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UK Special Envoy: Afghanistan’s future matters to its people, region and Britain
Lindsay acknowledged that Afghanistan faces major challenges but said Afghans continue to demonstrate significant strength and determination.
Richard Lindsay, the UK Special Envoy for Afghanistan, says the country’s future matters to the Afghan people, the region and Britain, pledging that London will continue engaging with Afghanistan, listening to Afghan perspectives and supporting its people.
In a post on X marking the fifth anniversary of the Islamic Emirate’s return to power, Lindsay reflected on his first year as the UK’s special envoy for Afghanistan.
He said that during his visits to Kabul, he held discussions with Islamic Emirate officials on Britain’s priorities, but stressed that dialogue must be accompanied by practical action.
According to Lindsay, the Islamic Emirate must fulfill its commitments on counterterrorism, take steps to address regional security threats and respect the rights of women and girls.
Lindsay described Afghans as hospitable and resilient people, saying he had met inspiring Afghans during his travels, including artisans, entrepreneurs, radio presenters and civil society activists.
He said the determination of these individuals to shape Afghanistan’s future is of fundamental importance.
The UK envoy also said he had witnessed British-funded assistance being delivered across Afghanistan, including lifesaving healthcare and nutrition services, education for children, support for vulnerable people, livelihood opportunities and efforts to strengthen resilience to climate change.
He said Britain had also held important discussions with the international community on the need for engagement in an Afghanistan political process led by the United Nations.
Lindsay added that in London, he had met Afghan activists, aid workers and members of the Afghanistan Women’s Refugee Cricket Team, giving him an opportunity to hear perspectives from Afghans of diverse backgrounds.
He announced that Britain has renewed its longstanding commitment to supporting the people of Afghanistan.
Under the renewed commitment, Britain will provide £105 million annually—around 9.2 billion Afghanis—for the next three years to support lifesaving services, essential education, protection for vulnerable people, livelihoods and climate resilience.
Lindsay acknowledged that Afghanistan faces major challenges but said Afghans continue to demonstrate significant strength and determination.
He said Britain will continue to engage with Afghanistan, listen to the views of its people and support Afghans working toward a more inclusive government and a more prosperous future.
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Islamic Emirate summons Pakistan’s chargé d’affaires over Nuristan incident
The Islamic Emirate’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs says it has summoned Pakistan’s chargé d’affaires in Kabul and handed him a formal protest over the alleged entry of armed and hostile elements across the Durand Line toward Nuristan.
The move follows an operation announced by Afghanistan’s Ministry of Defense two days earlier in Kamdesh district of Nuristan, in which it said 28 people were killed and 32 others captured.
In its statement, the Defense Ministry said several groups affiliated with Daesh and what it described as “Shar-o-Fasad” elements had crossed into Afghan territory with the support and encouragement of Pakistani militias. It claimed the groups were seeking to carry out acts of subversion and create insecurity.
The ministry also alleged that Pakistani military personnel, Pakistan-affiliated “Arbaki” forces and Daesh elements were involved in coordinating with the groups, but fled the area after Afghan forces launched their operation.
According to the Defense Ministry, some of those involved were former military personnel who served under Afghanistan’s previous government. It alleged that Pakistani intelligence agencies had taken some of them to Pakistan after promising assistance with asylum and employment abroad, before transferring them to military camps along the Durand Line for training and subsequently sending them into Afghanistan.
On Tuesday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the individuals involved in the latest incident, including Daesh-affiliated elements, attempted to cross into Afghanistan with what it described as direct support and guidance from Pakistan’s military authorities. Afghan security forces prevented them from entering the country, it said.
The ministry also accused Pakistan of facilitating the recruitment, organization, training and equipping of hostile elements on its territory before directing their deployment across the Durand Line.
It said such actions, in the Islamic Emirate’s view, violate Afghanistan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and run contrary to Islamic, international, humanitarian and good-neighborly principles.
The ministry warned that Pakistan’s military authorities would bear full responsibility for any consequences if such actions continue.
Pakistan has rejected allegations of involvement by its security and intelligence forces in the Nuristan incident, describing the claims as baseless.
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Minister of Industry and Commerce travels to Belarus to expand economic ties
Afghanistan’s Minister of Industry and Commerce Nooruddin Azizi has traveled to Belarus at the head of a delegation, at the invitation of the Belarusian government, to strengthen economic and trade cooperation between the two countries.
The ministry said the visit includes participation in the Second Belarus International Industrial Exhibition and meetings with senior Belarusian officials.
During the visit, the minister is expected to tour the exhibition and attend a general meeting of participating countries.
He is also scheduled to meet with Belarusian ministers of foreign affairs, agriculture, and industry to discuss trade and economic relations, industrial and agricultural cooperation, investment, and new areas of bilateral cooperation.
The Ministry of Industry and Commerce said it hopes the visit will help expand trade and economic ties, boost industrial cooperation, and create more opportunities for investment between Afghanistan and Belarus.
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US Afghanistan War Commission meets Asim Munir over Pakistan’s role in conflict
The commission is examining the military, diplomatic, intelligence and foreign assistance aspects of the US engagement.
A delegation from the US Afghanistan War Commission met Pakistan’s army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, in Rawalpindi on Monday as the commission reviews the United States’ 20-year engagement in Afghanistan.
The delegation, led by commission co-chairs Shamila N. Chaudhary and Colin F. Jackson, met Munir at General Headquarters, according to Pakistan’s military.
Discussions covered Pakistan’s support during the Afghanistan conflict, the regional security environment and developments in Afghanistan, with a focus on issues relevant to the commission’s review.
Munir presented Pakistan’s perspective on the security dynamics that shaped the conflict and highlighted the challenges faced by the country during the prolonged war in neighbouring Afghanistan.
He also stressed the importance of incorporating the regional perspective and Pakistan’s experience when assessing the strategic, diplomatic and operational dimensions of the conflict, according to the military statement.
The delegation acknowledged Pakistan’s “longstanding role and sacrifices” during the conflict and appreciated what it described as the country’s continued contribution to regional peace and stability.
The Afghanistan War Commission was established by the US Congress in 2021 to conduct an independent review of US decisions and actions during the Afghanistan war from June 2001 to August 2021. The commission is examining the military, diplomatic, intelligence and foreign assistance aspects of the US engagement.
US forces completed their withdrawal from Afghanistan on August 30, 2021, ending nearly two decades of US military involvement in the country.
Pakistan was a key regional actor throughout the conflict, sharing a long border with Afghanistan and providing logistical and other support to US-led operations while also facing significant security challenges linked to the war.
The commission’s meeting with Munir comes as it gathers regional perspectives on the decisions and events that shaped the US engagement in Afghanistan. Its final report is expected to examine the broader strategic, diplomatic and operational lessons of the conflict.
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