The supreme leader of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, Mawlavi Hibatullah Akhundzada, in a special decree on the occasion of the holy month of Ramadan, has ordered the release of 70 detainees from the prisons of Kandahar and Helmand provinces. 

Fifty-six of these prisoners are from Helmand prison and 14 others are from Kandahar prison.

The officials of the Military Court of the South-West region said that these released prisoners were arrested on charges of abusing the name of the Islamic Emirate, carrying illegal weapons, moral corruption and other criminal offenses.

“On the occasion of the holy month of Ramadan, the leader of the Islamic Emirate has pardoned you [prisoners], said Ghulam Rasool Ehsani, head of the South West Zone Military Court.

He also asked the prisoners not to engage in actions that cause depravity and corruption in society.

The released prisoners meanwhile say they will not commit any crimes after this.

The US is working to assist 44 Americans who want to leave Afghanistan as well as several others detained by the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA), Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Thursday.

“There are several Americans who are being detained by the Taliban (Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan). We are working to secure their freedom,” Blinken told a House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing.

“The families have asked that we protect their identities and don’t speak publicly to their cases,” he added.

“Those who have been detained — how many other Americans are there?” said Republican Representative Joe Wilson.

“As we speak, American citizens who identified themselves to us who are in Afghanistan — some of whom have been there since the withdrawal, some of whom went back to Afghanistan — there are about, that we’re in contact with, about 175. Forty-four of them are ready to leave, and we are working to effectuate their departure,” Blinken responded.

Republican lawmakers have been accusing President Joe Biden of the “failed” withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan and the chaos at Kabul airport in August 2021.

Republicans on the House Foreign Affairs Committee requested documents related to the controversial withdrawal from Afghanistan from the State Department as part of an investigation.

During the hearing Thursday at the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Republican chairman Michael McCaul gave Blinken until the end of Monday to release an internal dissent cable written by at least 23 diplomats serving at the US Embassy in Kabul in July 2021.

“I have the subpoena. it’s right here. And I’m prepared to serve this,” McCaul told Blinken.

The classified cable reportedly warned of the deteriorating situation in Afghanistan.

Blinken said in response to the committee’s request that the “tradition of having a dissent channel is one that is cherished in the department, and goes back decades.”

“It’s a unique way for anyone in the department to speak truth to power as they see it,” he said.

“These cables may only be shared with senior officials in the department, and again that’s to protect the integrity of the process to make sure we don’t have a chilling effect on those who might want to come forward,” he continued.

He said the State Department is “prepared to make the relevant information in that cable available, including through a briefing or some other mechanism.”

The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) has renewed its commitment to establishing cordial relationships with the international community and stressed practical steps towards the recognition of the IEA government worldwide, according to a statement on Thursday.

The pledge was reaffirmed by Mawlavi Abdul Kabir, political aide of the IEA’s prime minister, during a meeting with UNAMA Deputy Head Markuz Potzel.

He hailed the UN and other agencies for the distribution of aid to vulnerable Afghans and added that the government assured all aid-providing agencies full security, a statement from the political aide office said.

Potzel mentioned the overnight earthquake during the meeting and hoped that the people of Afghanistan had not suffered losses.

But UNAMA on its Twitter wrote that during a meeting with Deputy Prime Minister Mawlavi Abdul Kabir, the UN reiterated its unwavering call to reopen schools and universities for Afghan girls and women.

“UNAMA deputy head Potzel Markus met de-facto Deputy Prime Minister Mawlavi Abdul Kabir today, reiterating UN & international community’s unwavering call for the reopening of school and university doors for Afghan girls and women,” UNAMA tweeted.

Kabir meanwhile said that IEA does not oppose girls’ education.