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China’s FM discusses Beijing’s ongoing support with Atmar
China says it is willing to deepen counter-terrorism and security cooperation with Afghanistan and to help Kabul strengthen its counter-terrorism capacities.
In a phone conversation on Monday night, China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi told his Afghan counterpart Haneef Atmar that China will also continue to provide necessary support to Afghanistan and other South Asian countries in their fight against the pandemic.
According to a statement issued by China’s foreign ministry, Wang said the China-Afghanistan strategic cooperative partnership has maintained a momentum of development, the Belt and Road cooperation has made continuous progress, and traditional friendship between the two countries has been enhanced in the joint fight against COVID-19 pandemic.
Wang also said: “China appreciates Afghanistan’s firm support for China to safeguard its core interests, and will as always speak up for the independence, sovereignty and dignity of Afghanistan.”
Wang said China will continue to support the Afghan government in playing a leading role in the country’s peace and reconciliation process, and call on all parties to support and implement relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions “to promote a smooth transition of the situation in Afghanistan, to avoid in particular a resurgence of terrorist forces”.
“The international community and regional countries should uphold justice and fairness and help the Afghan people maintain and consolidate the fruits of peace and reconstruction in the country,” he said.
Wang went on to say that “China supports all parties in Afghanistan to continue to push forward negotiations among the Afghan people themselves and establish a broad and inclusive political framework for the future based on the principles of political settlement, putting peace first and advancing step by step.
“In this process, all parties should maintain patience and goodwill, strive to stop violence and cease fire, and create a favorable environment for peace talks,” he said.
He also noted that “China hopes that Afghanistan’s future leadership will pursue a moderate Muslim policy, promote a foreign policy of peace, maintain friendship with neighboring countries, and firmly combat all forms of terrorism. China will continue to play a constructive role in advancing the peace and reconciliation process in Afghanistan”.
Atmar meanwhile said Afghanistan is firmly committed to strengthening its relations with China, and hopes to conduct strategic dialogue and communication with China on deepening bilateral pragmatic and counter-terrorism cooperation as well as advancing regional cooperation.
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Afghan official slams Shehbaz Sharif’s ‘shameful’ claims on Islamic unity
Khubaib Ghufran, spokesperson for Afghanistan’s Ministry of Information and Culture, sharply criticized Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif over his recent claims about Islamic unity in relation to the war in Iran, calling them “shameful.”
On his X account, Ghaffran wrote: “You praised Trump as a hero of the Gaza peace plan, yet today you claim Islamic unity regarding Iran in a war that the same criminal (Trump) and his allies initiated?”
He added that while Afghanistan is governed under an Islamic system, Shehbaz Sharif has shown no compassion even toward the most vulnerable groups—from children to women and drug addicts—and that this cruelty persisted even during the holy month of Ramadan.
Ghaffran described Sharif’s stance as a “grave shame” and a stark example of “historical hypocrisy.”
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Airstrike on Kabul drug rehabilitation centre sparks legal concerns
Amnesty International’s Deputy Regional Director for Research, Isabelle Lassee, said the scale of casualties suggests the presence of a significant civilian population at the site.
An airstrike on a drug rehabilitation facility in Kabul has drawn sharp criticism from Amnesty International, raising serious questions about compliance with international humanitarian law.
The strike, carried out on 16 March, targeted a site at Camp Phoenix, a former military base that has functioned largely as a rehabilitation centre since 2016. Pakistani officials have claimed the attack was aimed at an ammunition depot allegedly located within the compound.
Responding to those claims, Amnesty International’s Deputy Regional Director for Research, Isabelle Lassee, said the scale of casualties suggests the presence of a significant civilian population at the site.
“While the total number of casualties has yet to be independently verified, it is clear that the attack caused extensive civilian harm, with reports indicating hundreds killed or injured,” she said.
Lassee emphasized that the facility was widely known to house civilians undergoing treatment, and warned that any military action should have taken this into account. “Pakistan’s military should have taken all feasible precautions to avoid harming civilians and civilian infrastructure,” she added.
She further noted that even if a military target had been present within the compound, international law requires that any strike be proportionate, ensuring that civilian harm is not excessive in relation to the anticipated military advantage.
“The scale of destruction raises serious concerns about whether an adequate proportionality assessment was conducted and whether sufficient steps were taken to verify the target and minimize civilian casualties,” Lassee said.
Amnesty International has called on Pakistani authorities to disclose the intelligence behind the strike and to launch an independent, impartial, and transparent investigation into the incident. The organization stressed that findings should be made public to ensure accountability.
The group also urged all parties involved in the conflict to adhere strictly to international humanitarian law and to protect civilian infrastructure, including medical and rehabilitation facilities.
The airstrike formed part of Pakistan’s “Operation Ghazab Lil Haq,” which included strikes in both Kabul and Nangarhar Province. The targeted rehabilitation centre, known as Omid, reportedly had the capacity to accommodate around 2,000 individuals.
Casualty figures remain contested. Islamic Emirate officials claim more than 400 civilians were killed and over 200 injured, though these numbers have not been independently verified. The United Nations has so far confirmed 143 deaths.
The strike comes amid escalating tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan. According to the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, at least 76 civilian casualties had already been recorded since the conflict intensified in February.
Pakistani officials, meanwhile, reported civilian casualties on their side of the border, including four deaths in Bajaur district on 15 March and the killing of a child in North Waziristan earlier in the month, allegedly due to cross-border fire from Afghanistan.
The latest developments underscore growing concerns about civilian safety as hostilities between the two countries continue to intensify.
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