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IEA foreign minister urges Iran to release Afghan prisoners
Amir Khan Muttaqi, foreign minister of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA), on Sunday called on Iran to release Afghans held in its prisons.
Muttaqi made the request in a meeting with Hassan Kazemi Qomi, Iran’s special envoy and newly-appointed acting ambassador in Kabul.
During the meeting, the sides also discussed investment in infrastructure and economic projects in areas including mines, energy and railway, according to a statement issued by the IEA’s foreign ministry.
The statement said that Muttaqi called for resolving challenges related to Afghan refugees’ bank accounts, for which the Iranian envoy assured full assistance.
Iran currently hosts about 3 million Afghan refugees.
Earlier on Sunday, Qomi met with the Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar Akhund. According to a statement from Baradar’s office, the two sides discussed the political and economic relations between the two countries as well as the issue of Afghan refugees.
Zalmay Khalilzad, the former US special representative for Afghanistan, has questioned Pakistan’s commitment to the welfare of the Afghan people, citing Islamabad’s policies over the past three decades.
Khalilzad said in a post on X that Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif advocated for the rights of Afghan women during his speech at the UN General Assembly on Friday.
Sharif said: “Fundamental rights of the Afghan people — especially women and girls — must be respected.”
Responding to the remarks, Khalilzad said Pakistan’s policies over the past 30 years raise questions about Sharif’s commitment to Afghan welfare.
He cited Pakistan’s support for militant groups against US forces and what he described as the poor treatment of Afghan refugees as examples.
Khalilzad also said Afghanistan and Pakistan need and should have much better relations, adding that “a reset is necessary.”
India’s Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri met with the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, Rabab Fatima, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.
Indian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a post on X that Misri underscored the need to keep addressing the humanitarian needs of the Afghan people as a priority.
Misri also appreciated the role of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) and reaffirmed India’s continued cooperation with the United Nations on Afghanistan.
The meeting comes as Afghanistan continues to face humanitarian and economic challenges, with international agencies warning of significant needs among the Afghan population.
Kazakhstan’s Foreign Minister Mukhtar Tileuberdi has called for pragmatic and coordinated international engagement with Afghanistan, saying the country’s long-term stability is closely linked to the security and sustainable development of Central Asia.
Speaking during the general debate of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Friday, Tileuberdi said humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan remains essential but alone cannot break the cycle of poverty, displacement and dependency.
He said Kazakhstan supports a “pragmatic, coordinated and step-by-step” approach to international engagement with Afghanistan, with the United Nations playing a central role.
Tileuberdi also said Kazakhstan is working with the UN to operationalize the United Nations Regional Centre for the Sustainable Development Goals for Central Asia and Afghanistan in Almaty.
He said the success of the centre should be measured by the results and assistance it delivers to the region.
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