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Improved relations with Afghanistan expected, says Pakistan’s special envoy
In a separate meeting on Monday, in Islamabad, the UAE’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, Saif Mohammed Al Ketbi, met with Sadiq to discuss security concerns and Afghanistan.
Pakistan’s Special Envoy for Afghanistan Muhammad Sadiq informed Pakistan’s Standing committee on Foreign Affairs on Monday that relations with Afghanistan were expected to improve as high-level discussions to ease tensions were being planned.
Sadiq, who visited Kabul last month, had been invited to brief committee members on the situation with Afghanistan.
The upper house session, chaired by Senator Irfan Siddiqui, was held behind closed doors.
“Just briefed the Senate Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs in an in-camera session on the situation in Afghanistan and the challenges facing our bilateral relations.
A candid and constructive discussion on regional developments and the path ahead for Pakistan-Afghanistan relations was a great learning experience,” Sadiq said in a statement posted on X after the meeting.
This comes after Afghanistan’s Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi met with Pakistan’s Chargé d’Affaires Ubaid-ur-Rehman Nizamani in Kabul on Monday where he expressed regret over the “forced deportation of Afghan refugees and the inappropriate treatment by certain quarters”.
He described the current mistreatment as provocative and harmful to the relations between the two countries, and called for an end to such actions.
Irfan meanwhile said after the committee hearing that Afghan-Pakistan talks would be appropriate. He added that Sadiq had also shared with the committee that the issue of banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) was being taken up forcefully with the Afghan authorities.
Pakistan began deporting undocumented Afghans in October 2023 but following a directive in December, authorities have ramped up the deportations since April 1. In the first two weeks of this month over 45,000 Afghans returned.
In a separate meeting on Monday, in Islamabad, the UAE’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, Saif Mohammed Al Ketbi, met with Sadiq to discuss security concerns and Afghanistan.
Al Ketbi confirmed the meeting in a post on X but did not provide further details.
Sadiq however said the two diplomats also discussed regional challenges and emphasized the commitment to jointly confront them.
Al Ketbi meanwhile first visited Kabul for talks with IEA officials before traveling to Pakistan.
In a meeting with Afghanistan’s Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, Al Ketbi discussed a number of issues including bilateral relations, and trade and transit matters.
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Islamic Emirate’s army now self-sufficient, says chief of army staff
Mohammad Fasihuddin Fitrat, Chief of General Staff of the Armed Forces, says that over the past four years, the army forces of the Islamic Emirate have shown no hesitation in defending and protecting Afghanistan, and that today the country’s army is standing on its own feet.
According to a statement from the Ministry of Defense, Fitrat made these remarks at a meeting with media representatives, political analysts, and a number of government officials aimed at coordination and strengthening cooperation. He added: “Nations that cannot stand on their own feet and rely on others, even if they grow, will not be capable of achieving real progress.”
Fitrat also expressed appreciation for the role of the media in ensuring security and in supporting the country’s defense forces, stating: “We and you, as citizens of this land, must put our hands together and build the country together, take pride in our forces, and strive with all our strength for the country’s development. We have created an army that defends honor, territorial integrity, and the borders of the country, and serves as the guardian of our freedom.”
He emphasized that the Islamic Emirate is working to establish an army equipped with modern weapons so that it can defend the country’s territory under all circumstances.
He stated that the country’s army has proven to the people that anyone who looks at this land with ill intent will face a firm and courageous response, and that it has also been made clear to neighboring countries that any aggression against Afghanistan will be met with a response several times stronger.
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Afghan health minister attends second WHO summit in India
Noor Jalal Jalali, the Minister of Public Health of the Islamic Emirate, participated in the second World Health Organization meeting on traditional medicine during his official visit to India.
In a statement issued on Thursday, the Ministry of Public Health said that the meeting was held in India with the participation of representatives from around 100 countries, health ministers from 23 countries, professional experts from various nations, and officials from different departments of the World Health Organization.
During the meeting, discussions were held on the standardization of traditional medicine, training of individuals active in this field, recognition of traditional medicine as an established reality, and the sharing of countries’ experiences in this area.
The ministry stated that the purpose of participating in the conference was to standardize traditional medicine in Afghanistan, adding that for several decades this sector has been practiced in a non-standard manner and without a defined curriculum or clear principles.
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Afghanistan and Kyrgyzstan boost trade and digital finance ties
Minister Sydykov, in turn, pledged the continuation of Kyrgyzstan’s humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan and highlighted his country’s interest in working together on e-governance initiatives.
Afghanistan’s Deputy Prime Minister for Administrative Affairs, Abdul Salam Hanafi, has met with a high-level Kyrgyz delegation led by Minister of Economy and Commerce Bakhyt Sydykov to discuss expanding bilateral trade and strengthening cooperation in digital financial services.
During the meeting, Hanafi reaffirmed Afghanistan’s readiness to deepen ties with Kyrgyzstan, stressing the importance of developing electronic administration systems and modern banking channels to facilitate trade and financial transactions between the two countries.
Minister Sydykov, in turn, pledged the continuation of Kyrgyzstan’s humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan and highlighted his country’s interest in working together on e-governance initiatives. He also pointed to potential cooperation in areas such as the printing of securities and the development of electronic payment systems.
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