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Muttaqi urges Pakistan to stop making decisions that harm ordinary people

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Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs Amir Khan Muttaqi has called on Pakistan to stop making decisions that harm ordinary people.

This comes after Pakistan closed Torkham border crossing last month. The key border was closed to trade and people for 25 days and only partially reopened on Wednesday. Goods trucks were allowed to cross the border from Wednesday but the border will only reopen for people on Friday.

The closure of this busy trade route cost local business owners millions of dollars in losses, especially those trading in perishable goods.

Hosting an iftar reception for foreign ambassadors and diplomats in Kabul, Muttaqi said that Torkham crossing reopened following talks between the two countries.

He said that Afghanistan has no problems with neighboring countries and if any problems arise, they will be resolved through talks.

“We hope that issues with our neighboring country Pakistan will be resolved the same way and problems will end,” he said.

Muttaqi also said that the repatriation of Afghan refugees from Pakistan should happen in a gradual and dignified manner.

This comes after Human Rights Watch (HRW) on Wednesday called on Pakistan to immediately stop forcing Afghan refugees to return home.

In their latest report, HRW slammed Pakistan for having stepped up pressure on Afghan refugees and using “intensified abusive tactics” to get them to leave the country.

On January 31, 2025, Pakistan’s Ministry of Interior announced that Afghans without official residence documents, along with holders of Afghan Citizen Cards, must leave the cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi or face deportation. Afghans holding Proof of Registration (PoR) cards must leave by June 30.

A previous wave of deportations and expulsions, from September 2023 through January 2024, drove over 800,000 Afghans – many born in Pakistan or living there for decades – to Afghanistan.

Since November 2024, Pakistani authorities have renewed pressure to expel Afghans. More than 70 percent of those returning have been women and children, including girls of secondary school age and women who will no longer have access to education.

HRW stated that Pakistani police have raided houses, beat and arbitrarily detained people, and confiscated refugee documents, including residence permits.

They have demanded bribes to allow Afghans to remain in Pakistan. The United Nations reported that most Afghans who have returned to Afghanistan have cited fear of detention by Pakistani authorities as the reason they left.

Returning refugees have generally had to abandon property and savings in Pakistan, and have few livelihood opportunities or little land in Afghanistan.

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FAO warns water shortages and heat put Afghanistan’s agriculture under pressure

FAO assessed current conditions and prospects using climate forecasts, remote-sensing data and consultations with farming communities across all 34 provinces.

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The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has warned that water shortages and above-average temperatures are placing increasing pressure on summer crops and grazing across Afghanistan.

In its August 2026 outlook for Afghanistan’s 2026/27 agricultural season, FAO assessed current conditions and prospects using climate forecasts, remote-sensing data and consultations with farming communities across all 34 provinces.

The agency said persistent water shortages, combined with high temperatures, are affecting agricultural conditions during the summer season and increasing pressure on crops and livestock.

FAO also warned that persistently high fertilizer prices could limit farmers’ ability to invest in the upcoming winter wheat season, potentially affecting production prospects.

Looking ahead, the report says a strengthening El Niño and the possible development of a positive Indian Ocean Dipole could bring above-average precipitation during winter and spring.

Such conditions could improve water availability and boost prospects for agricultural production, but FAO cautioned that heavier rainfall could also increase the risk of floods, landslides, crop damage and livestock losses.

The agency said the latest outlook highlights the need for continued monitoring, anticipatory action and timely, practical climate and agricultural advisories to help farmers and livestock owners prepare for changing conditions.

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Hana raises concerns over Afghan women and children amid Iran’s expulsion policy

It said the risks are particularly serious for children born in Iran or those who have spent much of their lives there.

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The Hana Human Rights Organization has raised serious concerns over the situation of Afghan women and children in Iran, saying the country’s plan to regulate and expel undocumented Afghan nationals remains in effect.

According to Hana, Iran’s Ministry of Interior has confirmed that the “Plan for the Regulation and Expulsion of Unauthorized Afghan Nationals” has not been suspended.

The organization said the policy is continuing amid the consequences of armed conflict and an increasingly securitized environment in Iran, which it said has heightened the vulnerability of Afghan migrants and asylum seekers.

Hana said it has previously documented cases involving the arrest and mistreatment of Afghan nationals, deportations, family separation and difficulties obtaining civil documentation and accessing essential services.

The organization warned that continued implementation of the expulsion policy could worsen these problems.

Hana expressed particular concern for Afghan children under 18, stressing that children’s rights are independent of their parents’ migration status.

It said irregular residence should not, by itself, justify a child’s detention, separation from family or removal without an individualized assessment. Any decision affecting a child, it added, should prioritize the child’s best interests, preserve family unity and provide additional safeguards for unaccompanied and separated children.

The organization warned that large-scale expulsions without clear procedures to identify and protect children at risk could result in family separation, disruption to education, lack of legal protection, difficulties establishing legal identity, exploitation and return to unsafe conditions.

It said the risks are particularly serious for children born in Iran or those who have spent much of their lives there.

Hana also highlighted gender-specific risks facing Afghan women and girls. It warned that deportation to Afghanistan without assessing risks linked to gender, previous political or social activities, family circumstances and access to support networks could expose them to serious human rights violations.

The organization said being classified as an “unauthorized foreign national” should not replace an individual assessment of a person’s protection needs and the risks they may face upon return.

Hana stressed that while states have the authority to regulate the entry and residence of foreign nationals, migration enforcement must comply with international human rights principles, including non-refoulement, the prohibition of collective expulsion, access to individualized procedures and respect for family unity.

It called for heightened protection for women and children, warning that continuing the expulsion plan without effective legal and protection safeguards could lead to further human rights violations against Afghan migrants and asylum seekers in Iran.

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Water dispute in Baghlan leaves four dead

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Security officials in Afghanistan’s Baghlan province say an armed clash between members of two families over a personal dispute and access to water for agriculture in Tala wa Barfak district has left four people dead and one injured.

Ismail Ayubi, police chief of Tala wa Barfak district, said the incident took place in the Dewalk area of Barfak, a remote part of the district.

He said the main cause of the clash was a dispute between the two families over the use of agricultural water.

Baghlan police said that, due to the lack of mobile network coverage in the area, a local resident traveled to an area with network access to report the incident to security forces.

Following the report, security forces took the necessary steps to respond to the incident. Officials said those involved in the clash fled the area after the incident, and no one has so far been arrested.

The district police chief said efforts are ongoing to identify and arrest those responsible. Security forces are also working to maintain public safety and prevent further insecurity in the district.

An investigation into the circumstances of the clash and the identification of those involved is ongoing.

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