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EU envoy hopes dialogue among Afghans takes place inside the country
The European Union’s special envoy for Afghanistan, Tomas Niklasson, has expressed hope that dialogue among Afghans will take place inside their country.
“I would hope that dialogue can take place inside their country. I don’t think there is a need to exclude Afghans from outside, but I think my experience is that to be able to have a meaningful dialogue you need to sit down face to face and engage over time, and that is lot much easier if you are in the same place,” Niklasson told reporters in Kabul on Sunday, after meeting officials of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) during his visit to the country.
“It is clear, I think, who would be on one side of the table, and that is of course the de facto authorities. It is more difficult to decide or to find a way of who should represent other Afghans. In fact, I don’t think we should necessarily think about this as a table with two sides. I think we should think about it more as a roundtable where you have different interests, different political interests, different ethnic origins, men and women who can come together,” Niklasson added.
The diplomat also said that the ban on women’s work in NGOs raises a “serious obstacle” to assistance reaching women and children.
“A harsh winter is coming to an end, but the humanitarian situation remains worse than ever, with more than 28 million vulnerable Afghans in need of assistance, more than half of them are children below the age of 17,” Niklasson said.
On the issue of ban on secondary schoolgirls and female university students, the envoy said that he did not hear any “firm commitment” that schools were going to open at the beginning of the school year which will commence in less than three weeks.
“Although many (ministers) confirmed the right of girls and women to study, I did not hear any firm commitment that schools were going to open at the beginning of the school year after Nowruz, despite very clear question from our side. But opening the schools and universities to provide quality education to Afghan boys and girls, women and men is not optional. It is a necessary investment in the future, in the next generation, in a better Afghanistan, and above all it is a request by all the Afghans we speak to,” Niklasson said.
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Pakistan to repatriate nearly 20,000 Afghans awaiting US resettlement
Authorities will also share verified data of the affected individuals with relevant departments to support implementation.
Pakistan will repatriate nearly 20,000 Afghan nationals currently awaiting resettlement in the United States, The Nation reported, citing official sources.
The move affects 19,973 Afghans living across Pakistan.
A federal directive will instruct provincial chief secretaries and police chiefs in Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, Azad Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan, and the Islamabad Capital Territory to begin the repatriation process immediately.
Authorities will also share verified data of the affected individuals with relevant departments to support implementation.
Following the Islamic Emirate’s return to power in 2021, more than 100,000 Afghans fled to Pakistan, many of whom had worked with the US and UK governments, international organizations, or aid agencies.
Thousands have remained stranded in Pakistan for over four years while awaiting US resettlement clearance.
Prospects for relocation have dimmed amid a suspension of case processing by the US administration, according to The Nation.
Under Pakistan’s Illegal Foreigners Repatriation Plan (IFRP), all Afghan nationals still awaiting US relocation will now be returned to Afghanistan.
Terrorist activities continue to be observed along Afghanistan borders and along the India–Pakistan–Afghanistan corridor, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in an interview published on Monday.
Speaking to Russia-based media outlet TV BRICS, Lavrov pointed to ongoing concerns in the Middle East, including its Asian regions.
He highlighted the importance of collaboration with India at the United Nations to advance a global counter-terrorism convention.
Lavrov stated that while the draft convention has already been prepared, consensus on its adoption has not yet been reached.
Russia has repeatedly expressed concern about militant threats from Afghanistan. The Islamic Emirate, however, has dismissed the concerns saying that it will not allow Afghanistan’s soil to be used against any country.
Noorullah Noori, Afghanistan’s Minister of Borders and Tribal Affairs, held a phone conversation with Kazem Gharibabadi, Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs, to discuss bilateral border cooperation.
According to the Iranian news agency IRNA, both sides reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening border collaboration, with a particular focus on the ongoing renovation and updating of border markers. They also agreed to accelerate joint technical and legal meetings to enhance coordination.
As part of the agreement, the next meeting of senior border officials from Afghanistan and Iran is scheduled to take place in Iran in 1405 (2026–2027).
Tahawol: Pakistan’s Foreign Policy Failure of Towards Afghanistan discussed
Saar: Regional Problems, Opportunities, and Challenges discussed
Pakistan to repatriate nearly 20,000 Afghans awaiting US resettlement
Terrorist activities observed along Afghanistan borders, says Lavrov
Afghan border minister holds phone talks with Iran’s deputy foreign minister
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
Afghan traders sign deal to import pharmaceuticals from Bangladesh
Tahawol: Pakistan’s Foreign Policy Failure of Towards Afghanistan discussed
Saar: Regional Problems, Opportunities, and Challenges discussed
Saar: Afghanistan’s relations and opportunities with regional countries
Tahawol: Kabul’s response to Pakistan’s new accusation discussed
Saar: Discussion on Iran-US talks in Oman
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