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US pays Afghans stranded in Qatar to repatriate, plan labeled ‘betrayal’

Shawn VanDiver, head of AfghanEvac, a coalition of veterans and advocacy groups, told Reuters the payments being offered were $4,500 for a main applicant and $1,200 per additional person who relocates.

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The U.S. State Department has begun paying Afghans to repatriate as it attempts to close a camp in Qatar where they have been stranded for years, Reuters quoted the top State Department official for South and Central Asia told lawmakers on Wednesday.

More than 1,100 people have been held at the former U.S. Army base Camp As Sayliyah (CAS) since at least early last year, when Republican President Donald Trump’s administration halted resettlement for Afghans who feared retribution from Islamic Emirate authorities for their links to the U.S. military.

Advocates say the group includes civilian refugees, women who served as special operators for the U.S. during its 20-year war in Afghanistan, and family members of U.S. servicemembers, all of whom would be in danger if returned to the country, read the report.

Democrats have blasted the administration’s plan to offer payment to those who agree to “self-deport” ahead of the planned closure of the facility at the end of March. Sydney Kamlager-Dove, the ranking Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs subcommittee holding the hearing on Wednesday, called it a “betrayal of our Afghan allies.”

Assistant Secretary of State S. Paul Kapur said he believed around 150 had already accepted the payments, but did not know what happened to them after they returned.

“We are not forcibly repatriating Afghans to Afghanistan. Some have gone of their own volition, but we’re not forcing anybody,” Kapur said.

“We’re looking to relocate them. We’re in negotiations with third countries to do that. Our belief is that is actually a good outcome. Keeping them indefinitely on CAS is not … reasonable.”

Kapur did not offer details of the payments and the State Department did not respond to a request for comment.

Shawn VanDiver, head of AfghanEvac, a coalition of veterans and advocacy groups, told Reuters the payments being offered were $4,500 for a main applicant and $1,200 per additional person who relocates.

VanDiver said the repatriation was not truly voluntary, saying that staff at the facility in Qatar were telling the Afghans they should accept the offer, with third-country relocation uncertain.

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ACL: Arman FC cruise to 5-1 victory over Omar Zawak

Arman FC continued their attacking push in the second half, with Shokorullah Kohi scoring the team’s fourth goal in stoppage time. Fardin Azizi then added a fifth in the fifth minute of stoppage time to seal a 5-1 victory.

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Arman FC secured a convincing 5-1 victory over Omar Zawak in the 62nd match of the sixth season of Afghanistan Champions League Roshan in Kabul on Wednesday.

The match was played at the Afghanistan Football Federation Stadium, where Arman FC showed their attacking strength from the opening minutes.

Damola Iseoluwa Akanni opened the scoring for Arman FC in the eighth minute, before teammate Payman Sultani struck twice in the 10th and 18th minutes to give his side a three-goal lead.

Mohammad Nowrozi pulled one back for Omar Zawak in first-half stoppage time, leaving Arman FC with a 3-1 lead at the break.

Arman FC continued their attacking push in the second half, with Shokorullah Kohi scoring the team’s fourth goal in stoppage time. Fardin Azizi then added a fifth in the fifth minute of stoppage time to seal a 5-1 victory.

Payman Sultani, who scored twice, was named player of the match.

Arman FC will face Aino Mina on October 31, while Omar Zawak will take on Toofan Herat on November 2.

All matches in the sixth season of Afghanistan Champions League Roshan are being broadcast live on Ariana Television.

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Several Pakistani soldiers killed and wounded in retaliatory strikes in Paktika: Defense Ministry

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The Ministry of Defense of the Islamic Emirate says several Pakistani soldiers were killed or wounded in retaliatory strikes by Afghan forces in Paktika province.

In a statement, the ministry said Pakistani forces carried out four drone strikes on Angoor Adda Bazaar and the Commissioner’s Office, as well as nearby security installations, at around 1 p.m. on Monday.

The ministry said Afghan defense and security forces responded by targeting a nearby Pakistani military base and outposts, causing heavy damage to their facilities.

It added that no Afghan casualties were reported in the incident. The ministry accused Pakistani forces of initiating the attacks and described the Afghan response as an act of self-defense and protection of the country’s territory.

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IEA says women’s rights must be defined and upheld under Islamic Sharia

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Saif-ul-Islam Khyber, spokesperson for the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan’s Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue, Prevention of Vice and Hearing of Complaints, says women’s rights must be defined and upheld in accordance with Islamic Sharia, rejecting what he described as “foreign political agendas and imposed standards.”

Khyber claimed that positive changes had been made in Afghanistan in the areas of women’s rights and human rights over the past five years, describing them as unprecedented in the country’s history.

He said women’s rights under Islamic law include property ownership, inheritance, dowry, financial maintenance, protection against forced marriage, the right to choose a spouse, and the right to engage in business and economic activities.

Khyber stressed that women’s rights should not be used as a tool for political disputes or reduced to propaganda campaigns. He called on individuals and organizations that identify themselves as defenders of women’s rights to demonstrate their commitment through practical action.

He also said the rights of women and other Afghan citizens should not be subject to political bargaining, urging those concerned with human rights to adopt what he described as a practical and fair approach.

Khyber dismissed criticism and reports about the ministry’s performance regarding citizens’ rights as propaganda driven by political and intelligence objectives.

The remarks come a day after the United Kingdom, the United States and senior United Nations officials at a UN Security Council meeting called for Afghan women and girls to have a greater role in shaping their country’s future, criticizing restrictions on their rights and exclusion from public life.

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