Mehmood Khan Achakzai, chairman of Pakistan’s Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP) and opposition leader in the National Assembly, said Afghanistan continues to be viewed mainly through a security lens in regional forums.

Speaking at the opening session of a three-day public jirga in Southern Pakhtunkhwa on Sunday, Achakzai said Afghan people were not adequately represented in discussions about their country, including at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation.

He said blaming Afghanistan alone for regional security challenges ignored the country’s history of decades of conflict, foreign interventions and proxy rivalries involving major and regional powers.

Achakzai also said the powers and proxies involved during the Cold War bear historical responsibility for the destruction of Afghanistan.

Ariana Television Network (ATN) has secured exclusive broadcast rights for the 2027 AFC U17 Asian Cup qualifying campaign, bringing the matches live to football fans across Afghanistan on Ariana Television.

The Afghanistan U17 side has been drawn into Group A, alongside Indonesia, Myanmar, the Philippines and Cambodia, setting up a challenging qualification campaign for the young Afghan team.

Myanmar will host the group, with the five teams scheduled to compete in a centralised single round-robin tournament from November 8 to 20, 2026.

The seven group winners will qualify for the 2027 AFC U17 Asian Cup finals in Uzbekistan. There is no qualification route for runners-up, making every group match crucial for Afghanistan.

The seven qualifiers will join nine teams that have already secured automatic places in the 16-team finals through their participation in the FIFA U17 World Cup Qatar 2026: Australia, China PR, Japan, Korea Republic, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Vietnam.

Japan, the defending AFC U17 Asian Cup champions, will be among the teams already guaranteed a place in the finals after winning the 2026 edition.

The 2027 tournament will be held in Uzbekistan from May 12 to 29, with 16 teams competing for the continental title.

ATN brings the action to Afghan viewers

With exclusive broadcast rights in Afghanistan, ATN will provide coverage of the qualifying matches on Ariana Television, giving supporters across the country the opportunity to follow Afghanistan’s U17 team throughout its qualification campaign.

The broadcast continues ATN’s commitment to bringing major Asian football competitions to audiences across Afghanistan, including AFC competitions and international football.

For Afghanistan’s young players, the Group A campaign represents an opportunity to compete against some of Asia’s emerging football nations — with a place at the continental finals at stake.

All eyes will be on November 8, when the road to Uzbekistan 2027 begins.