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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
Sources close to Acting Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani tell Ariana News that the U.S. government has removed bounties on several Islamic Emirate officials.
According to the sources, those no longer on the list include Sirajuddin Haqqani, Abdul Aziz Haqqani, and Yahya Haqqani.
Acting Minister of Industry and Commerce, Nooruddin Azizi, and Mohammad Sadiq, Pakistan’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, met on Saturday to address ongoing trade and transit challenges, stressing the importance of preventing political tensions from impacting economic ties, the ministry said in a statement.
The two officials focused on finalizing the Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA) and resolving issues related to the Afghanistan-Pakistan Transit Trade Agreement (APTTA), the statement read.
The meeting also discussed the upcoming visit of Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister to Afghanistan and a planned visit by an Islamic Emirate delegation to Pakistan.
The ministry hailed Sadiq’s visit to Kabul as a positive step, with Azizi emphasizing its constructive role in enhancing bilateral trade relations.
Acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi and Pakistan’s Special Representative for Afghanistan Mohammad Sadiq met on Saturday and discussed bilateral relations, political and economic cooperation, security and transit, said Zia Ahmad Takal, head of public relations at Foreign Ministry in a statement.
In this meeting, Muttaqi emphasized that obstacles to trade and transit are not in anyone’s interest and that certain issues should not be linked together.
He added that the process of Afghan refugees returning from Pakistan should be carried out gradually and with dignity.
According to the statement, Pakistan’s special representative also acknowledged that ensuring security in Afghanistan benefits both Pakistan and the region.
He committed to introducing measures to facilitate the visa issuance process for Afghan citizens.
Mohammad Sadiq also stated that practical steps will be taken to resolve existing trade and transit challenges.
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