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First group of Afghan pilgrims returns from Hajj
The Ministry of Hajj and Religious Affairs said on Tuesday that the first flight carrying 346 Afghan pilgrims has landed in Kabul, and that Afghan pilgrims still in Saudi Arabia will return home over the next few days.
“We finished the Hajj rituals in a good way, all the pilgrims are healthy and performed their rituals correctly,” said a teacher who accompanied the Afghan pilgrims.
Meanwhile, Afghan pilgrims who performed Hajj rituals said after arriving home that their journey had been well planned and the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) had taken good care of everything.
“We are very grateful to the Islamic Emirate for really serving the Afghan pilgrims and taking care of all the affairs of the pilgrims,” said one of the pilgrims.
“We are happy with the Islamic Emirate for providing us with a good environment. We performed our Hajj ceremony in a good way and very happily,” said another pilgrim.
However, among the 30,000 pilgrims, a large number of government officials also participated in the Hajj ceremony this year.
The Islamic Emirate’s spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said that the government officials used the government’s Hajj quota and not the people’s share.
Last year, 12,000 people from Afghanistan participated in Hajj rituals, but this year, 30,000 people traveled to Saudi Arabia for Hajj ceremony, and it is hoped that Afghanistan’s quota will increase in the coming years.
Zalmay Khalilzad, the former US special representative for Afghanistan, has questioned Pakistan’s commitment to the welfare of the Afghan people, citing Islamabad’s policies over the past three decades.
Khalilzad said in a post on X that Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif advocated for the rights of Afghan women during his speech at the UN General Assembly on Friday.
Sharif said: “Fundamental rights of the Afghan people — especially women and girls — must be respected.”
Responding to the remarks, Khalilzad said Pakistan’s policies over the past 30 years raise questions about Sharif’s commitment to Afghan welfare.
He cited Pakistan’s support for militant groups against US forces and what he described as the poor treatment of Afghan refugees as examples.
Khalilzad also said Afghanistan and Pakistan need and should have much better relations, adding that “a reset is necessary.”
India’s Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri met with the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, Rabab Fatima, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.
Indian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a post on X that Misri underscored the need to keep addressing the humanitarian needs of the Afghan people as a priority.
Misri also appreciated the role of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) and reaffirmed India’s continued cooperation with the United Nations on Afghanistan.
The meeting comes as Afghanistan continues to face humanitarian and economic challenges, with international agencies warning of significant needs among the Afghan population.
Kazakhstan’s Foreign Minister Mukhtar Tileuberdi has called for pragmatic and coordinated international engagement with Afghanistan, saying the country’s long-term stability is closely linked to the security and sustainable development of Central Asia.
Speaking during the general debate of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Friday, Tileuberdi said humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan remains essential but alone cannot break the cycle of poverty, displacement and dependency.
He said Kazakhstan supports a “pragmatic, coordinated and step-by-step” approach to international engagement with Afghanistan, with the United Nations playing a central role.
Tileuberdi also said Kazakhstan is working with the UN to operationalize the United Nations Regional Centre for the Sustainable Development Goals for Central Asia and Afghanistan in Almaty.
He said the success of the centre should be measured by the results and assistance it delivers to the region.
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