Latest News
Pakistan orders immediate halt to action against Afghan PoR card holders
Pakistan’s Ministry of States and Frontier Regions (SAFRON) has instructed authorities throughout Pakistan to immediately cease any actions against Afghan refugees who possess valid Proof of Registration (PoR) cards, as the government reviews a possible extension of their repatriation deadline.
In an official notice, SAFRON communicated with the governments of all four provinces, along with the administrations of Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan, urging them to suspend any measures targeting registered Afghan refugees. The ministry specifically directed senior officials and police chiefs in Islamabad, AJK, and GB to ensure that PoR cardholders are not harassed or detained, SAMAA television channel reported.
The letter noted that the timeline for the voluntary return of PoR cardholders is currently under reconsideration, and authorities have been told not to take any enforcement or deportation actions against Afghan nationals with valid documentation until a decision is made.
Currently, more than 1.3 million Afghan refugees in Pakistan hold PoR cards issued jointly by the UNHCR and the Government of Pakistan, granting them temporary legal status.
Last week, uncertainty surrounded the status of PoR cardholders as their repatriation deadline expired.
SAMAA reported that a plan was being discussed to grant Afghan refugees a further three to six months in Pakistan under the PoR card program. However, neither SAFRON nor the Ministry of Interior had submitted the necessary summary for cabinet approval.
Previously, the government had approved a one-year extension for PoR cardholders, which ended on June 30—a decision that was welcomed by humanitarian groups and the global community.
International Sports
Tottenham face Charlton as ATN brings live EFL Cup action to Afghan fans
Football fans across Afghanistan can watch Tottenham Hotspur take on Charlton Athletic live on Ariana Television Network (ATN) tonight, Wednesday, August 26, with coverage beginning at 23:15 Kabul time.
The two London clubs meet in the second round of the EFL Cup, with Tottenham looking to progress while Charlton will aim to produce an upset against their Premier League opponents.
Tottenham enter the match as favourites on paper, with their greater top-flight experience expected to make them the stronger side. However, cup football can produce surprises, and Charlton will be looking to take advantage of any opportunity at their disposal.
The match provides Tottenham with another chance to build momentum early in the season, while Charlton will see the tie as an opportunity to test themselves against one of England’s biggest clubs.
The EFL Cup remains an important route to silverware for clubs across the English football pyramid, with teams aiming to advance through each round toward the final at Wembley.
Afghanistan fans can watch Tottenham Hotspur vs Charlton Athletic live tonight on Ariana Television, from 23:15 Kabul time.
Latest News
UNICEF warns one million Afghan children at risk of death from malnutrition
The United Nations has warned that around one million children in Afghanistan are suffering from life-threatening severe acute malnutrition and could die without urgent treatment.
UNICEF said on Tuesday that about 3.7 million children across Afghanistan are suffering from wasting, a condition caused by acute malnutrition.
Tajudeen Oyewale, UNICEF’s representative in Afghanistan, said around one million of these children are suffering from severe acute malnutrition, which is considered the most dangerous form of acute hunger.
“If there is no treatment and we are not able to act fast, that one million number are at risk of dying,” Oyewale said during a media briefing in Geneva, speaking from Kabul.
He said the nutrition crisis is worsening across the country, with more than 500,000 children requiring hospital care so far this year for moderate and severe wasting.
According to UNICEF, nearly 40 percent of children admitted to hospitals with severe wasting and medical complications are babies younger than six months. Children under the age of two account for more than 80 percent of severe acute malnutrition cases.
Oyewale said malnutrition is playing a major role in the increasing number of deaths among very young children in Afghanistan.
The situation has also placed growing pressure on hospitals. In July last year, around 6,000 severe malnutrition cases were recorded, while the number rose by about one-third to more than 8,000 cases by July this year.
“In parts of southern Afghanistan, some hospitals are now seeing three or four severely malnourished children for every available bed,” Oyewale said.
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