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Herat couple forgo extravagant wedding, donate to the poor instead
A young couple in Herat province chose to forgo a lavish wedding, as is customary in Afghanistan, and instead donated the money to poor families.
The couple said their families had both been in agreement with their decision and together they held a no-frills marriage ceremony.
According to them, they did this in order to help create a culture of healing in society – amid rampant poverty and a collapsing economy.
“When we both thought about the wedding, we both did not feel good; I even cried. I was stressed from the moment I realized I needed to go to Herat to discuss the matter with my father, but I was very stressed and worried that my father and brothers would not agree. But when I got there, fortunately for us, they [my parents] were happy [with the idea],” said Malika Afzali, the bride.
The young couple got engaged four months ago and worked in Kabul for private organizations.
Malika who has an economics degree, and her husband, Ezatullah Samim, is an electronic engineer. Both have been unemployed since the collapse of the previous government.
Samim meanwhile told of the joy their decision brought.
“We had a very good feeling on the day we distributed our aid and when we helped the poor, we really had a great feeling and we really enjoyed those moments,” he said.
Malika’s family is also happy with the decision.
“Instead of booking the hall, beauty shop, and other things and paying exorbitant dowries, it is better for them to do good deeds and this is a good deed,” said Abdul Hamid Afzali, the bride’s father.
“My message to families of brides is to work with the groom’s family in this regard. At the very least, make sure that a couple can start their life without borrowing [money],” said Roullah Arshad, the bride’s brother.
It is common practice among Afghans to take out large loans for extravagant weddings where the guests can number in their hundreds, sometimes even thousands, and the bill can total tens of thousands of dollars.
Small, low-key weddings are unusual in the big cities and instead, celebrations are held in massive wedding halls adorned with bright neon lights.
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Afghanistan says Pakistani military post destroyed near Spin Boldak
Afghanistan’s Ministry of Defense says a Pakistani military post near Spin Boldak was targeted and destroyed after Pakistani forces opened fire toward Afghanistan.
Ministry spokesperson Enayatullah Khwarazmi said in a post on X that Afghan forces suffered no casualties or damage in the clash.
Khwarazmi also rejected claims made by the Pakistani side about the incident, describing them as “propaganda.”
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Mujahid: Pakistan attacking Afghanistan to evade Mecca Pact responsibilities
He warned that the Islamic Emirate would give an “appropriate response” to what he called the Pakistani military regime’s “bullying.”
Islamic Emirate spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid has accused Pakistan of carrying out attacks on Afghanistan to divert attention from its domestic problems and to evade responsibilities under the “Mecca Pact.”
Speaking at a religious seminary in Kandahar, Mujahid said Pakistan was facing political and economic challenges at home and was using attacks on Afghanistan to shift public attention away from protests and its internal problems.
“Pakistan, by violating the territory of its neighboring Islamic country, wants to divert attention from its failures,” he said.
Mujahid also criticized Pakistan’s political situation, claiming that political space had been restricted and that freedoms guaranteed under the country’s laws were not being allowed.
He said Pakistan’s economic problems had also increased significantly and accused the country of seeking to distract the public from those problems by engaging in conflict with Afghanistan.
Mujahid further accused Pakistan’s military leadership of putting the Pakistani people at risk through what he described as its “false position.”
He warned that the Islamic Emirate would give an “appropriate response” to what he called the Pakistani military regime’s “bullying.”
His remarks followed Pakistani airstrikes on Kandahar, Paktia and Khost provinces on Thursday, which Afghan authorities said killed four civilians.
The strikes came three days after attacks on Kunar and Paktika provinces, in which Afghan authorities said three civilians were killed.
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Kabul rejects U.S. claim that meth seized in Pakistan was of Afghan origin
Balkhi said the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) has imposed an absolute ban on the production, trafficking and use of all types of narcotics in Afghanistan.
Afghanistan’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Abdul Qahar Balkhi has rejected a U.S. claim that 463 kilograms of synthetic drugs seized in Pakistan were of Afghan origin, calling the attribution “unfounded and politically motivated.”
Balkhi said the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad should investigate the origin of the seized drugs in Pakistan rather than attributing them to Afghanistan.
“The attribution by the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad of the synthetic drugs bound for Sri Lanka and intercepted in Pakistan through joint U.S.-Pakistani efforts as ‘Afghan-origin’ is an unfounded and politically motivated allegation,” Balkhi said.
He said the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) has imposed an absolute ban on the production, trafficking and use of all types of narcotics in Afghanistan.
Balkhi also claimed that following the ban in Afghanistan, the cultivation, production and trafficking of narcotics have increased “on the other side of the Durand Line.”
He further argued that Afghanistan does not have the capacity to produce synthetic drugs and said crossing points along the Durand Line have been completely closed to all movement for nearly a year.
His remarks came after the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad said U.S. and Pakistani anti-narcotics authorities had seized 463 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine worth an estimated $21 million and bound for Sri Lanka.
The embassy said the operation led to multiple arrests and highlighted ongoing U.S. cooperation and training with Pakistani authorities to disrupt international drug-trafficking networks.
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