4 killed, 7 injured in Afghanistan last week

KABUL (Pajhwok): Last week, Afghan officials participated in six international meetings held in Russia, China, Iran and Uzbekistan. The World Bank resumed the process of disbursing its remaining loans to Afghanistan.

The International Crisis Group expressed concern over the forced deportation of Afghan refugees, while UNHCR called the reduction in international aid in this regard alarming.

Key developments from last week:

• Afghan delegations visit Russia, China, Iran and Uzbekistan.
• World Bank resumes disbursement of remaining loans to Afghanistan.
• Khalilzad’s wife on Afghanistan under Islamic Emirate.
• ICG urges EU to pressure Pakistan to stop expelling Afghan refugees.
• China pledges 30 million yuan in aid to Afghan returnees.
• UNHCR concerned ar expulsion of Afghans and funding cuts.

Casualties:
Last week, four people were killed and seven others injured in various incidents across Afghanistan.

Local officials said that unknown individuals killed a rickshaw driver in Khost; while a young man was killed in Nangarhar.

In Sar-e-Pul, a man stabbed his father to death and injured his sister. A man killed his brother in a dispute over water distribution, injuring another brother and his two sons in Daikundi,.

Additionally, in Samangan, the explosion of an old mortar shell injured three people.

In the previous week, four people had been killed in Afghanistan.

Before the regime change in 2021, hundreds of civilians, insurgents and security personnel would get killed and maimed in clashes and bomb blasts every week.

Afghan delegations’ foreign trips

Last week, Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi travelled to Iran and China. He held talks with Iran’s Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi and President Masoud Pezeshkian on bilateral relations, security issues, water resources and refugees.

The two sides also discussed bilateral ties between Tehran and Kabul and the situation of Afghan refugees in the neighbouring country.

President Pezeshkian described Afghanistan and Iran as good neighbours. He said his country was ready to expand relations with Afghanistan across all sectors.

He also emphasised the importance of strengthening ties and assured the Afghan side of his government’s efforts to improve conditions for Afghan refugees living in Iran.

Muttaqi stressed the imperative of positive engagement with other countries based on a balanced foreign policy on the opening day of the “Tehran Dialogue Forum.”

Muttaqi highlighted the Islamic Emirate’s foreign policy, asserting that security in Afghanistan benefitted the entire world. Over the past 40 years, he claimed, Afghanistan had been a victim of global power rivalries due to a lack of a balanced foreign policy.

At the trilateral meeting of the foreign ministers of Afghanistan, Pakistan and China in Beijing, he stressed the importance of political and economic relations among the three countries. He expressed hope for further progress in these areas.

Officials said all three sides agreed to enhance trade and facilitate improvements in the transit sector.

At a separate meeting with Muttaqi, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi pledged continued political and economic support for Afghanistan and said efforts would be made to remove obstacles to the import of agricultural products and other Afghan goods.

Deputy Foreign Minister Mohammad Naeem stated Afghanistan served as a natural bridge between Central and South Asia and was ready to play an active and constructive role in both regional and international processes.

Speaking at the Termez Dialogue in Uzbekistan, he underlined Afghanistan’s commitment to regional peace, cooperation and sustainable development.

Naeem expressed sincere appreciation to the government of Uzbekistan for hosting and initiating dialogue under the theme “Creating a Shared Space for Peace, Friendship and Prosperity.”

He described Uzbekistan as a close neighbor and strategic partner, noting the significant and unprecedented growth in bilateral relations in recent years.

Last week, Minister of Justice, Maulvi Abdul Hakim Sharaie, participated in the 13th session of the St. Petersburg International Legal Forum in Russia.

The event was attended by justice ministers and judicial officials from more than 80 countries. In his address, Sharaie emphasised the importance of global legal reforms to ensure international justice.

He said reducing crime on a global scale required coordination and awareness, adding that if these elements accompany punishment, crime rates could decline.

Additionally, \ Minister of Information Technology Maulvi Najibullah Hayat Haqqani took part in the 31st meeting of regional countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.

During the meeting, Hayat Haqqani discussed Afghanistan’s current state in the field of technology, the role of fiber optics and the potential for regional connectivity through data transit using Afghanistan’s geographic location.

He also highlighted the development of digital infrastructure and the services provided by the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology.

Meanwhile, a delegation led by Minister of Mines and Petroleum Mullah Hidayatullah Badri visited Iran.

Badri participated in Iran’s International Mining Exhibition and held meetings with various Iranian officials. These discussions focused on joint cooperation in the mining sector and experience sharing.

He also encouraged numerous Iranian private companies to invest in Afghanistan’s mining industry. Several Iranian investors expressed interest in investing in Afghan mineral resources.

National Environmental Protection Authority (NEPA) chief Maulvi Mati-ul-Haq Khalis, leading a delegation, has participated in the 11th Nevsky World Environmental Congress in Russia.

In a statement on Friday, NEPA said the major global event brought together representatives from various countries, international organizations, environmental experts, activists, and academic institutions to discuss environmental challenges and opportunities amid climate change.

The congress agenda included key topics such as food security under climate change, circular economy, eco-friendly technologies, carbon reduction, green economy, youth engagement, BRICS sustainable development, eco-tourism, mining, and urban ecology.

WB resumes debt repayments

Last week, the World Bank (WB) resumed the disbursement of outstanding loans in Afghanistan, with nearly 11 million US dollars to be paid to companies in the first phase.

MoF said the World Bank reopened its office in Kabul, following continued engagement and negotiations between ministry officials and bank representatives.

The statement added the bank was fully prepared to commence the process of repaying its outstanding debts in Afghanistan.

The World Bank owes approximately $50 million to Afghan logistics and construction companies, based on verified data. This amount is to be disbursed in four installments, in coordination with MoF and allocated to the respective companies.

In the first phase, which began last week, the bank would directly release $10.8 million to eligible firms. The remaining $39.1 million will be paid in three subsequent phases via MoF.

Khalilzad wife’s statement

Cheryl Benard, the wife of former US ambassador ZalmayKhalilzad, argued denying women’s activities in Afghanistan presented a misleading image of the country.

She asserted no one should fear returning to Afghanistan and, if the international community genuinely wished to assist Afghans, it must ease the current sanctions.

Benard made the observations in an article she penned a month after her visit to Kabul.

In her article, published in The National Interest, Benard wrote the decision was criticised, immediately and at times histrionically, by the affected Afghans and by NGOs that take care of them.

She commented it was only natural that the refugees would prefer to remain in the United States and continue receiving American taxpayer support for their housing, education and living costs.

She wrote: “Shawn Van Diver of AfghanEvac called the decision “insane” and sarcastically challenged Noem to go to Afghanistan if she thinks it’s so safe. I don’t know how many of these distraught dissenters have been to Afghanistan recently.

“I have, and I would like to issue a message of reassurance. I would also encourage Noem to take Van Diver up on his suggestion. I confidently guarantee her a warm welcome, frank conversations, and interesting insights: just as I experienced last month in Kabul.”

Regarding security and safety in Afghanistan, the wife of ZalmayKhalilzad said Taliban’s two opponents Hamid Karzai and Abdullah Abdullah were a good example of safety.

Afghan refugees

The International Crisis Group (ICG) called on the European Union (EU) and its member states to pressure Pakistan to stop the forcible expulsion of Afghan refugees, regardless of their legal status.

Earlier, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Afghanistan significantly reduced its assistance to returning Afghan families due to a decline in international funding.

While the agency previously provided $2,000 per family, that amount has now dropped to just $150 – a sum that UNHCR considers insufficient.

More than 250,000 Afghans have returned from Pakistan and Iran, including about 107,000 who were deported between April 1 and April 30, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

Beijing would construct 160 houses and provide 30 million Chinese yuan in assistance to Afghan refugees returning from neighboring countries, the Chinese envoy announced.

sa/mud