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MoU on protection, restoration of Herat minarets signed in Kabul

Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on restoration and protection of Musalla Minaret of Herat on Thursday signed between the acting minister of information and culture and a representative of Aga Khan Foundation in Kabul.
Dr. Fazel Fazly, head of the Administrative Office of the President (AOP) also spoke and expressed happiness regarding signing of the MoU.
“Technical assistance of the Aga Khan Development Network to Afghanistan government in the field of protection and restoration of the country’s historic monuments from perspective of quality is valuable and tangible as the Network considers all international standards in protection and restoration of cultural and historic monuments,” said Dr. Fazly.
Meanwhile, Sheherazade Hirji, a representative of the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) said that AKDN has restored hisprotic places in Herat, including Qala-e-Ikhtiaruddin ‘Herat Palace’, Khwaja Abdullah Ansari Mausoleum.
“Aga Khan Development Network has restored 140 – 150 historic sites in Afghanistan so far and is currently playing its part in restoration of the fifth Musalla Minarets of Herat, which shows the Network’s strong commitment towards protection Afghanistan’s cultural heritages,” said Hirji.
Tahir Zuhair, acting minister of information and culture, said that 162 historic sites have been restored in the past six years.
He said effort underway to prevent trafficking of the country’s historic artefacts.
“Based on instruction of President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani, the survey and restoration work on all Bala-e-Hesars and historic sites of the country will be started,” said Zuhair.
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India and Iran no longer see IEA as under Pakistan’s influence: Shaheen

Suhail Shaheen, head of the Islamic Emirate’s political office in Doha, has claimed that both India and Iran have revised their long-held assumptions that the Islamic Emirate operate under Pakistan’s influence.
In an interview with Al Jazeera, Shaheen described this shift as a “realistic and pragmatic approach, which is good for everyone.”
He also said the IEA is a “reality of today’s Afghanistan” as it “controls all territory and borders of the country”.
“The regional countries know this fact and, as such, they engage with the Islamic Emirate at various levels, which is a pragmatic and rational approach in my view,” he said.
While formal recognition of the IEA government remains elusive, Shaheen insisted that regional dialogue represents a critical first step. “It is through engagement that we can find solutions to issues,” he said.
Shaheen said while Kabul wanted good relations with Islamabad, they should be “reciprocated” and that a “blame game” is not in anyone’s interest.
“We have taken practical steps as far as it concerns us,” he said, noting that Afghanistan had started building checkpoints “along the line adjacent to Pakistan in order to prevent any one from crossing”.
“However, their internal security is the responsibility of their security forces not ours,” he said.
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Islamabad’s plea to Europe over India tensions gives EU leverage on Afghan refugee crisis: ICG

As tensions between India and Pakistan escalate, the International Crisis Group (ICG) has suggested that Islamabad’s outreach to European capitals for diplomatic support could provide the European Union and its member states with critical leverage to advocate for a more humane approach toward Afghan refugees.
In a commentary published Thursday, the ICG explained that the Pakistani government, preoccupied with growing hostilities along its eastern border, appears to have paused its controversial deportation campaign targeting Afghan refugees. This development, though likely temporary, offers a potential reprieve for thousands of vulnerable Afghans who have sought refuge in Pakistan.
“Islamabad’s calls upon major European capitals for diplomatic assistance in its effort to persuade New Delhi to scale down hostilities also provide the EU and member states with some sway,” the ICG stated. It urged EU to use this opportunity to pressure Pakistan to comply with international humanitarian norms, particularly the principle of non-refoulement, which bars the forced return of individuals to places where they face persecution or violence.
EU and member states should urge Pakistan to extend the status of registered refugees with UN-issued Proof of Residence (PoR) cards beyond 30 June 2025, for at least another year, ICG said.
The think tank highlighted that progress on this front could be facilitated by the Islamic Emirate, particularly if they address Pakistan’s security concerns by relocating fighters from Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) away from the border.
While encouraging Pakistan to uphold its humanitarian obligations, the ICG also calls on the EU and its member states to fulfil their responsibilities by accelerating the relocation of Afghan refugees seeking resettlement in Europe. It further recommends that the EU enhance its gender-responsive aid programs for both refugees and host communities in Pakistan, as well as for returnees in Afghanistan.
“The need of the hour,” the ICG concluded, “is a more humane approach by both Islamabad and Brussels toward a refugee population that is desperately in need of international support.”
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Pakistan calls for bloc with Afghanistan, China and Bangladesh

Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said on Thursday that his country must move forward by forming blocs with Afghanistan, China, and Bangladesh.
In his address at the All Pakistan Chambers Presidents’ Conference, Dar mentioned that he had traveled to Kabul and met with officials of the Islamic Emirate following the tensions in Pakistan-Afghanistan relations in recent years.
The Pakistani official also noted that he met with Afghan officials for the second time during his recent visit to China.
During his recent visit to Beijing, Ishaq Dar attended a trilateral meeting between the foreign ministers of Pakistan, Afghanistan and China.
He told a news conference on Thursday that Pakistan, Afghanistan and China agreed at the meeting not to allow use of their territory against each other.
Afghanistan and China have jointly pledged that terrorist groups will not be allowed to operate in these countries, Dar said.
He, however, emphasized that the problem of terrorism is not something that can be ended with the push of a button, but that its solution requires time.
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