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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.
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Over 2.13 million Afghan refugees repatriated from Pakistan
Officials say over 150,000 individuals were returned from Punjab alone, where enforcement efforts are being led by the Punjab Home Department’s Foreign National Security Cell.
More than 2.13 million Afghan nationals have been repatriated from Pakistan to Afghanistan as part of an ongoing campaign targeting undocumented foreign residents, according to Pakistani authorities cited by local media.
Officials say over 150,000 individuals were returned from Punjab alone, where enforcement efforts are being led by the Punjab Home Department’s Foreign National Security Cell. The campaign includes inspections of thousands of residential areas and hundreds of markets, resulting in numerous detentions and legal cases against Afghan nationals found without valid documentation.
The repatriation process comes amid heightened tensions along key border crossings between the two countries. Hundreds of migrants have recently been sent back via the Chaman crossing, particularly during disruptions at other transit points.
The Torkham crossing—a major gateway for cross-border movement—has faced repeated closures. Although it briefly reopened, local officials in Nangarhar Province report that it was shut again after only a few hours. Authorities in Pakistan have not provided a clear explanation for the latest closure.
According to Sediqullah Quraishi, head of Nangarhar’s Information Department, the crossing was opened temporarily on Thursday before being closed again without official clarification.
Meanwhile, hundreds of Afghan migrants remain in temporary holding centers across Punjab, where they are undergoing registration and processing ahead of their return to Afghanistan. The large-scale repatriation effort continues to raise humanitarian and logistical concerns, particularly as border access remains unpredictable.
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Human Rights Watch calls Pakistani airstrike on Kabul rehab center ‘unlawful’
Patricia Gossman, senior associate Asia director at Human Rights Watch, said available evidence suggests the strike hit a well-known civilian medical facility.
Human Rights Watch has condemned a recent Pakistani airstrike on a rehabilitation facility in Kabul, calling it “unlawful” and warning it could amount to a war crime.
The strike, which reportedly took place on March 16, targeted the Omid Drug Rehabilitation Center, located within the former Camp Phoenix complex in eastern Kabul. According to international agencies, at least 143 people were killed and more than 250 others injured, most of them patients undergoing treatment.
Patricia Gossman, senior associate Asia director at Human Rights Watch, said available evidence suggests the strike hit a well-known civilian medical facility.
“The available evidence indicates that the Pakistani airstrike against a well-known Kabul medical facility killing dozens of patients was unlawful,” she said, adding that authorities must determine why the site was targeted and who should be held accountable.
An employee of the center told the organization that three buildings were struck, including a dining hall, a residential building housing hundreds of patients, and a guard post. At the time of the attack, more than 1,000 patients were reportedly at the facility, many gathered to break their fast during Ramadan.
Human Rights Watch said satellite imagery and visual evidence show extensive destruction across the compound, with multiple structures either destroyed or severely damaged. The organization added that it found no indication the facility was being used for military purposes.
Under international humanitarian law, medical facilities are afforded special protection. The group stressed that attacks failing to distinguish between civilian and military targets, or those causing disproportionate civilian harm, may constitute serious violations of the laws of war.
Human Rights Watch has called on Pakistan to carry out a prompt, impartial investigation and ensure accountability if violations are confirmed.
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Torkham crossing closes again hours after brief reopening
Officials say the reason for the sudden closure has not been clearly communicated by authorities in Pakistan.
The key border crossing at Torkham crossing has once again been shut down, just hours after it was temporarily reopened, according to local officials in Nangarhar province.
Sediqullah Quraishi, head of information at the provincial Department of Information and Culture, said that on Thursday the Pakistani side allowed the crossing to open briefly to Afghan migrants. However, the crossing was closed again shortly afterward, leaving many travelers stranded.
Officials say the reason for the sudden closure has not been clearly communicated by authorities in Pakistan.
The Torkham crossing serves as one of the most important transit points between Afghanistan and Pakistan. Its repeated closures have caused significant disruption, particularly for migrants, traders, and families who rely on cross-border movement.
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