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IEA pledges to safeguard all UN operations and staff

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Deputy Prime Minister of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA), Abdul Salaam Hanafi met with the UN Secretary-General’s special representative to Afghanistan Deborah Lyons on Saturday at ARG (Presidential Palace) to discuss various issues including that of the protection of UN operations and staff.

Hanafi asked for the UN’s cooperation in different sectors and assured Lyons the Islamic Emirate (IE)
would ensure the safety of all UN organizations in Afghanistan, said a spokesperson of the IEA Zabiullah Mujahid in a statement.

Lyons, who is also head of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), briefed Hanafi on her recent visit to the US and said that the UN is committed to providing the people of Afghanistan with humanitarian assistance.

Lyons also said that they are willing to cooperate with the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan in resolving economic woes and banking problems.

Hanafi in turn said that the IEA is willing to work closely with the UN and wants positive and fruitful consultations.

“Our priority is to protect the security and social rights of the Afghan people and (we) will not allow any group to threaten other countries using Afghanistan’s soil,” said Hanafi.

He also said that the IEA will work to stop the planting of poppies, the source of opium and heroin, and asked the UN to provide Afghan people with alternatives in terms of jobs and farming.

Lyons also expressed gratitude to the IEA for giving their assurance that UN organizations and staff will be safeguarded in the country, read the statement.

Lyons meanwhile also met with acting foreign minister Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi. According to her, they discussed the increase in staff needed to deliver humanitarian aid.

She also said she would call for the economic curbs against Afghanistan to be lifted during her upcoming trip to the US, said MoFA spokesman Abdul Qahar Balkhi.

Muttaqi meanwhile assured her that the Islamic Emirate was ready to distribute all humanitarian aid, Balkhi added.

Meanwhile, Zabihullah Mujahid, Deputy Minister of Information and Culture and an IEA spokesman, said that the amount of humanitarian aid provided so far has not been enough.

“This aid is not enough. The people of Afghanistan have just emerged from the war, the economic problems have increased and it will take time to solve them,” Mujahid said.

Mujahid welcomed the aid being sent into the country but said this was not nearly enough to help all those in need.

He also assured donors that all aid received would be distributed fairly and transparently and only to those in need.
Zabihullah Mujahid, deputy minister for the Ministry of Information & Culture, told Ariana News that no one from the address of the Islamic Emirate govt attending the meeting of the foreign ministers of Afghanistan’s neighboring countries, but described the meeting as good for Afghanistan.

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Over 2.13 million Afghan refugees repatriated from Pakistan

Officials say over 150,000 individuals were returned from Punjab alone, where enforcement efforts are being led by the Punjab Home Department’s Foreign National Security Cell.

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More than 2.13 million Afghan nationals have been repatriated from Pakistan to Afghanistan as part of an ongoing campaign targeting undocumented foreign residents, according to Pakistani authorities cited by local media.

Officials say over 150,000 individuals were returned from Punjab alone, where enforcement efforts are being led by the Punjab Home Department’s Foreign National Security Cell. The campaign includes inspections of thousands of residential areas and hundreds of markets, resulting in numerous detentions and legal cases against Afghan nationals found without valid documentation.

The repatriation process comes amid heightened tensions along key border crossings between the two countries. Hundreds of migrants have recently been sent back via the Chaman crossing, particularly during disruptions at other transit points.

The Torkham crossing—a major gateway for cross-border movement—has faced repeated closures. Although it briefly reopened, local officials in Nangarhar Province report that it was shut again after only a few hours. Authorities in Pakistan have not provided a clear explanation for the latest closure.

According to Sediqullah Quraishi, head of Nangarhar’s Information Department, the crossing was opened temporarily on Thursday before being closed again without official clarification.

Meanwhile, hundreds of Afghan migrants remain in temporary holding centers across Punjab, where they are undergoing registration and processing ahead of their return to Afghanistan. The large-scale repatriation effort continues to raise humanitarian and logistical concerns, particularly as border access remains unpredictable.

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Human Rights Watch calls Pakistani airstrike on Kabul rehab center ‘unlawful’

Patricia Gossman, senior associate Asia director at Human Rights Watch, said available evidence suggests the strike hit a well-known civilian medical facility.

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Human Rights Watch has condemned a recent Pakistani airstrike on a rehabilitation facility in Kabul, calling it “unlawful” and warning it could amount to a war crime.

The strike, which reportedly took place on March 16, targeted the Omid Drug Rehabilitation Center, located within the former Camp Phoenix complex in eastern Kabul. According to international agencies, at least 143 people were killed and more than 250 others injured, most of them patients undergoing treatment.

Patricia Gossman, senior associate Asia director at Human Rights Watch, said available evidence suggests the strike hit a well-known civilian medical facility.

“The available evidence indicates that the Pakistani airstrike against a well-known Kabul medical facility killing dozens of patients was unlawful,” she said, adding that authorities must determine why the site was targeted and who should be held accountable.

An employee of the center told the organization that three buildings were struck, including a dining hall, a residential building housing hundreds of patients, and a guard post. At the time of the attack, more than 1,000 patients were reportedly at the facility, many gathered to break their fast during Ramadan.

Human Rights Watch said satellite imagery and visual evidence show extensive destruction across the compound, with multiple structures either destroyed or severely damaged. The organization added that it found no indication the facility was being used for military purposes.

Under international humanitarian law, medical facilities are afforded special protection. The group stressed that attacks failing to distinguish between civilian and military targets, or those causing disproportionate civilian harm, may constitute serious violations of the laws of war.

Human Rights Watch has called on Pakistan to carry out a prompt, impartial investigation and ensure accountability if violations are confirmed.

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Torkham crossing closes again hours after brief reopening

Officials say the reason for the sudden closure has not been clearly communicated by authorities in Pakistan.

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Torkham closed

The key border crossing at Torkham crossing has once again been shut down, just hours after it was temporarily reopened, according to local officials in Nangarhar province.

Sediqullah Quraishi, head of information at the provincial Department of Information and Culture, said that on Thursday the Pakistani side allowed the crossing to open briefly to Afghan migrants. However, the crossing was closed again shortly afterward, leaving many travelers stranded.

Officials say the reason for the sudden closure has not been clearly communicated by authorities in Pakistan.

The Torkham crossing serves as one of the most important transit points between Afghanistan and Pakistan. Its repeated closures have caused significant disruption, particularly for migrants, traders, and families who rely on cross-border movement.

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