Mujahir Farahi, Deputy Minister of Publications at Afghanistan’s Ministry of Information and Culture, says establishing a clear and consistent writing system for Pashto and Dari is essential.

He made the remarks at the closing ceremony of a scientific and cultural workshop on the “Revision and Standardization of Pashto and Dari Orthography” held at the National Museum in Kabul.

The workshop was organized by the Supreme Council of Languages under the ministry’s Deputy Ministry of Arts and Culture. University professors, researchers, linguists, writers and representatives from the Ministries of Education and Higher Education and the Academy of Sciences attended the event.

Farahi said languages have different dialects and writing practices, and developing a consistent orthographic system could help reduce differences in written language.

He added that such academic gatherings provide an opportunity for professors, researchers and linguists to exchange views and contribute to the development of the languages.

Sheikh Abdul Rahman Tayebi, Deputy Minister of Arts and Culture, also stressed the importance of preserving and strengthening Afghanistan’s languages, culture and literature.

Meanwhile, professors and members of the Supreme Council of Languages said the proposed standardization of Pashto and Dari orthography was developed and finalized with the participation of academics, researchers and linguists.

They said implementing the proposal could reduce spelling differences, improve consistency in writing and promote more standardized use of Pashto and Dari in education, academia, culture and the media.

Five years after the deadly Abbey Gate attack in Kabul, US President Donald Trump has criticized the US military withdrawal from Afghanistan in a proclamation marking the fifth anniversary of the bombing.

Trump declared August 26, 2026, a day of commemoration for the 13 US service members killed in the attack.

According to the proclamation, at 5:36 p.m. on August 26, 2021, an ISIS member detonated a body-worn bomb after moving into a crowd at Abbey Gate. The blast killed 13 US service members, wounded 45 others and injured more than 160 civilians.

Trump paid tribute to the fallen troops, listing their names and honoring their sacrifice and service.

He said US forces had spent 20 years fighting across Afghanistan to defeat terrorism and remove the Taliban from power. Trump accused former President Joe Biden of squandering those gains through what he described as a rushed and poorly executed withdrawal, calling it one of the worst military disasters in US history.

The proclamation said US forces withdrew from Bagram Airfield in the middle of the night on July 2, 2021, without notifying the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces. Trump said the decision resulted in the loss of the largest US military base in Afghanistan, billions of dollars in military equipment and strategic advantages for remaining US forces.

Trump said the Taliban seized Bagram within weeks and released thousands of prisoners, including people he described as terrorists and criminals. He added that Kabul subsequently fell, forcing US troops to carry out a difficult evacuation from Hamid Karzai International Airport amid the collapse of the Afghan government.

“As Commander in Chief, I will always put America First and defend our sovereignty,” Trump said.

He also said he was proud that the ISIS member responsible for the Abbey Gate attack had been apprehended and brought to face justice in the United States.

Trump pledged continued support for US service members and military families and said the failures that contributed to the Abbey Gate attack must not be repeated.

He concluded by renewing what he called America’s “sacred promise” to the 13 fallen service members and their families: to remember their names, honor their memory and never forget the price they paid for their country.

The US Department of War says an ongoing investigation into the deadly 2021 Abbey Gate bombing in Kabul has uncovered previously undiscovered classified documents that are now being examined by a special review panel.

Sean Parnell, Senior Advisor to the Secretary of War, announced the development in a social media post marking the fifth anniversary of the bombing at Abbey Gate of Kabul’s then-Hamid Karzai International Airport.

The attack killed 13 US service members and approximately 170 Afghan civilians.

According to Parnell, his team recently recovered highly relevant classified documents that should have been disclosed but were found stored in safes and hidden in places where they would not be easily discovered.

He said that after the documents were recovered and reviewed by the special panel, it became clear why someone may have attempted to conceal them. However, Parnell said he would not prematurely reveal the contents of the classified material.

“I’m not going to give you a convenient version of the truth, nor will I give you a rushed one,” Parnell said, stressing that investigators would follow the evidence wherever it leads and would not accept incomplete answers.

The special review panel was established last year, when Secretary of War Pete Hegseth appointed Parnell to lead the investigation. Hegseth said the review was being conducted on behalf of the American people and the families of those killed in the attack.

The panel’s work follows a supplemental review by US Central Command in April 2024, which upheld the findings of the military’s original investigation and concluded that the attack could not have been prevented at the tactical level.

While Parnell did not provide a timeline for completing the review, he pledged that the investigation would be thorough and would provide the full picture of how and why decisions surrounding the attack were made.

“The American people and the families who sacrificed everything are owed the full picture,” he said, promising to continue the investigation until it is completed.