Latest News
Amnesty’s head writes to Pakistan PM about challenges faced by Afghan refugees
Secretary-General of Amnesty International, Agnes Callamard, has sent a letter to Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, calling for the challenges faced by the Afghan refugees to be addressed.
According to the letter, Pakistan lacks national legislation for the protection of refugees and asylum seekers, and the country also has no established procedures to determine refugee status.
Callamard wrote that without documentation, Afghans are largely unable to access housing as they cannot convince landlords to rent out houses to them.
She added that Afghans cannot open bank accounts or receive money in their own name from relatives abroad. They cannot acquire SIM cards for their mobile phones due to lack of identification documents and policies that prohibit foreigners from obtaining SIM cards without approval from the Interior Ministry.
Callamard called on the Pakistani government to provide Afghans with a means of regularizing their stay and accessing services without discrimination, including education for children and health care.
She also said that the Pakistani government should not acquire Afghans in need of visa renewals to cross the border into Afghanistan as this would be considered a form of “refoulement.”
“Pakistani law enforcement must also protect the rights of refugees to peaceful expression and assembly, including the right to carry out peaceful demonstrations, and all arrests of Afghan refugees/asylum seekers under the pretext of being undocumented should be stopped,” Callamard said.
The Ministry of Interior has announced the delivery of several new, modern cars to the General Directorate of Traffic Police, replacing the older fleet that consisted mostly of trucks.
According to a ministry statement, the new vehicles, equipped with special traffic police colors, markings, and modern equipment, are expected to play a key role in maintaining traffic order in cities and on main roads, preventing accidents, and providing faster services to the public.
Azerbaijan has released 14 Afghan nationals from its prisons, Afghan Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Saturday.
The ministry said in a statement that the release happened following efforts by Afghanistan’s embassy in Baku.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed its appreciation to Azerbaijan and relevant authorities for their cooperation and humanitarian action. It also reaffirmed that the IEA will continue to follow up on and resolve the cases of Afghan prisoners.
Former U.S. special envoy for Afghanistan, Zalmay Khalilzad, says Washington is largely satisfied with the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan’s (IEA) efforts against terrorism, though progress in broader relations remains hindered by the issue of prisoners.
In an interview with NDTV, Khalilzad said the United States views the detention of at least two American citizens in Afghanistan as the primary obstacle to improving ties.
Khalilzad highlighted what he described as a “significant degree of satisfaction” in the U.S. assessment of the IEA’s counterterrorism commitments under the Doha Agreement. He said the IEA continue to fight Daesh, a group they have long considered an enemy. Many Daesh militants, he added, have been pushed out of Afghanistan and are now in Pakistan.
At the same time, Khalilzad said concerns remain regarding human rights and the political role of non-IEA Afghans.
Traffic police receive new cars
Azerbaijan releases 14 Afghan prisoners
Trump signs order threatening tariffs on nations doing business with Iran
Afghan delegation heads to Turkey for medicine talks
Khalilzad says U.S. ‘significantly satisfied’ with IEA’s fight against terrorism
ICG report says Pakistan most impacted by IEA’s return in Afghanistan
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
Tawsia: Afghanistan’s interest in buying Russian oil and gas
Tahawol: IEA calls UNSC’s Daesh concerns baseless
Saar: Afghanistan’s role in regional affairs discussed
Tahawol: Discussion on UNSC meeting on Daesh threats
Saar: Rising expectations for US-Iran talks in Oman
-
Sport4 days agoJapan trumps Afghanistan 6-0 in AFC Futsal Asian Cup quarter-final
-
Sport3 days agoHosts and heavyweights advance as AFC Futsal Asian Cup reaches semifinals
-
International Sports5 days agoPakistan to boycott T20 World Cup group match against India
-
Sport5 days agoAfghanistan crush Scotland in ICC T20 World Cup warm-up
-
Latest News2 days agoTerrorist threat in Afghanistan must be taken seriously, China tells UNSC
-
Latest News3 days agoUzbekistan, Pakistan advance Trans-Afghan railway project
-
Business4 days agoAfghanistan seeks expanded ties with Russia in energy, mining and infrastructure
-
Latest News5 days agoAfghanistan faces worsening water crisis as millions return home