A group of 22 Russian tourists has arrived in Afghanistan’s northeastern Badakhshan province to explore the scenic Wakhan District and other major tourist attractions in the region.

According to Zohurullah Fakhri, an official with the state-run Afghan Tour company in Badakhshan, the group entered the province through Panjshir and Kiran wa Manjan district before travelling toward Wakhan.

The visitors are expected to explore several of Badakhshan’s natural landscapes and tourism sites during their stay.

The arrival comes as the Islamic Emirate seeks to expand Afghanistan’s tourism sector and attract more international visitors. The Ministry of Information and Culture has said it is working to improve tourism facilities and services, standardise the sector and promote Afghanistan’s natural, historical and cultural attractions.

Officials have also reported a rise in foreign visitors to Badakhshan. State-owned Afghan Tour said it facilitated visits by over 150 foreign tourists to the province during the second quarter of 2026, with visitors travelling to historical, archaeological and natural attractions.

Wakhan Corridor

The Wakhan Corridor is a narrow, remote strip of northeastern Afghanistan that extends eastward through Badakhshan to Afghanistan’s border with China. It lies between Tajikistan to the north and Pakistan to the south and forms part of the historic routes linking Central and South Asia.

The region is characterised by rugged mountains, high-altitude valleys, glaciers, rivers and wide open landscapes. The Hindu Kush and Pamir mountain systems meet in the area, which is also known for its distinctive wildlife, including Marco Polo sheep, ibex and snow leopards.

Wakhan has historically been one of Afghanistan’s most isolated regions because of its difficult terrain and limited road access. In May, Afghanistan’s Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development said basic construction work on the Wakhan road had been completed, providing a direct land connection between Afghanistan and China, although further work remained under way.

The combination of its dramatic mountain scenery, wildlife and location along an ancient Central Asian route has made Wakhan one of Afghanistan’s emerging destinations for adventure and nature tourism.

Hayatullah Muhajir Farahi, Deputy Minister for Publications at Afghanistan’s Ministry of Information and Culture, has condemned Pakistan’s latest airstrikes on Afghanistan, warning that the attacks “will not go unanswered.”

Speaking at a meeting on Tuesday, Farahi said the strikes had killed and wounded civilians, including women and children.

“Unfortunately, Pakistan has once again attacked and bombed our beloved country Afghanistan, resulting in the deaths and injuries of innocent people, particularly women and children,” Farahi said.

He said the Islamic Emirate would respond to the attacks at an appropriate time.

The remarks came a day after Pakistani fighter jets carried out airstrikes in Afghanistan’s eastern Kunar and Paktika provinces. Afghan authorities said three civilians were killed and four others were wounded in Kunar. The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) separately confirmed the deaths of three civilians — a man, a woman and a girl.

Pakistan said the strikes targeted militant hideouts in the border region and claimed that 28 militants were killed. Islamabad said the operation followed recent attacks on Pakistani security forces and was aimed at what it described as militant positions inside Afghanistan.

The latest strikes have further heightened tensions between the two neighbours after nearly three months of relative calm. Pakistan has repeatedly accused armed groups operating from Afghan territory of carrying out attacks inside Pakistan, while the Islamic Emirate has rejected the allegations and accused Pakistan of violating Afghanistan’s sovereignty.

Afghanistan’s Foreign Ministry also summoned Pakistan’s chargé d’affaires in Kabul on Monday and handed him a formal protest over the strikes, according to Afghan officials.

The Peshawar High Court (PHC) has temporarily halted the deportation of 14 Afghan medical and dental students enrolled at colleges across Pakistan’s Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province.

A two-member bench comprising Justice Waqar Ahmad and Justice Farah Jamshed issued notices to the relevant authorities and directed them to submit written responses within 14 days. The court adjourned the case until October 12.

The students told the court that they had been admitted to medical and dental colleges under the Afghan quota through the prescribed legal process. They said Pakistan’s Higher Education Commission (HEC) had also issued them no-objection certificates (NOCs) to facilitate their visa applications.

The case follows decisions by the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) on July 31 and September 1 to cancel the admissions of Afghan students and direct them to return to Afghanistan as part of Pakistan’s ongoing repatriation policy.

The students’ lawyer argued that the PMDC decisions were issued without prior notice and conflicted with the NOCs previously granted by the HEC.

He also referred to a similar ruling by the Lahore High Court, which suspended PMDC orders affecting Afghan medical students.

Pending further proceedings, the Peshawar High Court has directed that the 14 students be allowed to continue their education while their case is under consideration.