Anas Haqqani, a senior member of the Islamic Emirate, says sports and recreation are among human needs and that people should make time for them, whether they are involved in politics or education.

He made the remarks on Sunday while attending matches of the Afghanistan Champions League (ACL) at the Afghanistan Football Federation stadium in Kabul. He described the participation of foreign players in the competition as an important step forward for Afghan football.

“Whether a person is engaged in education or politics, they need to make time for sports and recreation. For us, this was also a very enjoyable atmosphere and experience,” Haqqani said.

He added that he is passionate about football and volleyball, has professional knowledge of football, and continues to practise volleyball. He also said he had experience playing and training in cricket.

Haqqani said Afghanistan has the capacity to grow in various sectors and would not face problems similar to those experienced during the presence of the Soviet Union and the United States in the country.

“Afghanistan has the capacity to make progress in every field and compete with other nations in every sector,” he said.

“In Afghanistan, we will continue dialogue with the de facto authorities on the rights of women and girls to education and work, based on Islamic values, and support the humanitarian and economic needs of the Afghan people,” he said addressing the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers in Baghdad, Iraq.

At the meeting, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan also said the situation in Afghanistan, Sudan and Somalia was challenging and should be at the top of the meeting’s agenda.

Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan’s Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs, has urged the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) to publish its reports on Afghanistan impartially, taking the country’s realities into account and not overlooking its economic and security achievements.

He made the remarks on Sunday at a ceremony organised by the Afghan Red Crescent Society to mark the special week dedicated to supporting people in need.

Baradar said: “It is not fair for Afghanistan’s economic and security achievements to be ignored in reports, while UNAMA, as an opposing and hostile party, focuses on the negative aspects.”

The deputy prime minister for economic affairs said many Afghans were facing a severe economic and humanitarian crisis due to recent droughts, seasonal floods, earthquakes and the forced return of thousands of families to the country. He said addressing these challenges required serious attention.

He called on wealthy individuals, traders, investors, charitable organisations and international humanitarian agencies to provide practical assistance and cooperate with the Afghan Red Crescent Society.

Meanwhile, Noorulhaq Anwar, head of the General Directorate of Administrative Affairs, called on Afghanistan’s neighbouring countries to stop harassing and suppressing Afghans and depriving them of economic opportunities.

Referring to relations between neighbours, Anwar said neighbours should help reduce one another’s difficulties rather than make people’s lives harder through economic pressure.

Without naming any specific country, Anwar added that Afghanistan’s neighbours were still harassing and suppressing Afghans and depriving them economically.