US President Joe Biden announced on Wednesday that Afghanistan’s foreign reserves would continue to be frozen beyond February 11. This decision stems from Biden’s initial executive order issued on February 11, 2022, addressing the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan and its associated threats.

The original executive order, issued by Biden on February 11, 2022, highlighted the urgent needs of the Afghan people, including food security, livelihood support, and essential health services. The order emphasized the extraordinary threat posed to US national security and foreign policy by the ongoing crisis in Afghanistan.

In a statement posted to the White House website, President Biden underscored the importance of preserving certain assets held by the Afghanistan Central Bank (DAB) in the United States. These assets, he noted, are vital for addressing the national emergency and ensuring the welfare of the Afghan people.

President Biden acknowledged that various parties, including victims of terrorism, have laid legal claims to certain assets of DAB. Consequently, these assets remain blocked in accordance with his executive order, reflecting the complex legal and humanitarian considerations at play.

Despite repeated appeals from Afghanistan’s foreign minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi, for the release of frozen assets, the US has maintained its stance. Muttaqi reiterated this request at the “Afghanistan Regional Cooperation Initiative” meeting in Kabul, emphasizing the importance of returning the assets to DAB.

Following the Taliban’s takeover in August 2021, the US froze over $9.5 billion of Afghanistan’s assets, with approximately $7 billion held in the Federal Reserve Bank in New York. Subsequently, a portion of these funds, $3.5 billion, was transferred to a special fund in Switzerland, while the remainder remains under US control.

The freeze on Afghanistan’s foreign reserves underscores the complexities of managing humanitarian crises within the framework of international law and diplomacy. As Afghanistan grapples with multifaceted challenges, including political instability and economic turmoil, the fate of its frozen assets remains a contentious issue on the global stage.

UN Announces Extension of Refugee Cards for Registered Afghan Migrants in Pakistan Until the End of March.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees has announced that the Pakistani government has extended the refugee cards for registered Afghan immigrants until the 31^st of March 2024.

Confirming this decision, the agency released a picture of the Pakistani government’s decree on its official page on Wednesday, February 7^th.

Additionally, Khyber News Pakistan has reported that the interim government of Pakistan, based on the proposal of the Ministry of Border Affairs, has extended the stay of 1.3 million Afghan immigrants for another two months.

Human rights organizations and refugee agencies have consistently expressed concerns about the situation of migrants expelled from Pakistan and Iran.

It is noteworthy that the World Food Program has recently declared that approximately half a million expelled Afghan migrants from Pakistan are in urgent need of assistance and are economically vulnerable.

According to reports, since the start of the expulsion of Afghan migrants from Pakistan, more than 500,000 individuals have been forcibly returned to Afghanistan.

Amidst security turmoil and economic crisis in the country, which has led to the expulsion of Afghan refugees from Pakistan, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees has announced an extension of refugee cards for registered Afghan immigrants for another two months.

The decision to extend refugee cards for Afghan immigrants is a response to the security turmoil and economic crisis in Pakistan, which has resulted in the expulsion of Afghan refugees from the country.

The political landscape in Pakistan is closely intertwined with the situation of Afghan refugees, as political debates often include discussions on refugee policies and their impact on the country’s security and economy.

Security measures during elections are crucial not only for the safety of Pakistani citizens but also for Afghan refugees residing in the country, as political stability impacts their lives and prospects.

The World Food Program asserts that nearly half a million expelled Afghan migrants from Pakistan are in dire need of immediate food assistance.

In a post on the X network on Tuesday, the organization stated that expelled migrants from Pakistan lack economic support and face difficulties starting anew in Afghanistan.

The World Food Program further adds that returning migrants from Pakistan are experiencing hunger and resorting to borrowing from others to sustain their livelihoods.

Previously, the World Health Organization declared in a report about expelled migrants from Pakistan that 24% of these migrants are children under the age of five, and 48% are women.

Following the decision of the interim government of Pakistan to expel migrants without legal documentation from the country, hundreds of thousands of Afghan migrants have left Pakistan, both forcibly and voluntarily.

The expulsion has left these migrants in a vulnerable position, without means to sustain themselves or their families, prompting urgent calls for humanitarian aid and support.

The situation underscores the ongoing challenges faced by Afghan migrants, both in Pakistan and upon their return to Afghanistan, highlighting the need for coordinated international efforts to address their plight.

As efforts continue to assist these vulnerable populations, urgent action is required to ensure their basic needs are met and to support their reintegration into society.

President Hamid Karzai has announced his meeting with Mr. Feridun Sinirlioglu, the special coordinator for the United Nations Secretary-General for Afghanistan, emphasizing its significance.

The former president said on its social media platform X about his discussion regarding the Doha meeting during his meeting with Mr. Sinirliglu.

Hamid Karzai described Mr. Sinirlioglu’s independent assessment of Afghanistan as “realistic and practical” during their meeting.

Karzai, while underscoring the importance of the Doha meeting for Afghanistan, expressed hope for positive steps for the country by Afghans, and regional, and global powers during the event.

The Doha meeting is set to take place with the participation of special representatives from countries with special mandates in Afghanistan, hosted by the United Nations.

It’s been reported that the Taliban representative has been invited to the upcoming Doha meeting.

An American media outlet known as The National Interest has termed America’s hasty withdrawal from Afghanistan as President Biden’s biggest failure, stating that it underscores the futility of “the entire two-decade endeavour in Afghanistan.”

According to this report, authored by Peter Suciu, America’s tumultuous exit from Afghanistan, along with other factors such as the transfer of advanced military equipment to the Taliban, abandoning Afghan allies, the killing of 13 American soldiers at Kabul airport, and the return of America’s old enemy (the Taliban) to power, constitutes Biden’s biggest mistakes during his presidency.

American and other foreign troops completely left Afghanistan by August 30, 2021. The Taliban which entered Kabul on August 15, seized power in the absence of international coalition forces. This event, attributed to the withdrawal of foreign troops, widespread corruption in the republican system, and the signing of the Doha Agreement, is also referred to as a turning point in contemporary history.

Since this date, Afghanistan has faced a collapse in all its dimensions: widespread human rights violations, Afghanistan’s fall from the international order, the emergence of groups not bound by international commitments, and poverty, unemployment, and the collapse of the economic system are among the prominent dimensions of this tragedy. According to The National Interest, the current situation in Afghanistan is unlike an internal war.

The author argues that if the Biden administration had attempted to negotiate power-sharing between the ruling regime and democratic forces, the current situation in Afghanistan wouldn’t have reached its current crisis point. According to his reasoning, “The fact is that the country was on a path to modernization. Women could work, and girls could go to school. Time was changing.”