Sheikh Hibatullah Akhundzada, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA), has emphasized the importance of treating the Afghan people with kindness and compassion, stating that they have suffered greatly from prolonged wars and are now deserving of mercy and care.

In remarks delivered during a seminar organized for municipal authorities, Akhundzada stressed that no coercion or pressure should be exerted on the people, and officials must engage with citizens in a respectful and humane manner.

He said that responsibility is not a privilege or an honor, but rather a trust given to serve the people.

Akhundzada noted that the funds managed by municipalities are, in fact, the public’s money, contributed to support public services.

He urged that this money be used in ways that bring satisfaction and benefit to the citizens.

He also called on municipalities to intensify efforts for city cleanliness, safeguard public interests and national assets, and avoid negligence in their duties.

Meanwhile, Acting Minister of Interior Sirajuddin Haqqani in a meeting with the governor of Paktika province, reiterated that the primary goal of the Islamic Emirate is to serve the people. He assured that efforts are ongoing to address provincial issues through engagement with local representatives.

Amir Khan Muttaqi, Acting Foreign Minister of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) has met with Chen Xiaodong, Director of China’s International Development Cooperation Agency (CIDCA), to discuss bilateral cooperation and China’s ongoing development projects in Afghanistan.

During the meeting, Muttaqi expressed gratitude to the Chinese agency for its role in Afghanistan’s economic reconstruction, stating that after ensuring security, IEA’s top priority is the country’s economic rebuilding.

Muttaqi also voiced hope for closer collaboration between Afghanistan and China in the fields of agriculture, energy, and long-term infrastructure development.

He presented practical proposals to the Chinese side, suggesting areas that could be prioritized in Afghanistan’s reconstruction process.

In response, Chen reaffirmed CIDCA’s commitment to working with Afghanistan in sectors such as healthcare, energy, agriculture, and capacity-building.

He also pledged support for infrastructure development, livestock improvement, and feasibility studies in the oil and gas sectors.

Czech President Petr Pavel granted pardons on Wednesday to four members of the country’s special forces, who had been facing prosecution for alleged crimes related to the death of a detained Afghan soldier.

The four members of the 601st special operations forces group were to stand trial on charges of extortion, insubordination, violation of guard duty obligations and failure to provide aid, Reuters reported.

Czech media had reported that the accusations related to the death of 19-year-old Wahidullah Khan after he was detained over an attack on troops at the Shindand base in western Afghanistan in 2018.

One Czech soldier was killed in the attack and two others were injured.

“After carefully assessing all the circumstances of this case, the President of the Republic took into account in particular the exceptional nature of the war situation in which the incident under investigation occurred,” Pavel’s office said.

It added that the fact the soldiers were not primarily accused of violent crimes had also been taken into consideration.

The New York Times first reported the incident in 2018. It reported that Khan was beaten after being taken into custody by U.S. and Czech troops, was unconscious when he was returned to Afghan forces the same day and died shortly afterwards.

U.S. and Czech troops were being investigated over the incident, it reported at the time.

The Czech army operated in Afghanistan from 2002 until 2021.