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Passport distribution process to return to ‘normal’ next week: officials
Passport offices across Afghanistan will resume normal services from next week, officials said on Tuesday.
Shafiullah Tasal, a spokesman for the General Directorate of Passports in Kabul, told reporters that citizens in the capital and provinces can apply online for passports from April 5.
He said that 3,000 passport applications will be processed in Kabul daily, while the number may vary in each province according to their capacity.
According to the official, around 6,000 passports were distributed on Monday alone.
The process of issuing passports has gone through several periods of suspension since the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) took over in August last year.
Many of the applicants cite medical issues as the reason for applying for travel documents.
Tasal said that they are trying to eliminate the practice by Afghans of seeking medical help outside the country – whether it be for diagnostic purposes or for treatment.
He also said that people applying on medical grounds will be checked carefully before they are issued passports.
Meanwhile, passport officials said on Tuesday they arrested a group of six people for forging documents.
Mohammad Naeem, head of internal security of the Passport Directorate, said the group was charging each passport applicant between $1,000 and $2,000.
According to officials, more than 200 individuals have been arrested so far for forgery and bribery
Zalmay Khalilzad, the former US special representative for Afghanistan, has questioned Pakistan’s commitment to the welfare of the Afghan people, citing Islamabad’s policies over the past three decades.
Khalilzad said in a post on X that Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif advocated for the rights of Afghan women during his speech at the UN General Assembly on Friday.
Sharif said: “Fundamental rights of the Afghan people — especially women and girls — must be respected.”
Responding to the remarks, Khalilzad said Pakistan’s policies over the past 30 years raise questions about Sharif’s commitment to Afghan welfare.
He cited Pakistan’s support for militant groups against US forces and what he described as the poor treatment of Afghan refugees as examples.
Khalilzad also said Afghanistan and Pakistan need and should have much better relations, adding that “a reset is necessary.”
India’s Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri met with the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, Rabab Fatima, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.
Indian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a post on X that Misri underscored the need to keep addressing the humanitarian needs of the Afghan people as a priority.
Misri also appreciated the role of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) and reaffirmed India’s continued cooperation with the United Nations on Afghanistan.
The meeting comes as Afghanistan continues to face humanitarian and economic challenges, with international agencies warning of significant needs among the Afghan population.
Kazakhstan’s Foreign Minister Mukhtar Tileuberdi has called for pragmatic and coordinated international engagement with Afghanistan, saying the country’s long-term stability is closely linked to the security and sustainable development of Central Asia.
Speaking during the general debate of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Friday, Tileuberdi said humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan remains essential but alone cannot break the cycle of poverty, displacement and dependency.
He said Kazakhstan supports a “pragmatic, coordinated and step-by-step” approach to international engagement with Afghanistan, with the United Nations playing a central role.
Tileuberdi also said Kazakhstan is working with the UN to operationalize the United Nations Regional Centre for the Sustainable Development Goals for Central Asia and Afghanistan in Almaty.
He said the success of the centre should be measured by the results and assistance it delivers to the region.
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