Amir Khan Muttaqi, Acting Foreign Minister of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA), has arrived in China for talks, it was announced on Monday.

The Foreign Ministry said in a statement that Ahmadullah Zahid, deputy minister of industry and commerce, is also part of the delegation.

Muttaqi is expected to discuss bilateral political, economic and trade relations with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi.

He will also attend a joint meeting with the foreign ministers of China and Pakistan.

Acting Minister of Refugees and Repatriation Mawlawi Abdul Kabir has said  Afghan nationals deported from the United States will not face threats to their safety upon returning home.

Kabir said this in a statement read by Zakirullah Zakir, head of managing the affairs of the Prime Minister’s office, at a ceremony to distribute aid from India to returnees in Kabul.

Kabir said that the Islamic Emirate is prepared to welcome deportees and returning refugees warmly.

“You may have heard that the U.S. is set to deport around 14,000 Afghan refugees,” Zakir said.

“These individuals are our brothers and fellow citizens. We warmly welcome them. The situation in Afghanistan has improved significantly—both living and working conditions are better.

“Everyone’s life and property are secure. With the general amnesty in place, no one is questioned for their past employment.”

The aid from India, distributed during the ceremony, is expected to benefit 5,000 vulnerable families among the returnees.

Afghan officials expressed gratitude to India and other donor countries for their continued support.

Kalim-ur-Rehman Fani, Deputy Minister of Finance and Administration at the Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation, acknowledged the challenges that returnees face.

“Those who come back from abroad inevitably encounter difficulties,” he said. “We are grateful to everyone who extends their assistance in this regard.”

Despite the Islamic Emirate’s efforts to provide support and housing, officials underscored the ongoing need for international assistance.

The government has announced plans to construct 58 new townships in 31 provinces to accommodate returnees and facilitate their reintegration.

Human Rights Watch Associate Asia Director Patricia Gossman on Monday published an article on the situation of war crimes in Afghanistan over 20 years of foreign occupation and how differently two countries are tackling the issue. 

Here’s what she wrote.

Family members of Afghans unlawfully killed by foreign military forces during the 20-year war in Afghanistan have been waiting a long time for justice. Last week revealed two quite different approaches by countries that should provide it.

Australia, which has gone the furthest in investigating alleged war crimes by its forces in Afghanistan, has established a website for family members to file complaints. 

The site, managed by Australia’s Defense Ministry, includes an online form in the Dari and Pashto languages to request compensation.

While this progress is commendable, it comes five years after a governmental inquiry first disclosed the extent of probable crimes, including summary executions of captured combatants and civilians. Only one soldier has been charged in connection with the allegations.

The long delays led United Nations special mandate holders in August 2024 to raise concerns about Australia’s approach to compensation “as a form of charity at the discretion of its military, not as a legal right of victims under international law,” and the lack of clarity concerning consultation with victims and their families.

Those concerns remain. 

Afghan human rights activists are hosting online panels to draw attention to the website. The Australian government needs to ensure Afghans know about the website and how to file a complaint.

The United Kingdom, meanwhile, which also has an obligation to provide justice for war crimes, has made much slower progress.

Last week, BBC Panorama presented new evidence of war crimes by British special forces in Iraq and Afghanistan, including interviews with former soldiers about summary executions of wounded detainees and civilians, including children. 

“They handcuffed a young boy and shot him,” said a former soldier who had served in Afghanistan. “He was clearly a child, not even close to fighting age.”

The UK government has tried its best to prevent such crimes from ever being prosecuted, with successive governments alleged to have covered up crimes and shut down criminal inquiries. 

While the government established an independent inquiry into the Afghanistan allegations in December 2022, it has taken years to get going and is limited in scope to the three years 2010-2013.

Richard Bennett, the UN special rapporteur on human rights in Afghanistan, said the new allegations highlighted “the need for comprehensive accountability.” 

That is the only way victims and their families will find justice.

Article written by Patricia Gossman