The Ministry of Public Health of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) has announced the results of its assessment of 115 private hospitals in Kabul, with two placed in Category A, nine in Category B and 39 in Category C.

Ministry officials announced the results at a meeting in Kabul on Tuesday, saying the accreditation and classification process aims to improve healthcare standards, promote fair competition among private hospitals, increase transparency and address concerns over the cost of medical services.

Public Health Minister Noor Jalal Jalali said the initiative was designed to bring changes to the private healthcare sector and encourage hospitals to compete by improving the quality of their services.

He added that healthcare service rates would also be determined following the assessment, which he said could improve transparency and help ease public concerns over access to medical care.

Abdul Salam Hanafi, the IEA’s Deputy Prime Minister for Administrative Affairs, said the classification process was introduced in response to public complaints about high costs at private hospitals. He said hospitals were assessed and classified according to their facilities and the services they provide.

Abdul Wali Haqqani, Deputy Minister for Health Services, said each hospital’s category reflects its current condition. Hospitals receiving higher classifications should maintain their standards, while those in lower categories should work to meet the required criteria, he added.

Ministry officials said the accreditation process would continue as part of efforts to standardise healthcare services, regulate treatment costs and strengthen accountability among private healthcare facilities. They urged hospitals to meet the established standards and improve the quality and accessibility of care for patients.

Mohammad Ishaq Dar, Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, has called on the Islamic Emirate to ensure that Afghan territory is not used for terrorism against Pakistan and other countries around the world.

Ishaq Dar made the remarks on Tuesday at a meeting of the Council of Heads of Government of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in Dushanbe, the capital of Tajikistan.

In his speech, he stressed that sustainable economic development in the region cannot be guaranteed without lasting peace and security. He also said that stability in Afghanistan is essential for maintaining peace and security across the region.

Pakistan’s foreign minister said his country wants a peaceful, stable, regionally integrated and prosperous Afghanistan, adding that Pakistan has made efforts to support Afghanistan’s development and the well-being of its people.

Pakistani officials have repeatedly alleged that attacks in Pakistan are organised from Afghan territory. The Islamic Emirate, however, has rejected these allegations, stating that Afghanistan is not responsible for Pakistan’s “security failures.”

US President Donald Trump has seized on violent protests in France to promote his hardline immigration policies and rally support for Republicans ahead of the November 3 midterm elections, as opinion polls point to growing challenges for his party.

Speaking at a rally in Kansas on Monday, Trump claimed France was being “conquered, looted, and burned to the ground by migrants, jihadists, and communists”, adding that his administration would not allow similar events to unfold in the United States.

Earlier, Trump recalled warning French President Emmanuel Macron that allowing large numbers of migrants into France was a mistake, claiming Paris would soon become “a Muslim city”.

In a post on Truth Social, he also called on France to close its borders, declaring that migrants had taken over the country, AFP reported.

Protests over the rising cost of living erupted across France over the weekend, with some demonstrations escalating into looting and clashes with police.

French authorities introduced partial curfews on Monday in response to the unrest.

Trump has used the violence to reinforce arguments for the restrictive immigration policies that helped secure his return to the White House in 2024. Analysts say his comments reflect an effort to turn developments in Europe into a political campaign issue at home.

“They’re taking this French crisis and turning it into a campaign argument,” JC Lintzenich, a senior fellow at the German Marshall Fund, told AFP.

Europe becomes part of US election debate

With Democrats favoured in opinion polls ahead of the November 3 elections, Trump and his allies have intensified efforts to mobilise voters behind the Republican Party and his Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement.

Justin Vaisse, a professor of US foreign policy at Johns Hopkins University, said Europe had long featured in American political debates, particularly since the emergence of the MAGA movement.

Trump’s Vice President JD Vance also weighed in on Saturday, writing on X that Western liberals had “imported the third world into France” while neglecting questions of assimilation and cultural compatibility.

Economy remains key concern for voters

A Pew Research poll published this month found that the economy was important to 82 percent of US voters when deciding how to vote, compared with 59 percent who cited immigration and 36 percent who pointed to race-related issues.

Although Trump has pursued the immigration crackdown promised during his 2024 campaign, he has struggled to deliver on his pledge to curb inflation.

His tariff policies and the war with Iran have contributed to higher prices across the economy, while his approval rating has fallen to record lows, according to the report.

Vaisse argued that linking the unrest in France to US cultural and identity debates was unlikely to win Republicans new votes, although it could help energise Trump’s existing supporters ahead of the midterms.