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NDS ready to hand over Daesh leader to Pakistan for 2 Taliban leaders
National Directorate of Security (NDS) Chief Ahmad Zia Saraj said Tuesday that the Afghan government is ready to exchange Pakistani prisoner Abdullah Orakzai, leader of the Khorasan branch of the Islamic State (IS-K), locally known as Daesh, for two Taliban leaders in Pakistan’s custody.
The NDS forces arrested Abdullah Orakzai aka Aslam Farooqi, the IS-K leader, along with 19 of his men, including two key leaders of the group in an operation in 2019.
“Abdullah Orakzai aka Aslam Farooqi comes from Akhondzadgan village of Orakzai agency, Pakistan. He has previously worked as the military head of the group in Peshawar, commander of Daesh in Abdulkhil valley of Achin district, Nangarhar, and Daesh chief of operations in Khaiber agency. After Abu Saeed Bajawari was killed, he took over as Daesh shadow governor for Afghanistan,” the NDS said in a statement.
“He has had close ties with other terrorist networks such as, Lashkar-e-Taiba and Haqqani – the ties that have now grown deeper into various levels of Daesh’s Khurasan faction,” the statement read.
Meanwhile, NDS Chief stated: “We will hand over Aslam Farooqi to Pakistan only if the country hands us over two leaders of the Taliban group.”
Zia Saraj said that the Afghan forces have arrested 408 Daesh militants – including 173 women and children – in the past few years.
He added that the militants are nationals of 14 countries of which 299 are Pakistani, 37 are Uzbeks, 13 from Tajikistan, 12 from Kyrgyzstan, five from Jordan, five Indonesian, four Iranian, four Indian, three Turkish, two Bangladeshi, two Malaysian, and one Algerian.
The Embassy of Japan in Afghanistan has announced scholarship opportunities for Afghan students under the Japanese Government (MEXT) Scholarship Program for the 2027 academic year.
According to the embassy, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) of Japan is offering scholarships for graduate-level study at Japanese universities under the research student category, including both regular and non-regular students.
Interested and eligible applicants can download the application guidelines and forms from the official Study in Japan website and are advised to carefully review all requirements before applying.
Applicants who meet the eligibility criteria and have prepared all required documents must submit their applications by 25 May 2026. The embassy said late or incomplete submissions will not be accepted.
The first screening process will include a written examination in Kabul on 18 June 2026, followed by interviews scheduled for July 2026 (date to be confirmed).
The Embassy of Japan noted that the Aga Khan Foundation Afghanistan will assist in collecting applications and facilitating written examinations, but will not be involved in the selection process.
It further emphasized that the selection will be conducted independently by the embassy and the Japanese government, based on academic merit, quality of application documents, and performance in written and interview examinations, without consideration of religious, linguistic, or ethnic background.
The scholarship program is fully funded and free of charge. The embassy warned applicants to remain cautious against scams, stressing that no financial contributions are required at any stage of the application process.
Abdul Salam Hanafi, Deputy Prime Minister for Administrative Affairs, has launched the distribution of more than 1,000 residential land plots for returning migrants in Logar province.
During a visit to Logar, Hanafi inaugurated a new township and said the initiative aims to support Afghan returnees by providing them with housing opportunities and improving settlement conditions.
He called for speeding up the process of distributing residential plots designated for migrants, stressing the importance of timely implementation.
“We inaugurated this township today, which includes more than 1,000 plots. These plots will be distributed to migrants. In addition, other townships will also be constructed soon,” he said.
Hanafi also noted that over the past three years, more than five million Afghan migrants have returned from neighboring countries, adding that efforts are underway to provide them with essential services and support their reintegration.
Pakistan’s Ambassador to Afghanistan, Ubaid-ur-Rehman Nizamani, has urged the Afghan authorities to take concrete action against militant threats that Islamabad says originate from Afghan soil.
Speaking at an event at the Pakistan Embassy in Kabul marking the first anniversary of Operation Bunyan-um-Marsoos against India, Nizamani reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to maintaining “brotherly ties” with Afghanistan.
The ambassador also highlighted Pakistan’s diplomatic efforts in reducing tensions between Iran and the United States, saying Islamabad’s initiatives reflected its commitment to regional and global peace.
During the ceremony, Nizamani reaffirmed Pakistan’s determination to defend itself against any aggression.
“Pakistan’s desire for peace must never be mistaken for weakness,” the ambassador said, calling for heightened vigilance against regional threats.
Pakistani officials have consistently claimed that militants use Afghan soil to attack Pakistan. The Islamic Emirate, however, has denied this claim and said that Afghanistan is not responsible for Pakistan’s security failures.
Japan announces MEXT scholarships for Afghan students for 2027 academic year
New township to provide over 1,000 land plots for returnees in Logar
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Pakistan ambassador urges Afghan authorities to act against militant threats
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Afghanistan’s new cricket head coach Richard Pybus arrives in Kabul
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Germany to launch online visa system for Afghan study and work applicants in Pakistan
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