The Ministry of Defense of the Islamic Emirate says several Pakistani soldiers were killed or wounded in retaliatory strikes by Afghan forces in Paktika province.

In a statement, the ministry said Pakistani forces carried out four drone strikes on Angoor Adda Bazaar and the Commissioner’s Office, as well as nearby security installations, at around 1 p.m. on Monday.

The ministry said Afghan defense and security forces responded by targeting a nearby Pakistani military base and outposts, causing heavy damage to their facilities.

It added that no Afghan casualties were reported in the incident. The ministry accused Pakistani forces of initiating the attacks and described the Afghan response as an act of self-defense and protection of the country’s territory.

Saif-ul-Islam Khyber, spokesperson for the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan’s Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue, Prevention of Vice and Hearing of Complaints, says women’s rights must be defined and upheld in accordance with Islamic Sharia, rejecting what he described as “foreign political agendas and imposed standards.”

Khyber claimed that positive changes had been made in Afghanistan in the areas of women’s rights and human rights over the past five years, describing them as unprecedented in the country’s history.

He said women’s rights under Islamic law include property ownership, inheritance, dowry, financial maintenance, protection against forced marriage, the right to choose a spouse, and the right to engage in business and economic activities.

Khyber stressed that women’s rights should not be used as a tool for political disputes or reduced to propaganda campaigns. He called on individuals and organizations that identify themselves as defenders of women’s rights to demonstrate their commitment through practical action.

He also said the rights of women and other Afghan citizens should not be subject to political bargaining, urging those concerned with human rights to adopt what he described as a practical and fair approach.

Khyber dismissed criticism and reports about the ministry’s performance regarding citizens’ rights as propaganda driven by political and intelligence objectives.

The remarks come a day after the United Kingdom, the United States and senior United Nations officials at a UN Security Council meeting called for Afghan women and girls to have a greater role in shaping their country’s future, criticizing restrictions on their rights and exclusion from public life.

Afghanistan has shared Ministry of Industry and Commerce’s key priorities with donor institutions and international organizations, focusing on investment, support for domestic businesses, export expansion and job creation.

The priorities were presented at the seventh meeting on aligning the priorities of Afghanistan’s sectoral institutions with development partners, held on Wednesday in in Kabul.

According to the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs, the ministry’s priorities include creating investment opportunities across the country, establishing business centers, supporting small and medium-sized enterprises, improving the marketing of domestic products, and expanding the processing and packaging of locally manufactured goods.

The agenda also includes expanding exports and strengthening productive industries, with the broader aim of promoting economic growth, supporting the private sector and creating employment opportunities.

The meeting was intended to help coordinate future assistance and development cooperation with the ministry’s identified priorities.

Representatives of donor institutions and international organizations welcomed the initiative and thanked the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs and the Ministry of Industry and Commerce for sharing the priorities. They said they would align their future assistance and cooperation with the areas identified.