Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs Amir Khan Muttaqi has called on Pakistan to stop making decisions that harm ordinary people.

This comes after Pakistan closed Torkham border crossing last month. The key border was closed to trade and people for 25 days and only partially reopened on Wednesday. Goods trucks were allowed to cross the border from Wednesday but the border will only reopen for people on Friday.

The closure of this busy trade route cost local business owners millions of dollars in losses, especially those trading in perishable goods.

Hosting an iftar reception for foreign ambassadors and diplomats in Kabul, Muttaqi said that Torkham crossing reopened following talks between the two countries.

He said that Afghanistan has no problems with neighboring countries and if any problems arise, they will be resolved through talks.

“We hope that issues with our neighboring country Pakistan will be resolved the same way and problems will end,” he said.

Muttaqi also said that the repatriation of Afghan refugees from Pakistan should happen in a gradual and dignified manner.

This comes after Human Rights Watch (HRW) on Wednesday called on Pakistan to immediately stop forcing Afghan refugees to return home.

In their latest report, HRW slammed Pakistan for having stepped up pressure on Afghan refugees and using “intensified abusive tactics” to get them to leave the country.

On January 31, 2025, Pakistan’s Ministry of Interior announced that Afghans without official residence documents, along with holders of Afghan Citizen Cards, must leave the cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi or face deportation. Afghans holding Proof of Registration (PoR) cards must leave by June 30.

A previous wave of deportations and expulsions, from September 2023 through January 2024, drove over 800,000 Afghans – many born in Pakistan or living there for decades – to Afghanistan.

Since November 2024, Pakistani authorities have renewed pressure to expel Afghans. More than 70 percent of those returning have been women and children, including girls of secondary school age and women who will no longer have access to education.

HRW stated that Pakistani police have raided houses, beat and arbitrarily detained people, and confiscated refugee documents, including residence permits.

They have demanded bribes to allow Afghans to remain in Pakistan. The United Nations reported that most Afghans who have returned to Afghanistan have cited fear of detention by Pakistani authorities as the reason they left.

Returning refugees have generally had to abandon property and savings in Pakistan, and have few livelihood opportunities or little land in Afghanistan.

The process of transferring Afghan prisoners in Iran began on Tuesday, March 20, in the presence of Fazal Mohammad Haqqani, the acting head of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan’s embassy in Tehran, and officials from the Ministry of Justice of the host country.

On the first day, 149 Afghan prisoners were transferred to Afghanistan after their identities were verified.

These prisoners are scheduled to serve the remaining term of their sentences in Afghan prisons in accordance with the laws of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.

A second group of prisoners was sent to Afghanistan on Wednesday.

The Convict Transfer Committee of the Ministry of Justice of the host country is also scheduled to continue this process after the Eid al-Fitr holidays.

The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) says 1403 was a year of economic achievements, which saw a stable afghani (AFN), the start of TAPI, and new investments. Officials said there was also an increase in trade with numerous countries.

However, banking sanctions were not lifted and the country’s foreign reserves remained frozen.

The Islamic Emirate says that despite the sanctions and the failure to release the country’s foreign reserves, they have been able to maintain the value of the Afghan currency, attract large investments in the mining sector, and also promote trade relations with countries.

Zabihullah Mujahid, spokesman for the Islamic Emirate, says that major projects have been launched in the country and efforts are underway to connect Afghanistan with countries via a railway line.

The Ministry of Commerce and Industry says that a lot of work has been done in the trade sector and seven billion dollars’ worth of investments have been made in the country this year.

The Chamber of Commerce and Investment also says that 1403 was a good year for traders as prices remained stable and the country’s exports totaled $2 billion.

On the other hand, work on some major development projects has either been completed or begun, such as:

• Completion of Kamal Khan Dam
• Completion of Shah and Arous Dam in Kabul
• Completion of Tori Dam in Zabul
• Commencement of Palatuni Dam in Paktika
• Expansion of railway lines
• Commencement of TAPI project
• Continuing the repair of the Salang Highway and the Kabul-Kandahar Road

According to economic experts, despite sanctions and global pressures, the Islamic Emirate has been able to take important steps in the economic sector.

The latest World Bank report states that the Afghan economy is however still unstable. The bank added that although the Afghan economy is witnessing slow growth after two years, it remains fragile and unstable.

The Islamic Emirate, however, said that they see a bright future ahead.