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Telecom towers go up in remote areas of Paktia: IEA
Paktia Telecommunications Department officials say that they have started the process of setting up new telecommunication towers in remote areas of the eastern province.
Speaking during the inauguration of the project, which is being rolled out by Afghan Wireless Communication Company (AWCC) in Zurmat district, officials said additional land in other areas has been earmarked for the new towers.
“We have included in our plan all areas of Paktia districts where there are no telecommunications services, such as Zurmat and other districts,” Nasratullah Hijrat, director of telecommunications and IT in Paktia, said.
Salam Sharifi, head of AWCC in the southeast zone, meanwhile said: “Today, we inaugurated the AWCC site in Sahak area of Zurmat district. With this, the people of Sahak will benefit from better quality telephone services and fast internet services.”
Hazrat Mohammad Watanpal, the provincial director of the Afghanistan Telecom Regulatory Authority (ATRA), said: “We will make more efforts. ATRA also plans to cover the under-serviced areas.”
Residents of Paktia province have meanwhile called on the private and state-run telecommunication sector to expand their services across the district, given its size.
“Zurmat has been facing telecommunication problems for 20 years. Many thanks to AWCC for solving our problems,” Abdul Hamid Faizan, a resident of Paktia’s Zurmat district, said.
According to local officials, about 10 new telecommunication sites have been activated in Paktia since the takeover of the country by the Islamic Emirate.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan announced on Tuesday the release of American citizen Dennis Coyle from prison.
According to the ministry, Coyle’s mother had written to the leader of the Islamic Emirate demanding amnesty and the release of her son on the occasion of Eid. The Supreme Court considered time served sufficient and decided to release him.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that this action was carried out on the basis of humanitarianism and good faith, and it believes that such measures can strengthen trust between countries. The ministry also expressed hope that both countries, in the future, can find solutions to remaining issues through mutual understanding and constructive dialogue.
The Islamic Emirate also expressed appreciation for the cooperation of the United Arab Emirates in this matter.
Separately, for Coyle’s release, an American delegation, including Zalmay Khalilzad, former U.S. Special Representative for Afghanistan, met on Tuesday with Amir Khan Muttaqi, the Foreign Minister of the Islamic Emirate.
The meeting was also attended by Saif Mohammed Al-Ketbi, Ambassador of the UAE in Kabul, and a member of the prisoner’s family.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Muttaqi stated that the Islamic Emirate has not detained any citizen of any country to achieve political objectives; rather, detentions were the result of legal violations, and individuals were released after completing judicial procedures.
At the meeting, Khalilzad praised the action of the Islamic Emirate and emphasized the importance of continuing discussions on all issues between the two countries, expressing hope for further progress in the future.
Muttaqi also stressed that Kabul and the UAE should provide standard consular services to their citizens, and that the Afghan government is fully prepared in this regard.
He thanked Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, for their constructive role in facilitating the release of the prisoner and referred to the UAE as a close friend of Afghanistan.
Earlier, Muttaqi had also praised the role of the State of Qatar in facilitating information exchange between the Islamic Emirate and the prisoner’s family.
Additionally, the UAE ambassador expressed his country’s readiness to play a role in humanitarian institutions and called such developments beneficial for everyone.
The United Kingdom has announced an additional £3 million (AFN 257 million) in humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan, aimed at supporting people affected by natural disasters and other shocks.
Richard Lindsay, in a post on X, said the funding will be used to provide essential nutrition supplies and related support to vulnerable populations.
The new allocation brings the UK’s total bilateral assistance to Afghanistan for the current financial year to £154 million (AFN 13.18 billion).
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