Pakistan says it remains open to state-to-state dialogue with Afghanistan on addressing terrorism, following a call by Afghan Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani for a dialogue mechanism.

Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said any such mechanism must be supported by “tangible actions rather than mere assurances.”

He added that the Afghan authorities must ensure that Afghan soil is not used to carry out terrorist activities against Pakistan.

Pakistan’s remarks come amid renewed calls for dialogue and cooperation between the two neighboring countries on security and counterterrorism issues.

Afghanistan repeatedly said that Afghan soil will not be used against any country and no group will allowed to used Afghanistan’s soil against any countered especially neighbor countries.

Mujahir Farahi, Deputy Minister of Publications at Afghanistan’s Ministry of Information and Culture, says establishing a clear and consistent writing system for Pashto and Dari is essential.

He made the remarks at the closing ceremony of a scientific and cultural workshop on the “Revision and Standardization of Pashto and Dari Orthography” held at the National Museum in Kabul.

The workshop was organized by the Supreme Council of Languages under the ministry’s Deputy Ministry of Arts and Culture. University professors, researchers, linguists, writers and representatives from the Ministries of Education and Higher Education and the Academy of Sciences attended the event.

Farahi said languages have different dialects and writing practices, and developing a consistent orthographic system could help reduce differences in written language.

He added that such academic gatherings provide an opportunity for professors, researchers and linguists to exchange views and contribute to the development of the languages.

Sheikh Abdul Rahman Tayebi, Deputy Minister of Arts and Culture, also stressed the importance of preserving and strengthening Afghanistan’s languages, culture and literature.

Meanwhile, professors and members of the Supreme Council of Languages said the proposed standardization of Pashto and Dari orthography was developed and finalized with the participation of academics, researchers and linguists.

They said implementing the proposal could reduce spelling differences, improve consistency in writing and promote more standardized use of Pashto and Dari in education, academia, culture and the media.

The US Department of War says an ongoing investigation into the deadly 2021 Abbey Gate bombing in Kabul has uncovered previously undiscovered classified documents that are now being examined by a special review panel.

Sean Parnell, Senior Advisor to the Secretary of War, announced the development in a social media post marking the fifth anniversary of the bombing at Abbey Gate of Kabul’s then-Hamid Karzai International Airport.

The attack killed 13 US service members and approximately 170 Afghan civilians.

According to Parnell, his team recently recovered highly relevant classified documents that should have been disclosed but were found stored in safes and hidden in places where they would not be easily discovered.

He said that after the documents were recovered and reviewed by the special panel, it became clear why someone may have attempted to conceal them. However, Parnell said he would not prematurely reveal the contents of the classified material.

“I’m not going to give you a convenient version of the truth, nor will I give you a rushed one,” Parnell said, stressing that investigators would follow the evidence wherever it leads and would not accept incomplete answers.

The special review panel was established last year, when Secretary of War Pete Hegseth appointed Parnell to lead the investigation. Hegseth said the review was being conducted on behalf of the American people and the families of those killed in the attack.

The panel’s work follows a supplemental review by US Central Command in April 2024, which upheld the findings of the military’s original investigation and concluded that the attack could not have been prevented at the tactical level.

While Parnell did not provide a timeline for completing the review, he pledged that the investigation would be thorough and would provide the full picture of how and why decisions surrounding the attack were made.

“The American people and the families who sacrificed everything are owed the full picture,” he said, promising to continue the investigation until it is completed.