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Afghans label troop withdrawal plan as ‘irresponsible’
Officials have slammed the planned unconditional withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan and said the withdrawal should be done responsibly.
Speaking to Germany’s DPA news agency after news broke of US President Joe Biden’s expected announcement that troops will exit by September 11, one peace talks negotiator in Doha said: “It is the most irresponsible, selfish thing the United States could do to its Afghan partners.”
The peace talks team member, who asked not to be named, told DPA it might be the end of the war for Washington, but that Afghan partners will pay the price.
“They could have ended this in a responsible way, with a little more patience,” the negotiator said.
The former head of Afghanistan’s independent human rights commission Sima Samar meanwhile called the unconditional withdrawal “unfortunate.”
“The withdrawal should be conditional and responsible,” Samar said, adding that Afghans need to learn from the past, in an apparent reference to the sudden Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan in 1989 which led to the devastating civil war.
US Secretary of State confirmed reports on Wednesday that Washington would withdraw all its troops.
Ahead of a meeting with his NATO counterparts, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the time has come for international forces to withdraw from Afghanistan.
“Together, we went into Afghanistan to deal with those who attacked us and to make sure that Afghanistan would not again become a haven for terrorists who might attack any of us,” Blinken said as he arrived at NATO headquarters in Brussels on Wednesday.
“Together, we have achieved the goals that we we set out to achieve. And now it is time to bring our forces home,” he said.
The German defence minister went further and said ahead of Wednesday’s meeting that all NATO countries will pull out of Afghanistan together.
The Presidential Palace (ARG) has not yet commented on the reports. The Afghan presidential palace has not reacted to the decision yet. However, a presidential advisor had previously said that they would not comment until Afghan President Ashraf Ghani had spoken to President Biden about details of the withdrawal plan.
The Embassy of Japan in Afghanistan has announced scholarship opportunities for Afghan students under the Japanese Government (MEXT) Scholarship Program for the 2027 academic year.
According to the embassy, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) of Japan is offering scholarships for graduate-level study at Japanese universities under the research student category, including both regular and non-regular students.
Interested and eligible applicants can download the application guidelines and forms from the official Study in Japan website and are advised to carefully review all requirements before applying.
Applicants who meet the eligibility criteria and have prepared all required documents must submit their applications by 25 May 2026. The embassy said late or incomplete submissions will not be accepted.
The first screening process will include a written examination in Kabul on 18 June 2026, followed by interviews scheduled for July 2026 (date to be confirmed).
The Embassy of Japan noted that the Aga Khan Foundation Afghanistan will assist in collecting applications and facilitating written examinations, but will not be involved in the selection process.
It further emphasized that the selection will be conducted independently by the embassy and the Japanese government, based on academic merit, quality of application documents, and performance in written and interview examinations, without consideration of religious, linguistic, or ethnic background.
The scholarship program is fully funded and free of charge. The embassy warned applicants to remain cautious against scams, stressing that no financial contributions are required at any stage of the application process.
Abdul Salam Hanafi, Deputy Prime Minister for Administrative Affairs, has launched the distribution of more than 1,000 residential land plots for returning migrants in Logar province.
During a visit to Logar, Hanafi inaugurated a new township and said the initiative aims to support Afghan returnees by providing them with housing opportunities and improving settlement conditions.
He called for speeding up the process of distributing residential plots designated for migrants, stressing the importance of timely implementation.
“We inaugurated this township today, which includes more than 1,000 plots. These plots will be distributed to migrants. In addition, other townships will also be constructed soon,” he said.
Hanafi also noted that over the past three years, more than five million Afghan migrants have returned from neighboring countries, adding that efforts are underway to provide them with essential services and support their reintegration.
Pakistan’s Ambassador to Afghanistan, Ubaid-ur-Rehman Nizamani, has urged the Afghan authorities to take concrete action against militant threats that Islamabad says originate from Afghan soil.
Speaking at an event at the Pakistan Embassy in Kabul marking the first anniversary of Operation Bunyan-um-Marsoos against India, Nizamani reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to maintaining “brotherly ties” with Afghanistan.
The ambassador also highlighted Pakistan’s diplomatic efforts in reducing tensions between Iran and the United States, saying Islamabad’s initiatives reflected its commitment to regional and global peace.
During the ceremony, Nizamani reaffirmed Pakistan’s determination to defend itself against any aggression.
“Pakistan’s desire for peace must never be mistaken for weakness,” the ambassador said, calling for heightened vigilance against regional threats.
Pakistani officials have consistently claimed that militants use Afghan soil to attack Pakistan. The Islamic Emirate, however, has denied this claim and said that Afghanistan is not responsible for Pakistan’s security failures.
Japan announces MEXT scholarships for Afghan students for 2027 academic year
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