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Islamic Emirate officials stress unity, self-reliance on fifth anniversary
On foreign policy, Hanafi said the Islamic Emirate wants relations with neighboring countries, the wider region and the international community based on non-interference, mutual respect and shared interests.
Senior Islamic Emirate officials on Saturday marked the fifth anniversary of their return to power with calls for preserving the current system, strengthening national unity, boosting economic self-reliance and expanding ties with neighboring and regional countries.
The ceremony was held at the Loya Jirga Hall in Kabul, where officials also highlighted security, infrastructure development and the government’s foreign policy.
Noor Mohammad Saqib, Minister of Hajj and Religious Affairs, said Afghanistan was considered one of the world’s most insecure countries before the Islamic Emirate returned to power, but is now, he claimed, the “most secure country in the world.”
Abdul Salam Hanafi, Deputy Prime Minister for Administrative Affairs, said administrative corruption had been eliminated under the Islamic Emirate. He said the completion of the Qosh Tepa Canal could enable Afghanistan to achieve food self-sufficiency and eventually export agricultural products.
Hanafi also highlighted the major electricity, gas and railway projects across the country.
On foreign policy, Hanafi said the Islamic Emirate wants relations with neighboring countries, the wider region and the international community based on non-interference, mutual respect and shared interests.
He said Afghanistan would not allow its territory to be used against the security of neighboring or other countries.
In a message read at the ceremony, Prime Minister Mullah Mohammad Hassan Akhund called on Afghans to defend the Islamic system and cooperate with the government in security and development efforts to help consolidate stability.
Abdul Latif Nazari, Deputy Minister for Professional Affairs at the Ministry of Economy, criticized the role of foreign countries during the previous 20 years, saying they had exercised significant influence over Afghanistan’s political, social and cultural affairs.
Nazari said the current government had helped reduce what he described as identity divisions and strengthen national unity. He also claimed that Afghanistan had made economic progress despite international sanctions and that greater transparency had been created for domestic investment.
Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi said Afghans reject “foreign ideology and occupation” and urged countries that have not engaged with the Islamic Emirate to reconsider their policies toward Kabul.
Muttaqi also called for greater self-reliance in the economy, industry and technology sectors, saying Afghanistan should reduce its dependence on other countries.
Information and Culture Minister Shir Ahmad Haqqani said “Sharia” had replaced what he called “the hated democracy.” He said the Islamic Emirate had not accepted instructions from other countries in forming its government and would not do so in the future.
Haqqani also said the international community has not recognized the Islamic Emirate because Sharia is in force in Afghanistan, but insisted that the authorities would not abandon their position.
Noorullah Noori, Minister of Borders, Tribes and Tribal Affairs, described the current level of unity in Afghanistan as “unprecedented” and called for its preservation.
Afghanistan’s Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani met on Wednesday with Ibrahim Kalin, director of Türkiye’s National Intelligence Organization, and his accompanying delegation.
Afghanistan’s Interior Ministry said in a statement that the two sides discussed ways to expand relations between Afghanistan and Türkiye, particularly in the areas of security, counter-narcotics efforts, and coordination between the interior ministries of the two countries.
They also exchanged views on a number of regional issues.
Afghanistan’s former president Hamid Karzai has condemned in the “strongest terms” an attempted drone attack near Mecca, emphasizing the need to preserve the sanctity of Islam’s two holiest sites.
Saudi Arabia said its air defenses intercepted and destroyed a drone south of Mecca on Tuesday evening, September 15, before it entered the restricted airspace over the holy city.
Saudi-led coalition spokesman Turki al-Malki said the drone had been launched by Yemen’s Houthi group and described the incident as the second attempt to target Mecca since a ballistic missile launch in 2017.
The Houthis, however, have denied targeting Mecca or any Islamic holy site.
In a post on X, Karzai expressed his sympathy with Saudi Arabia, describing the country as a friend and brother of Afghanistan, and stressed that the sanctity of the Two Holy Mosques must be respected under all circumstances.
He also expressed hope that, through the prudence and foresight of the countries involved, further escalation of tensions and conflict can be prevented and the way paved for lasting peace and stability in the region.
The incident comes amid a sharp escalation in fighting involving Saudi Arabia and the Houthis, with a series of recent drone and missile attacks across Saudi Arabia.
Saudi officials have warned that the security of Mecca and the Two Holy Mosques is a “red line.”
Afghanistan and Turkmenistan have held technical talks on the development of a 500-kilovolt power transmission line and the Nur-ul-Jihad substation in Herat Province.
Da Afghanistan Breshna Sherkat (DABS) announced the meeting in a statement on September 15, saying it brought together representatives of Afghanistan’s national power utility and a technical delegation from Turkmenistan.
According to DABS, the two sides reviewed the current status of the projects, technical capabilities, implementation procedures and progress, as well as challenges affecting the work.
The discussions also focused on ways to improve project implementation and ensure compliance with relevant technical requirements, DABS said.
Turkmenistan is one of Afghanistan’s main electricity suppliers, with cross-border transmission infrastructure connecting the two countries. Electricity imports from Turkmenistan are particularly important for Afghanistan’s northern and western regions, including Herat.
The planned 500-kV transmission line and Nur-ul-Jihad substation are expected to strengthen infrastructure for receiving and distributing electricity imported from Turkmenistan.
The talks come as Afghanistan and Turkmenistan continue cooperation on energy and other economic projects, with electricity trade forming part of broader regional economic ties.
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