Iran’s Acting Foreign Minister Ali Baqeri Kani in a phone call with his Afghan counterpart on Sunday discussed bilateral cooperation and the situation in war-ravaged Gaza.

According to a statement released by Iran’s Foreign Ministry, Baqeri announced Iran’s readiness to help Afghanistan resolve the challenges it is facing and achieve development.

He called for joint action by Islamic countries to exert pressure on Israel and bring an end to its attacks against Palestinians in Gaza.

Meanwhile, Muttaqi congratulated Baqeri on Eid al-Adha, and described ties between the two countries as good. He expressed hope that mutual cooperation is expanded further.

Stressing the importance of unity, Mawlawi Hibatullah Akhundzada, the supreme leader of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA), said in his Eid al-Adha speech on Monday he is ready to step down from his position if asked to, but he does not want division.

Akhundzada said that the enemies will benefit from division among Afghans.

“I don’t want division. If one day everyone unanimously dismisses me from this position, I will accept it, but I will not accept dispute and division. Grip on power is strengthened with division. If I try to divide people, they will not agree on me. They will be engaged in disputes among themselves. But I don’t want that. This is Pharaoh’s policy. This is a satanic policy,” he said.

The leader of the Islamic Emirate emphasized that the current system is a Sharia-based system and should be strengthened. He said that this government ensures justice, but only if there is unity.

“Try to create brotherhood and unity among yourselves,” he said. “Almighty Allah is testing us… we should put aside our worldly and satanic desires and submit ourselves to the pleasure of Allah… We were not created to achieve worldly desires, to earn money and to gain worldly honor. Rather, we were created to serve Allah.”

Akhundzada recommended that each other’s faults should not be expressed openly, but in secret.

He also emphasized the need to ensure women’s Shariah rights and said that they should be given their inheritance rights.

In his speech, the leader of the Islamic Emirate also addressed the issue of Palestine and prayed that Allah would make the Palestinians victorious against Israel.

He said that the superpowers of the world neglect the killing of women and children in Gaza, but offer advice to the Islamic Emirate.

“Women and children are martyred. How do you advise me and request me and want me to accept your demands? Both infidels and Muslims have closed their eyes. Brothers! Today it is you who raise the voice of Islam. The world has bid farewell to Islam,” he said.

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Ger­many’s government is holding talks with Uzbekistan to enable deportations from Germany to Afghanistan without direct consultations with the Taliban, according to a report in German magazine Der Spiegel on Sunday.

A delegation from the interior ministry travelled to the Uzbek capital Tashkent in late May for this purpose, the magazine said.

The delegation suggested to the Uzbek government that Afghan depor­tation candidates should be brought to Tashkent. From there they could be transported to Kabul via private airline KamAir, the report said. 

Earlier in June, Germ­any’s interior minister Na­ncy Faeser said Germ­any was considering depor­ting Afghan migrants who posed a security threat back to Afghanistan, after a deadly stabbing of a police officer drew calls for a tougher line on migration.

The Uzbek government wants to sign a formal migration agreement with Germany before a deal on deportations, the Spiegel report said.

This agreement should regulate the entry of Uzbek skilled workers into Germany, and Berlin’s special representative for migration agreements will travel to Uzbekistan next week, Spiegel said.

A week ago, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) called on Germany to avoid deportation of Afghans to a third country, but address the matter through normal consular engagement.

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