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IEA printing passports in Lithuania to resolve shortage problem
The General Directorate of Passports of the Interior Ministry of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) said Wednesday that efforts are being made to address the shortage of passport booklets in Afghanistan and that tens of thousands of passports will be available in the next few days.
The directorate said on Wednesday that three million passport booklets have been printed in Lithuania and will be delivered to Kabul within two weeks.
According to officials this is being done in cooperation with the United Nations.
Meanwhile, Shafiullah Tasal, media secretary for the General Directorate of Passports, told VOA that a Lithuanian company printed the passports and that the IEA government has paid the company.
According to Tasal discussions were currently underway regarding delivery.
The IEA has been only issuing ten-year passports for the past month to Afghans over the age of 15.
Children and teenagers under the age of 15 are issued with five-year passports.
The IEA charges more than 5,000 Afghanis for a five-year passport and 10,000 Afghanis for a ten-year passport.
For several weeks now, the distribution of passports across Afghanistan has stopped, and the IEA has only distributed them in Kabul.
However the General Directorate of Passports said once the new shipment of passports arrives, distribution will resume in all provinces.
Two days ago, the department said that a number of people had recently printed fake passport booklets in “neighboring countries” and illegally distributed them to the public in exchange for money.
According to the department, some of these “profiteers” have been detained by IEA intelligence officials and are being investigated.
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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