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Afghan diplomat in Peshawar says Kabul ready to take care of returning refugees
Afghan consul general in Peshawar Hafiz Muhibullah Shakir on Wednesday said the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) was prepared to “take care” of Afghan refugees on return from Pakistan.
He also said an Afghan delegation would discuss mechanisms for the repatriation of Afghan refugees from Pakistan.
“They [refugees] are worried that after living here [in Pakistan] for 45 years, they fear facing issues in Afghanistan, but let me assure them that won’t happen,” Shakir told a news conference at the Afghan consulate here, local media reported.
The Afghan consul general said the IEA would take care of refugees on homecoming.
He said a commission, consisting of 12 committees with members from almost all departments, had been formed to address issues related to the repatriation of Afghan nationals from Pakistan.
“They [refugees] would have faced issues only had there been Russians or Americans in power in Afghanistan, but this won’t happen as it’s us [Afghans] in power there. The journey has begun. There is peace, and there is no problem,” he said, adding that the Afghans will rebuild their country together.
The Afghan consul general said the refugees, who lacked accommodation across the border, would be accommodated in camps established for them.
He said besides the Afghan government, philanthropists had also come forward and announced building houses and assisting the returning Afghan nationals in managing businesses.
When asked about those Afghan nationals, who had lived for decades in Pakistan and established businesses besides owned properties, Mr Shakir said that the delegation visiting Pakistan would hold talks on how to address those problems as, besides businesses and properties, some Pakistan might owe things to Afghan nationals and some Afghan nationals to Pakistanis.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan announced on Tuesday the release of American citizen Dennis Coyle from prison.
According to the ministry, Coyle’s mother had written to the leader of the Islamic Emirate demanding amnesty and the release of her son on the occasion of Eid. The Supreme Court considered time served sufficient and decided to release him.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that this action was carried out on the basis of humanitarianism and good faith, and it believes that such measures can strengthen trust between countries. The ministry also expressed hope that both countries, in the future, can find solutions to remaining issues through mutual understanding and constructive dialogue.
The Islamic Emirate also expressed appreciation for the cooperation of the United Arab Emirates in this matter.
Separately, for Coyle’s release, an American delegation, including Zalmay Khalilzad, former U.S. Special Representative for Afghanistan, met on Tuesday with Amir Khan Muttaqi, the Foreign Minister of the Islamic Emirate.
The meeting was also attended by Saif Mohammed Al-Ketbi, Ambassador of the UAE in Kabul, and a member of the prisoner’s family.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Muttaqi stated that the Islamic Emirate has not detained any citizen of any country to achieve political objectives; rather, detentions were the result of legal violations, and individuals were released after completing judicial procedures.
At the meeting, Khalilzad praised the action of the Islamic Emirate and emphasized the importance of continuing discussions on all issues between the two countries, expressing hope for further progress in the future.
Muttaqi also stressed that Kabul and the UAE should provide standard consular services to their citizens, and that the Afghan government is fully prepared in this regard.
He thanked Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, for their constructive role in facilitating the release of the prisoner and referred to the UAE as a close friend of Afghanistan.
Earlier, Muttaqi had also praised the role of the State of Qatar in facilitating information exchange between the Islamic Emirate and the prisoner’s family.
Additionally, the UAE ambassador expressed his country’s readiness to play a role in humanitarian institutions and called such developments beneficial for everyone.
The United Kingdom has announced an additional £3 million (AFN 257 million) in humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan, aimed at supporting people affected by natural disasters and other shocks.
Richard Lindsay, in a post on X, said the funding will be used to provide essential nutrition supplies and related support to vulnerable populations.
The new allocation brings the UK’s total bilateral assistance to Afghanistan for the current financial year to £154 million (AFN 13.18 billion).
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