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IEA orders all taxis to be resprayed blue and white
The General Directorate of Kabul Traffic has announced an overhaul to the taxi system in the country, including the capital, ordering all taxi owners to scrap the yellow and white theme and respray their vehicles blue and white.
The Islamic Emirate’s traffic police chief, Hasibullah Mukhtar, announced the taxi color change during a press conference at the Government Media and Information Center (GMIC) on Tuesday.
Mukhtar said Kabul Traffic is making this change as part of its attempts to develop a safer and more uniform transportation system for the entire country.
“The taxis shall be segregated from other vehicles that transfer goods,” said Mukhtar.
Mukhtar noted that currently only 20 to 30 percent of “taxis” are marked in the existing yellow and white theme, while the balance are unmarked vehicles.
This has led to security and criminal problems, which IEA hopes to mitigate through the introduction of new regulations and standards, Mukhtar said.
The General Directorate of Kabul Traffic has developed a three-month procedure for taxi owners, and the plan will be implemented across all of Afghanistan’s provinces, not just in Kabul.
The color of urban and rural cabs was changed to blue and white in accordance with the International Convention on Road Traffic, according to Kabul Traffic officials.
Taxi owners are also likely to be biometrically registered in addition to the color change. This measure is intended to reduce criminal activities, such as kidnappings and theft, that have plagued the taxi industry in Afghanistan.
Pakistan says communities living along the Afghanistan-Pakistan Durand Line want peace and stability, despite ongoing security concerns in the region.
Speaking during a weekly media briefing, Pakistan Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said there are no major issues between the people of Afghanistan and Pakistan, adding that residents on both sides of the Durand Line want peaceful relations and greater regional stability.
However, Andrabi claimed that terrorism originating from Afghan territory continues to undermine peace efforts.
He said Islamabad believes militant activity crossing from Afghanistan remains a significant obstacle to improving regional security and bilateral ties.
The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan has repeatedly rejected such allegations, maintaining that no militant group is allowed to use Afghan soil to threaten neighboring countries.
Andrabi also said Pakistan remains diplomatically engaged on regional matters involving Afghanistan, Iran, India, and Somalia, stressing that dialogue and diplomacy remain Islamabad’s preferred means of resolving disputes.
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Afghanistan-Gambia ties discussed during Doha meeting
Both sides also exchanged views on strengthening diplomatic engagement and exploring future economic cooperation.
Suhail Shaheen, head of the Islamic Emirate’s embassy in Doha, has met with Omar Jah, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of The Gambia to Qatar, to discuss bilateral relations and areas of mutual interest.
According to a statement from the Afghan embassy in Doha, Jah also oversees Gambian diplomatic affairs related to Afghanistan.
The meeting focused on Afghanistan-Gambia relations, the current security situation in Afghanistan, and potential investment opportunities in the country.
Both sides also exchanged views on strengthening diplomatic engagement and exploring future economic cooperation.
Mahmood Khan Achakzai, a member of Pakistan’s National Assembly and head of the Pakhtunkhwa Awami National Party, has said that if capable statesmen had been in power, people living on both sides of the Durand Line could have moved freely across the line.
Speaking during a podcast interview, Achakzai said that countries with histories of major conflict, including Russia, Germany and the United Kingdom, now maintain far more open borders despite past wars. He said that in many such regions, only a “paper line” remains, with limited border restrictions.
Drawing comparisons with the disputed Durand Line boundary between Afghanistan and Pakistan, Achakzai argued that a similar arrangement could have been possible in South Asia.
“What is the problem here? A Punjabi could dance in Kandahar and a Pashtun could come here. Even if we are not formally one country, we could have effectively functioned like one,” he said.
The Pakistani politician also referred to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and the later U.S.-led intervention, saying Afghanistan has the right to seek war reparations from those countries to support reconstruction efforts.
Achakzai further criticised the treatment of Pashtuns in Pakistan, alleging that individuals in cities including Lahore and Karachi have faced detention and deportation.
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