Latest News
Afghanistan needs to be more decentralized: Khalilzad
Afghanistan’s government needs to be more decentralized and political inclusivity needs to be ensured in order to prevent another war, former US special envoy for Afghanistan reconciliation, Zalmay Khalilzad, said on Saturday.
Speaking at the Islamabad Security Dialogue conference, Khalilzad said that the US’s withdrawal from Afghanistan has had both positive and negative consequences.
“On the positive side, the war has ended already. There is a government that controls all of Afghanistan, but on the negative is that the government is not legitimate in the sense that it doesn’t come true what it has agreed to do in the agreement that ended the war, meaning the US war, which was that the new government would be as a result of intra-Afghan negotiations so that it reflects the diversity,” Khalilzad said.
He said that currently the Afghan government is “very centralized” and a more decentralized government would also ensure economic participation and inclusivity.
The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA), however, rejected Khalilzad’s claim that the government is very centralized.
Enamullah Samangani, deputy spokesman for IEA, said that the government is committed to ensuring balanced development across Afghanistan and it would work for greater inclusivity.
Meanwhile, Pakistan’s army chief, General Qamar Javed Bajwa, told the conference that “we have to be patient and accommodative” over the IEA’s performance.
“Instead of imposing sanctions which have never worked, we must incentivize Afghans for their positive behavioral changes,” Bajwa said.
He said that disengagement with Afghanistan is not an option. “We urge the international community to share their concern directly with Afghan interim government.”
Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi also said that after 40 years, there is no internal war in Afghanistan and one government controls the entire country.
“This presents a unique opportunity to stabilize Afghanistan and build sustainable peace the international community can achieve by engaging with Afghan authorities, unfreezing Afghanistna’s financial reserves and reviving reconstruction and sustainable development of Afghanistan,” Qureshi said.
He also urged IEA to positively respond to the expectations of the international community with regard to inclusivity, human rights including women’s rights, girls’ education and the threat of terrorism.
Latest News
Pakistan to repatriate nearly 20,000 Afghans awaiting US resettlement
Authorities will also share verified data of the affected individuals with relevant departments to support implementation.
Pakistan will repatriate nearly 20,000 Afghan nationals currently awaiting resettlement in the United States, The Nation reported, citing official sources.
The move affects 19,973 Afghans living across Pakistan.
A federal directive will instruct provincial chief secretaries and police chiefs in Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, Azad Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan, and the Islamabad Capital Territory to begin the repatriation process immediately.
Authorities will also share verified data of the affected individuals with relevant departments to support implementation.
Following the Islamic Emirate’s return to power in 2021, more than 100,000 Afghans fled to Pakistan, many of whom had worked with the US and UK governments, international organizations, or aid agencies.
Thousands have remained stranded in Pakistan for over four years while awaiting US resettlement clearance.
Prospects for relocation have dimmed amid a suspension of case processing by the US administration, according to The Nation.
Under Pakistan’s Illegal Foreigners Repatriation Plan (IFRP), all Afghan nationals still awaiting US relocation will now be returned to Afghanistan.
Terrorist activities continue to be observed along Afghanistan borders and along the India–Pakistan–Afghanistan corridor, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in an interview published on Monday.
Speaking to Russia-based media outlet TV BRICS, Lavrov pointed to ongoing concerns in the Middle East, including its Asian regions.
He highlighted the importance of collaboration with India at the United Nations to advance a global counter-terrorism convention.
Lavrov stated that while the draft convention has already been prepared, consensus on its adoption has not yet been reached.
Russia has repeatedly expressed concern about militant threats from Afghanistan. The Islamic Emirate, however, has dismissed the concerns saying that it will not allow Afghanistan’s soil to be used against any country.
Noorullah Noori, Afghanistan’s Minister of Borders and Tribal Affairs, held a phone conversation with Kazem Gharibabadi, Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs, to discuss bilateral border cooperation.
According to the Iranian news agency IRNA, both sides reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening border collaboration, with a particular focus on the ongoing renovation and updating of border markers. They also agreed to accelerate joint technical and legal meetings to enhance coordination.
As part of the agreement, the next meeting of senior border officials from Afghanistan and Iran is scheduled to take place in Iran in 1405 (2026–2027).
Tahawol: Pakistan’s Foreign Policy Failure of Towards Afghanistan discussed
Saar: Regional Problems, Opportunities, and Challenges discussed
Pakistan to repatriate nearly 20,000 Afghans awaiting US resettlement
Terrorist activities observed along Afghanistan borders, says Lavrov
Afghan border minister holds phone talks with Iran’s deputy foreign minister
Afghanistan–China joint market opens in Kabul
Pakistan approves re-export of stranded Afghan transit trade cargo
ATN secures broadcast rights to Carabao Cup semis across Afghanistan
Pakistan army orders evacuation of Tirah Valley, fears of mass displacement grow
Afghan traders sign deal to import pharmaceuticals from Bangladesh
Tahawol: Pakistan’s Foreign Policy Failure of Towards Afghanistan discussed
Saar: Regional Problems, Opportunities, and Challenges discussed
Saar: Afghanistan’s relations and opportunities with regional countries
Tahawol: Kabul’s response to Pakistan’s new accusation discussed
Saar: Discussion on Iran-US talks in Oman
-
Latest News3 days agoAfghanistan to grant one- to ten-year residency to foreign investors
-
Latest News5 days agoTerrorist threat in Afghanistan must be taken seriously, China tells UNSC
-
Sport4 days agoIndonesia shock Japan to reach historic AFC Futsal Asian Cup final
-
Sport5 days agoMilano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics: What You Need to Know
-
Sport3 days agoIran clinch AFC Futsal Asian Cup 2026 in penalty shootout thriller
-
Latest News5 days agoUS Justice Department to seek death penalty for Afghan suspect in National Guard shooting
-
Latest News3 days agoAfghanistan says Pakistan is shifting blame for its own security failures
-
Latest News5 days agoUzbekistan, Kazakhstan discuss cooperation on Afghanistan