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IEA to establish a ‘much smaller’ military force: Muttaqi

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Afghanistan’s acting foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi said on Friday in Islamabad that the country no longer needs a large military and that not all former Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF) will be re-employed.

“The army that was created by foreign intervention, we are no longer in need of having such large numbers,” said Muttaqi during a discussion with the Institute of Strategic Studies.

He was responding to a question about the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan’s strategy for integrating IEA fighters and ANDSF personnel into one military.

He said his country needed a small army “made up of people with fidelity and commitment and patriotism ingrained in them.”

Muttaqi was in Pakistan for discussions on numerous issues including the reopening of trade routes.

On Thursday, he also met representatives from the United States, China, and Russia, who were in Pakistan for a Troika Plus meeting on Afghanistan.

In response to the international community’s calls for an inclusive government, Muttaqi said the current administration is inclusive as it includes people from different ethnicities.

He said the international community is trying to force the IEA to include their political opponents, which is not the norm in other countries.

“We have never asked [U.S.] President [Joe] Biden to include [former] president [Donald] Trump in his cabinet,” he said.

On the issue of women’s rights, he claimed the IEA has not fired a single woman from her job since they came to power.

Human Rights Watch’s Heather Barr disagreed. She said: “Maybe they didn’t say to any women you are fired from your job, but they’ve certainly told many, many, many women that they shouldn’t come to work, and they shouldn’t come to work indefinitely.”

Muttaqi meanwhile said the IEA is trying to take a balanced approach in international relations.

“As for international recognition, what we are experiencing is that we are being recognized and treated as an official government of Afghanistan in our travels and in other cases,” he said.

“Embassies are open inside our country, and we have embassies and representation in foreign countries.”

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Muttaqi meets Norway’s new special envoy, discusses political and regional cooperation

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The Islamic Emirate’s Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi has held talks with Bjørn Johansen, Norway’s newly appointed Special Representative for Afghanistan, focusing on political and regional developments.

In the meeting, Johansen said Norway maintains historic ties with Afghanistan and has consistently sought to play a constructive role in supporting stability in the country, Afghan foreign ministry said in a statement on Tuesday.

He noted what he described as noticeable progress in Afghanistan in areas including security, counter-narcotics efforts, and other sectors, adding that further cooperation should be expanded through the normalization of relations with the international community.

Muttaqi, welcomed Norway’s continued engagement and cooperation with the Islamic Emirate, saying that the current stability in Afghanistan should be utilized effectively. He also emphasized that progress made by the Afghan authorities could help broaden future cooperation.

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Slovenia contributes €200,000 to support UNFPA humanitarian work in Afghanistan

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The Government of Slovenia has contributed €200,000 to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) to support humanitarian work in Afghanistan, focusing on reproductive health and protection services for women and girls.

According to UNFPA, the funding will help expand access to essential maternal and reproductive health care across the country, particularly in areas where services remain limited and humanitarian needs are high.

UNFPA said the support will be used to reach vulnerable women and girls with life-saving health assistance and protection services as part of its ongoing response in Afghanistan.

The contribution comes as international aid agencies continue efforts to sustain basic health services amid ongoing economic and humanitarian challenges in the country.

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Afghanistan rejects Pakistan’s allegations as ‘baseless’

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The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan has rejected recent accusations by Pakistani officials claiming that attacks inside Pakistan were planned from Afghan territory, describing the allegations as “baseless.”

Hamdullah Fitrat, Deputy Spokesperson of the Islamic Emirate, said Afghanistan believes regional issues should be addressed through dialogue, mutual respect, and genuine cooperation rather than accusations, emotional rhetoric, or threats.

He reaffirmed that Afghan territory would not be used against any country and stressed that no group or individual would be allowed to carry out activities that threaten regional peace and stability.

The remarks came after Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry reportedly summoned Afghanistan’s Chargé d’Affaires in Islamabad on Monday and handed over a formal protest note regarding an attack on a police post in Bannu district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

Pakistani authorities alleged that the attack had been planned from inside Afghanistan.

According to reports, the explosion occurred on Saturday evening in the Fathkhel area of Bannu, killing 15 police officers and injuring four others, including one civilian.

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