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MPs warn govt not to take military approach to arrest Alipour

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As the Afghan National Security and Defense Forces (ANDSF) carry out operations in Behsud district in Maidan Wardak province to arrest militia commander Abdul Ghani Alipour some MPs on Tuesday said a military approach is not the solution.

These MPs said a military tactic will complicate matters further.

This comes after government officials accused Alipour’s men of having shot down an Mi-17 military helicopter on Thursday in the district.

Four crew members and five ANDSF members were killed in the crash.

Footage on social media shows what appears to be a missile hitting the helicopter.

Alipour, who is commander of the local public uprising forces – who have fought off the Taliban and Daesh in the area – has however denied his men’s involvement in the incident, stating that the chopper was shot from the air “.. I don’t have an air force.”

In a sound clip released on social media, Alipour stated: “I did not say that I have shot the helicopter, I said clashes were underway and a bullet could have hit the helicopter which led to its crash.”

This comes after some Iranian media outlet reported over the weekend that Alipour stated his men had shot the helicopter down.

“Now, they (government) released a video that shows a missile hit the helicopter, we have nothing to fire one with from the air. Maybe those who are filming from the air shot it. If it was me, I would from the ground not from the air because we have only got RPG rockets and have no access to missiles,” Alipour said.

Meanwhile, the MoD said in a statement Monday that Alipour’s command center was captured by the Afghan forces and a number of weapons and explosives were also seized during the raid.

The Political Deputy of the High Council for National Reconciliation, Asadullah Saadati stated: “USA and NATO should stop Afghan government using ANA, ANP, and ANDSF against the people.”

“It did so twice against Hazara in Behsud and Herat which led to dozens of innocent civilians dead and wounded. It plans to shed the blood of Behsud people by using Alipour as an excuse, he said.

Saadati further stated: “I still do not understand the behind-the-scenes battle cries of government leaders. Is Alipour very powerful? Or is government weak? Or is there a problem with my understanding.”

A number of MPs said Tuesday that the deployment of troops to Bihsud makes reaching a resolution more complicated.

“Current situation would undermine the government’s credibility among the people, and would cut productive ties between the government and the people,” MP Abdul Qayyum Sajjadi said.

On the other hand, a number of experts say that Alipour must be prosecuted as he has committed a crime.

“He committed a major crime and anyone defending him is also a criminal,” said Atiqullah Amarkhil, a military expert.

Fawad Aman, a deputy spokesman for the MoD said: “Alipour will be arrested, efforts are underway.”

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Pakistan urges global community to block arms flow to militant groups in Afghanistan

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A Pakistani diplomat on Saturday called on the international community to block the flow of modern and sophisticated weapons to militant groups in Afghanistan.

“Terrorist armed groups are in possession of billions worth of illicit arms abandoned in Afghanistan,” Syed Atif Raza, a counsellor at the Pakistan Mission to the UN, told an Arria-Formua meeting of the UN Security Council, convened by Sierra Leone.

“We call upon our international partners to recover the vast stockpile of abandoned weapons, prevent their access to armed terrorist groups and take measures to close this thriving black market of illicit arms,” he said.

Pakistani officials have repeatedly claimed that attacks in the country are planned in Afghanistan and that militants use weapons left behind by foreign forces.

The Islamic Emirate, however, has denied the claim, saying Afghanistan is not responsible for Pakistan’s “security failure”.

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Gandapur says no Afghan refugee will be ‘forcefully’ expelled from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

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Amid rising tensions over Pakistan’s repatriation plans for illegal Afghan nationals, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapour said on Friday that no refugees will be forcibly deported from the province.

“We will not allow any Afghan refugee to be expelled by force from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. We stand firmly against such inhumane deportations,” Gandapur said at a press conference.

The remarks came as the Pakistani government ramps up efforts to repatriate undocumented Afghan refugees and Afghan Citizen Card (ACC) holders, following the expiration of the voluntary return deadline on March 31, 2025.

“The past situation, where Afghan refugees, including women and children, were stranded at the border, tarnished Pakistan’s image,” Gandapur said, reaffirming the provincial government’s commitment to a dignified repatriation process.

“We are setting up camps for voluntary repatriation, and anyone wishing to return will be helped. However, we will not forcibly expel any Afghan refugee,” he stated.

Afghans holding Afghan Citizen Cards (ACC) — issued by Pakistan authorities and held by 800,000 people, according to the United Nations — face deportation to Afghanistan after the deadline.

More than 1.3 million Afghans who hold Proof of Registration (PoR) cards from the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, are also to be moved outside the capital Islamabad and neighbouring city Rawalpindi.

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IEA has 46 township plans for returnees, minister tells visiting Iranian official

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The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) has 46 township plans for returning refugees, Acting Minister of Refugees and Repatriation Mawlawi Abdul Kabir told a visiting Iranian diplomat in Kabul, calling on Tehran to give refugees time to return.

According to a statement issued by the ministry on Saturday, Abdul Kabir said during the meeting that Afghanistan and Iran are friendly neighbors that have many commonalities.

He stressed the need to further develop and strengthen relations between the two countries and said that the frequent visits of high-ranking Iranian officials show that Tehran wants positive and friendly relations with Afghanistan.

Abdul Kabir thanked Iran for its assistance and hosting of Afghan refugees, saying that Iran and Pakistan have been hosting Afghan refugees for the past few decades. He called for more leniency in the treatment of migrants.

He said that the Islamic Emirate is preparing a mechanism to provide legal documents for those migrants whose legal residence in Iran has expired.

In the meeting, Mohammad Reza Bahrami, Iran’s new Assistant Minister and Director General for South Asian Affairs at the Foreign Ministry, invited Abdul Kabir to visit Tehran, and called for repatriation plan to be shared before the trip.

He stressed on the humane treatment of Afghan refugees and appreciated the Islamic Emirate’s initiative to build 46 townships, calling it an important step forward for the return of refugees.

Bahrami noted that there are currently eight million Afghan reguees living in Iran, of whom four million are undocumented or have their residence expired.

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