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.

Afghanistan have been drawn in Group A for the qualifying round of the 2027 AFC U17 Asian Cup, which will be held in Uzbekistan next year.

Afghanistan will face Indonesia, Myanmar, the Philippines and Cambodia in the five-team group. Myanmar will host the group, with the qualifiers scheduled to be played as centralised single round-robin tournaments from November 8 to 20.

Only the seven group winners will qualify for the 2027 AFC U17 Asian Cup, meaning there will be no qualification route for the runners-up.

The seven qualifying group winners will join nine teams that have already secured places in the 16-team finals. The automatically qualified teams are Australia, China, Japan, South Korea, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Vietnam.

The direct qualification places are linked to the revamped FIFA U17 World Cup format. The tournament was expanded from 24 to 48 teams in 2025 and is now held annually, with Qatar hosting the competition through 2029. Asia has nine places at the global tournament, including Qatar’s host berth.

Japan are the defending AFC U17 Asian Cup champions after defeating China 3-2 in the 2026 final in Jeddah to claim a record-extending fifth continental title.

The 2027 AFC U17 Asian Cup will be held in Uzbekistan from May 12 to 29, with 16 teams competing for the continental crown.

ATN brings the action to Afghan viewers

With 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.