As Afghanistan marks the fifth anniversary of the Islamic Emirate’s return to power, Richard Lindsay, the UK’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, said on Friday the country cannot reach its full potential without the participation of women and girls in education, employment and public life.

Lindsay said in a post on X that the resilience of Afghan women and girls over the past five years has been “incredible,” but said their resilience should not be a substitute for their fundamental rights.

Lindsay stressed that the UK remains committed to supporting the people of Afghanistan.

Tajikistan has sent a protest note to the Afghan authorities following an alleged violation of its airspace, damage to residential buildings and the death of a civilian in Darvoz district of the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region (GBAO), the Tajik Foreign Ministry said on Friday.

Tajik media outlet Asia-Plus, citing the Information and Press Department of Tajikistan’s Foreign Ministry, reported that armed clashes in recent days in Afghanistan’s Badakhshan province, particularly in districts bordering Tajikistan’s Darvoz district, have posed a threat to the security of Tajik border areas and resulted in violations of international law.

The ministry said Tajikistan’s airspace was violated during the fighting, several homes were damaged and one civilian was killed in Darvoz district.

In response, Tajikistan delivered a formal protest note to the Afghan side, expressing strong concern over the incident and calling on the Afghan authorities to respect the inviolability of Tajikistan’s state border.

Dushanbe also demanded that effective measures be taken to prevent similar incidents from occurring again.

An official source in the Darvoz district administration told Asia-Plus that the victim was identified as 21-year-old Yosuman Yatimzoda, a resident of Dashtak village.

She leaves behind a young child. According to sources, Yatimzoda was also pregnant.

The incident occurred at around 6:40 p.m. on August 13. Yatimzoda was at home doing household chores when a bullet entered through a window and struck her in the liver area.

“The woman was taken to the district central hospital, but she died on the way,” an Asia-Plus source said.

However, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) has not yet commented on the report.

The Islamic Emirate has rejected concerns raised by Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif over the alleged use of Afghan territory for militant activities, reiterating that Afghanistan’s soil will not be used against any country.

Islamic Emirate spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said Islamabad should raise its concerns directly with Kabul rather than making accusations, so that necessary measures can be taken.

Mujahid also said Afghanistan cannot prevent insecurity and internal challenges inside Pakistan, urging Islamabad to address its own domestic problems.

Calling Pakistan a “brotherly country,” Mujahid said instability in Pakistan is not in Afghanistan’s interest. He also called for greater trust among regional countries, particularly neighboring states.

His remarks came after Sharif said Pakistan wants peace and stability in Afghanistan but considers the use of Afghan soil for terrorist activities “unacceptable.”

Sharif urged the Afghan leadership to take immediate steps to prevent Afghanistan from becoming a safe haven for militants.