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Health ministry signs MoU with Lahore University to support Kabul hospital
A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed on Tuesday between Pakistan’s Lahore University and Afghanistan’s Ministry of Public Health for ongoing support, both financially and technically, of the Mohammad Ali Jinnah Hospital in Kabul.
This hospital, in the west of the capital, has been supported by the Pakistan government for the past few years.
The visiting delegation agreed on Tuesday to not only continue providing the hospital with medical equipment but also turn the hospital into a training facility.
Pakistan’s ambassador to Kabul, Mansoor Ahmad Khan meanwhile said that the university would help run the hospital.
“Afghan Minister of Public Health H.E. Dr. Qalandar Ebad and a team from University of Lahore signed a Letter of Understanding for assistance in running M. A. Jinnah Hospital Kabul and upgrade its facilities to make it a teaching hospital,” Ahmad Khan tweeted on Tuesday.
He said: “The cost has not been estimated yet because it is an ongoing project, but Lahore University provides monthly assistance with medical equipment, technical equipment and training for the hospital’s doctors.”
The IEA’s Ministry of Public Health welcomed the university’s move to increase the hospital’s technical and human resources’ capacity.
However, Ebad said they did not sign the MoU with the ambassador of Pakistan to Kabul nor with the Pakistan government. He said the MoU was with the university.
“We didn’t sign this agreement with the ambassador of Pakistan but with the hospital delegation from Lahore. The delegation from Lahore wants to make the hospital professional, technical and capable,” Ebad said.
In addition to improving the hospital and its services, the university will also pay the salaries of staff and other expenses.
The non-payment of salaries over the past few months has been a serious cause of concern for staff at the hospital.
According to them, they have faced serious financial pressure due to not having received salaries, which were paid by the former government.
“We are asking the (new)
government to pay us our salaries because we are facing countless problems,” said Abdul Ghafoor, a health worker at the hospital.
According to the IEA officials, this type of cooperation will be extended to a number of other hospitals that were built and supported by Pakistan in the last few years.
Mohammad Younus Akhundzada, the Islamic Emirate’s Minister of Energy and Water, departed for Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, on Saturday to attend the 17th World Energy Forum.
Ministerial-level representatives from around 100 countries are expected to participate in the forum to discuss energy cooperation, opportunities, and the exchange of experiences.
The Ministry of Water and Energy said Afghanistan’s participation in the forum provides an opportunity to strengthen relations with countries around the world, exchange expertise, and attract international cooperation in the energy sector.
The US Department of State has placed Afghanistan in Tier 3 in its 2026 Trafficking in Persons Report, citing concerns over forced labor, child exploitation and inadequate protection for trafficking victims.
The report says Afghanistan has failed to fully meet the minimum standards for eliminating human trafficking and has not made significant efforts to do so.
It also highlights the vulnerability of families, particularly children, to trafficking and exploitation amid poverty, economic hardship and the return of migrants from neighboring countries.
Afghanistan continues to face economic challenges and growing humanitarian needs, while large numbers of Afghan migrants have returned from neighboring countries. Experts say raising public awareness, creating job opportunities and providing support to vulnerable families are essential to preventing human trafficking and child exploitation.
Meanwhile, the Islamic Emirate has previously issued a decree declaring human trafficking contrary to Islamic Sharia and called for action against the practice. Officials have also said the rights of Afghans are protected in accordance with Islamic Sharia and Afghan traditions.
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Iranian lawmaker praises Afghanistan’s support, accuses Pakistan of ‘hypocrisy’
Zanganeh claimed that a post published under the name of Pakistan’s parliamentary speaker during negotiations between Tehran and Washington had been written by Americans.
Mohsen Zanganeh, head of the Iranian Parliament’s Economic Commission, has praised Afghanistan’s support for Iran during the conflict between Iran and the United States, while criticizing Pakistan’s conduct during the crisis.
Zanganeh claimed that a post published under the name of Pakistan’s parliamentary speaker during negotiations between Tehran and Washington had been written by Americans. According to the Iranian lawmaker, US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff was responsible for drafting the post.
He described Pakistan’s alleged conduct as “hypocrisy” and expressed appreciation for the friendship and support shown by Afghans towards Iran.
Zanganeh’s remarks highlight the differing political perspectives emerging in the region as neighbouring countries respond to developments involving Iran and the United States.
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