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Diplomatic outcry over shootings of 3 female polio workers
Foreign partners in Afghanistan condemned the “brutal” killing of three female employees of the national polio vaccination campaign who were gunned down in two separate incidents in Nangarhar province on Tuesday.
Chargé d’Affaires of the US Embassy in Kabul Ross Wilson stated that targeting polio campaign workers “demonstrates a total disregard for human life.”
“Such attacks are a direct affront to Afghans’ dream of building a better life for their children. My deepest condolences for the victims’ families as we call for justice,” Wilson said.
“Afghanistan is one of only two countries in the world where polio remains endemic; this campaign is an important step to protect Afghan children from facing an infectious disease that can cause debilitating paralysis. Attacking vaccinators is as heartless as it is inexplicable,” he tweeted.
The EU in turn said the attack was a “brutal breach” of International Humanitarian Law, stating “perpetrators must be brought to justice, health workers kept out of harm’s way & the sanctity of health facilities respected.
“The EU remains a strong supporter of the health sector in Afghanistan & we call on the parties to allow equal access to vaccinations.”
The French Embassy in Kabul also condemned the incident and said: “The horrifying killing of 3 female vaccinators against polio is another step in the targeting of civilians. Such violation of humanitarian law runs contrary to all efforts for peace and for alleviating the sufferings of Afghanistan, one of the countries most hit by polio.”
This comes after the three women were killed in two separate incidents in Jalalabad in Nangarhar on Tuesday morning.
Security sources said two women were killed in PD7 and another one was shot dead in PD4 of the provincial capital Jalalabad.
No group, so far, has claimed responsibility for the attack which prompted a wide outcry in the country.
Afghanistan and Pakistan have widely been the only two countries that still have cases of polio.
However, this week, the World Health Organization stated that as of 18 March, four cases of polio in children had been detected in Tajikistan.
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Pakistan to repatriate nearly 20,000 Afghans awaiting US resettlement
Authorities will also share verified data of the affected individuals with relevant departments to support implementation.
Pakistan will repatriate nearly 20,000 Afghan nationals currently awaiting resettlement in the United States, The Nation reported, citing official sources.
The move affects 19,973 Afghans living across Pakistan.
A federal directive will instruct provincial chief secretaries and police chiefs in Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, Azad Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan, and the Islamabad Capital Territory to begin the repatriation process immediately.
Authorities will also share verified data of the affected individuals with relevant departments to support implementation.
Following the Islamic Emirate’s return to power in 2021, more than 100,000 Afghans fled to Pakistan, many of whom had worked with the US and UK governments, international organizations, or aid agencies.
Thousands have remained stranded in Pakistan for over four years while awaiting US resettlement clearance.
Prospects for relocation have dimmed amid a suspension of case processing by the US administration, according to The Nation.
Under Pakistan’s Illegal Foreigners Repatriation Plan (IFRP), all Afghan nationals still awaiting US relocation will now be returned to Afghanistan.
Terrorist activities continue to be observed along Afghanistan borders and along the India–Pakistan–Afghanistan corridor, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in an interview published on Monday.
Speaking to Russia-based media outlet TV BRICS, Lavrov pointed to ongoing concerns in the Middle East, including its Asian regions.
He highlighted the importance of collaboration with India at the United Nations to advance a global counter-terrorism convention.
Lavrov stated that while the draft convention has already been prepared, consensus on its adoption has not yet been reached.
Russia has repeatedly expressed concern about militant threats from Afghanistan. The Islamic Emirate, however, has dismissed the concerns saying that it will not allow Afghanistan’s soil to be used against any country.
Noorullah Noori, Afghanistan’s Minister of Borders and Tribal Affairs, held a phone conversation with Kazem Gharibabadi, Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs, to discuss bilateral border cooperation.
According to the Iranian news agency IRNA, both sides reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening border collaboration, with a particular focus on the ongoing renovation and updating of border markers. They also agreed to accelerate joint technical and legal meetings to enhance coordination.
As part of the agreement, the next meeting of senior border officials from Afghanistan and Iran is scheduled to take place in Iran in 1405 (2026–2027).
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Saar: Regional Problems, Opportunities, and Challenges discussed
Pakistan to repatriate nearly 20,000 Afghans awaiting US resettlement
Terrorist activities observed along Afghanistan borders, says Lavrov
Afghan border minister holds phone talks with Iran’s deputy foreign minister
Afghanistan–China joint market opens in Kabul
Pakistan approves re-export of stranded Afghan transit trade cargo
ATN secures broadcast rights to Carabao Cup semis across Afghanistan
Pakistan army orders evacuation of Tirah Valley, fears of mass displacement grow
Afghan traders sign deal to import pharmaceuticals from Bangladesh
Tahawol: Pakistan’s Foreign Policy Failure of Towards Afghanistan discussed
Saar: Regional Problems, Opportunities, and Challenges discussed
Saar: Afghanistan’s relations and opportunities with regional countries
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