remained a safe harbor for other regionally focused terrorist groups.
“It allowed groups targeting Afghanistan, including the Afghan Taliban and affiliated Haqqani Network, as well as groups targeting India, including Lashkar e-Tayyiba and its affiliated front organizations, and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), to operate from its territory,” the report said.
Although Pakistan’s National Action Plan calls to “ensure that no armed militias are allowed to function in the country,” several terrorist groups that focus on attacks outside the country continued to operate from Pakistani soil in 2019, including the Haqqani Network – a group by the Afghan government for the deadliest attacks inside Afghanistan – Lashkar-e-Tayyiba, and Jaish-e-Mohammed.
According to the report the Haqqani Network has planned and carried out numerous significant kidnappings and attacks against US and Coalition Forces in Afghanistan, the Afghan government, and civilian targets.
The government and military of Pakistan have acted inconsistently concerning terrorist safe havens throughout the country, the report said.
“Authorities did not take sufficient action to stop certain terrorist groups and individuals from openly operating in the country,” the report added.
Meanwhile, the US said that Pakistan did make some positive contributions to the Afghanistan peace process, such as encouraging Taliban reductions in violence.
The report noted that Afghanistan continued to face significant challenges in protecting its borders, particularly those with Pakistan and Iran.
“Under the bilateral Afghanistan-Pakistan Action Plan for Peace and Solidarity (APAPPS), which met for the first time in July 2018, Afghan and Pakistani officials agreed in principle to create a mechanism for communication between security forces on each side of the border,” the report said.
Despite this review and discussions between the two governments to utilize APAPPS, progress through this forum remains slow, read the report.
Throughout 2019, the United States sought to negotiate an agreement with the Taliban that would commit the Taliban to take action against international terrorist groups, including not allowing those groups to recruit, train, or raise funds on Afghan territory, and to not host those groups.
In return for these commitments and for the start of intra-Afghan negotiations that would include the Afghan government, other Afghan leaders, and the Taliban, the United States would agree to a timeline for the conditions-based withdrawal of international troops from Afghanistan.
The Embassy of Japan in Afghanistan has announced scholarship opportunities for Afghan students under the Japanese Government (MEXT) Scholarship Program for the 2027 academic year.
According to the embassy, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) of Japan is offering scholarships for graduate-level study at Japanese universities under the research student category, including both regular and non-regular students.
Interested and eligible applicants can download the application guidelines and forms from the official Study in Japan website and are advised to carefully review all requirements before applying.
Applicants who meet the eligibility criteria and have prepared all required documents must submit their applications by 25 May 2026. The embassy said late or incomplete submissions will not be accepted.
The first screening process will include a written examination in Kabul on 18 June 2026, followed by interviews scheduled for July 2026 (date to be confirmed).
The Embassy of Japan noted that the Aga Khan Foundation Afghanistan will assist in collecting applications and facilitating written examinations, but will not be involved in the selection process.
It further emphasized that the selection will be conducted independently by the embassy and the Japanese government, based on academic merit, quality of application documents, and performance in written and interview examinations, without consideration of religious, linguistic, or ethnic background.
The scholarship program is fully funded and free of charge. The embassy warned applicants to remain cautious against scams, stressing that no financial contributions are required at any stage of the application process.
Abdul Salam Hanafi, Deputy Prime Minister for Administrative Affairs, has launched the distribution of more than 1,000 residential land plots for returning migrants in Logar province.
During a visit to Logar, Hanafi inaugurated a new township and said the initiative aims to support Afghan returnees by providing them with housing opportunities and improving settlement conditions.
He called for speeding up the process of distributing residential plots designated for migrants, stressing the importance of timely implementation.
“We inaugurated this township today, which includes more than 1,000 plots. These plots will be distributed to migrants. In addition, other townships will also be constructed soon,” he said.
Hanafi also noted that over the past three years, more than five million Afghan migrants have returned from neighboring countries, adding that efforts are underway to provide them with essential services and support their reintegration.
Pakistan’s Ambassador to Afghanistan, Ubaid-ur-Rehman Nizamani, has urged the Afghan authorities to take concrete action against militant threats that Islamabad says originate from Afghan soil.
Speaking at an event at the Pakistan Embassy in Kabul marking the first anniversary of Operation Bunyan-um-Marsoos against India, Nizamani reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to maintaining “brotherly ties” with Afghanistan.
The ambassador also highlighted Pakistan’s diplomatic efforts in reducing tensions between Iran and the United States, saying Islamabad’s initiatives reflected its commitment to regional and global peace.
During the ceremony, Nizamani reaffirmed Pakistan’s determination to defend itself against any aggression.
“Pakistan’s desire for peace must never be mistaken for weakness,” the ambassador said, calling for heightened vigilance against regional threats.
Pakistani officials have consistently claimed that militants use Afghan soil to attack Pakistan. The Islamic Emirate, however, has denied this claim and said that Afghanistan is not responsible for Pakistan’s security failures.
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