Current News Articles | Page 13 | Afghanistan peace campaign

Afghans Rally Behind Islamic Emirate Forces After Clashes with Pakistan

October 13, 2025 Current News Articles

TOLOnews

TV Network

12 Oct 2025

Some citizens stated that they stand firmly with the country’s security forces and will support them under any circumstances.

Following recent clashes between the forces of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan and the Pakistani military, a number of Afghan citizens expressed strong support for the Islamic Emirate’s forces and condemned Pakistan’s repeated violations of Afghan airspace.

Some citizens stated that they stand firmly with the country’s security forces and will support them under any circumstances.

Mohibullah, a resident of Kandahar, said: “If needed, we will also join the Mujahideen and the army of the Islamic Emirate on the battlefield.”

Fereshta, a resident of Kabul, said: “We thank the security forces who have always defended our land. We will always stand with them and support them in any way we can.”

Meanwhile, others called on international organizations to seriously investigate and address Pakistan’s repeated airspace violations.

According to these citizens, preserving the territorial integrity of Afghanistan is a shared responsibility of all Afghans, and international bodies must also pay serious attention to this matter.

Baitullah, a resident of Paktia, stated: “The Islamic Emirate gave them a proper response. All the people are standing with them against Pakistan.”

Abdul Ghafour, a resident of Kabul, said: “We defend the Islamic Emirate and our country. No foreigner has the right to interfere in our homeland.”

Citizens across several provinces emphasized their support for the forces of the Islamic Emirate, asserting that defending the country’s territorial integrity and responding to any foreign aggression is the legitimate right of the Afghan people.

Kabul Jan, a resident of Paktia, said: “The Islamic Emirate does not seek conflict with anyone, but Pakistan continues to oppress us.”

Gul Mohammad, a resident of Kabul, said: “We ask the international community to stop Pakistan’s actions.”

Abdul Razaq, another Kabul resident, stated: “We urge the international community to stop Pakistan’s attacks. What have our innocent children done? They are being bombed at night. This is oppression and an invasion of our land.”

Tensions along the Hypothetical Durand Line have intensified in recent days after Islamic Emirate officials accused Pakistani forces of repeatedly violating Afghan airspace.

In response, the Ministry of Defense of the Islamic Emirate stated that it had launched a “retaliatory operation” along the Hypothetical Durand Line, inflicting casualties on Pakistani forces.

At the same time, the Islamic Emirate reaffirmed its commitment to peaceful relations with all neighboring countries, but warned that any violation of Afghanistan’s sovereignty would be met with a response.

Muttaqi: Girls’ Education Not Banned in Afghanistan, Only Partially Suspend

October 13, 2025 Current News Articles

Mursaleen Muwahed

Multilingual Journalist & Social Media Editor

Tolo News

12 Oct 2025

Afghanistan says it has killed 58 Pakistani soldiers in overnight border operations

October 13, 2025 Current News Articles

By RIAZ KHAN

Associated Press

October 12, 2025

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — Afghanistan said Sunday it killed 58 Pakistani soldiers in overnight border operations, in response to what it called repeated violations of its territory and airspace. Pakistan’s army gave far lower casualty figures, saying 23 troops were killed.

Earlier in the week, Afghan authorities accused Pakistan of bombing the capital, Kabul, and a market in the country’s east. Pakistan did not claim responsibility for the assault.

The Taliban government’s chief spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, said Afghan forces have captured 25 Pakistani army posts, leaving 30 Pakistani soldiers wounded.

“The situation on all official borders and de facto lines of Afghanistan is under complete control, and illegal activities have been largely prevented,” Mujahid told a news conference in Kabul.

Pakistan has previously struck locations inside Afghanistan, targeting what it alleges are militant hideouts, but these have been in remote and mountainous areas. The two sides have also skirmished along the border in the past. Saturday night’s heavy clashes underscore the deepening tensions.

The Taliban government’s Defense Ministry said early Sunday morning its forces had conducted “retaliatory and successful operations” along the border.

“If the opposing side again violates Afghanistan’s territorial integrity, our armed forces are fully prepared to defend the nation’s borders and will deliver a strong response,” the ministry added.

The Torkham crossing, one of two main trade routes between the two countries, did not open on Sunday at its usual time of 8 a.m.

The crossing at Chaman, southwest Pakistan, was also closed. People, including Afghan refugees leaving Pakistan, were turned away due to the worsening security situation.

An Associated Press reporter in Chaman heard jets over Spin Boldak, a city in Afghanistan’s southern Kandahar province, and saw smoke rising after an explosion.

Regional powers call for calm

Pakistan accuses Afghan authorities of harboring members of the banned group Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan. Islamabad says the group carries out deadly attacks inside Pakistan, but Kabul denies the charge, saying it does not allow its territory to be used against other countries.

Pakistan is grappling with surging militancy, especially in areas bordering Afghanistan. It also accuses its nuclear-armed neighbor and rival India of backing armed groups, without providing any evidence.

The overnight border clashes could fuel regional instability, as India and Pakistan came close to war earlier this year after a tourist massacre in the disputed region of Kashmir.

India has also boosted its relations with Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers, most recently announcing an upgrade of its technical mission in Kabul to a full embassy.

The Saudi Foreign Ministry called for “restraint, avoidance of escalation and the adoption of dialogue and wisdom to help de-escalate tensions and maintain the security and stability of the region.” Saudi Arabia just reached a mutual defense pact with Pakistan. Qatar also urged restraint.

The Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, who is in India on an official visit, told journalists that Afghanistan respected the calls made by the two Gulf powers to stop what he called “retaliatory strikes” against Pakistan. But he also warned that Kabul reserved the right to protect itself.

“We want a peaceful resolution of the situation, but if the peace efforts don’t succeed, we have other options,” Muttaqi said.

Pakistan condemns attack

Before the Afghan claim of casualties, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the assault and said the country’s army “not only gave a befitting reply to Afghanistan’s provocations but also destroyed several of their posts, forcing them to retreat.”

Pakistani security officials shared videos purporting to show destroyed Afghan checkpoints, but the footage could not be independently verified because the media does not have access to these areas.

The Pakistani army said more than 200 “Taliban and affiliated terrorists have been neutralized, while the number of injured is much higher.”

According to Pakistani security officials, Afghan forces opened fire in several northwestern border areas in the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

One official in Islamabad told The Associated Press that Pakistan had taken control of 19 Afghan border posts from where attacks were being launched. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to the media.

“The Taliban personnel at these posts have either been killed or fled. Fires and visible destruction have been observed at the captured Afghan posts,” the official added.

The two countries share a 2,611-kilometer (1,622-mile) border known as the Durand Line, but Afghanistan has never recognized it.

Associated Press writers Sajjad Tarakzai in Islamabad, Abdul Qahar Afghan in Jalalabad, Afghanistan, Jon Gambrell in Cairo, and Rajesh Roy in New Delhi contributed to this report.

Border Clash Between Afghanistan and Pakistan Threatens a Wider Conflict

October 13, 2025 Current News Articles

By Zia ur-Rehman, Yaqoob Akbary, Safiullah Padshah and Elian Peltier

The New York Times

Oct. 12, 2025

Isolated confrontations have intensified over the past week into the sharpest escalation of violence between the two countries in years.

Tensions along the border of Afghanistan and Pakistan surged on Sunday after a deadly overnight clash between the countries’ militaries, with both sides exchanging heavy fire in one of the sharpest escalations of violence between the neighbors in years.

Afghan officials said on Sunday that their security forces had targeted Pakistani military outposts along the border in what they described as “retaliatory operations,” following what Kabul said were Pakistani airstrikes in Afghanistan last week. At least 23 Pakistani soldiers were killed and 29 others were injured on Saturday, according to Pakistan’s military. The Taliban government said nine Afghan soldiers had died and at least 16 others had been injured.

The overnight fighting raised concerns that the violence could spill into a broader conflict between the two countries, whose governments have gradually grown hostile to each other since the Taliban reclaimed power in Afghanistan in 2021.

Zabihullah Mujahid, the Taliban government’s chief spokesman, told reporters on Sunday that the fighting had stopped at midnight after Qatar and Saudi Arabia urged restraint. He warned Pakistan that any violation of Afghanistan’s sovereignty would prompt retaliation.

The Afghan attack overnight included heavy fire and raids within Pakistan, the Pakistani military said in a statement on Sunday. It said it responded with heavy artillery, airstrikes and raids within Afghanistan. Both sides also claimed dozens of victims, but none of their claims could be independently verified because access to the border region remains severely restricted.

The Afghan offensive was a response to attacks on Wednesday in Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan, and at a market near the border, which the Taliban government blamed on Pakistan.

Pakistan said on Friday that it had conducted “a series of retribution operations” against Pakistani militants, but it did not mention Afghanistan directly. Nor did Pakistan claim responsibility for the explosions on Thursday in Kabul and at the border market.

Without addressing the specifics of the most recent violence, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif of Pakistan on Sunday praised his country’s armed forces for what he described as a “strong and effective response” to recent Afghan provocations along the border, saying the military had “destroyed several of their border posts, forcing a retreat.”

The militaries of both nations have frequently clashed along their shared border, a nearly 1,600-mile-long line that snakes along mountainous areas.

Pakistan has repeatedly accused the Taliban government of providing a haven to the banned group Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, also known as the T.T.P. or Pakistani Taliban, whose attacks have killed hundreds of Pakistani security forces in recent years. It has also accused its archnemesis, India, of supporting the T.T.P.

The T.T.P. leadership has received financial support from the Afghan government, and its militants have trained freely in Afghanistan, according to Pakistani military officials and independent and United Nations experts. The Taliban in Afghanistan deny backing the Pakistani group.

The Afghan and Pakistani governments have tried to mend the relationship in recent years, despite sporadic clashes and ongoing points of diplomatic tension. The countries’ top diplomats met in August with their Chinese counterpart, but Pakistan has not recognized the Taliban as Afghanistan’s legitimate authority.

Still, there are close ties between both nations. Pakistan is Afghanistan’s top export partner, and it hosts millions of Afghans who fled insecurity and unemployment over the past decades.

Major border crossings between the two countries have been closed since the overnight clashes, according to Pakistani and Afghan officials. In recent months, tens of thousands of Afghans living in Pakistan have crossed back into Afghanistan amid a wave of expulsions ordered by the Pakistani government.

The clash on Saturday only lasted for a few hours, possibly because both countries may be wary of escalating tensions further, said Adam Weinstein, a Afghanistan and Pakistan analyst at the Quincy Institute, a research center in Washington.

“Pakistan doesn’t yet want to engage in some kind of regime change, but the Taliban know that they would be outgunned by the Pakistanis if they pushed the fighting further,” Mr. Weinstein said.

Pakistan can carry out airstrikes across most of Afghanistan, but the Taliban are more limited to cross-border artillery and the potential use of the T.T.P. militants to add pressure inside Pakistan, he added.

On Saturday, the T.T.P. claimed responsibility for a series of attacks across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, a Pakistani province bordering Afghanistan, that killed several security personnel and civilians, including in a bombing near a police training facility.

Residents in border districts on both sides said in telephone interviews that they witnessed intense overnight clashes that raged for several hours.

“The fighting went on for hours without pause,” said Shabbir Khan, a resident of Kurram, a Pakistani border district, describing the sound of heavy weapons echoing through the mountains.

Aziz Sayar, a resident of the Sawkai district in Afghanistan’s Kunar Province, near the border of Pakistan, said the gunfire began around 9 p.m. and continued for over three hours.

“Our children screamed in fear as bullets echoed through the night,” he said.

Mujib Mashal contributed reporting.

Elian Peltier is an international correspondent for The Times, covering Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Social Media Restrictions and 2-Day Internet Shutdown Rattle Afghanistan

October 12, 2025 Current News Articles

By Elian Peltier

The New York Times

Oct. 12, 2025

Airports and banks were forced to shut down. Government employees idled aimlessly in the corridors of their ministries. Teenage girls, barred from attending school, lost much of their access to the outside world.

In shutting down the internet and cellphone services across Afghanistan last month, the Taliban government turned the clock back decades, in a move reminiscent of their first time in power from 1996 to 2001. Connectivity came back after two days, but this week, the Afghan government blocked certain types of content on social media apps like Instagram and Facebook, signaling that it would only tolerate tightly controlled access to the internet.

Over the four years since they returned to power, the Taliban have gradually strengthened their grip on Afghan society, at times prohibiting content creators from posting on YouTube in one province, or forbidding television channels from broadcasting images of living beings in another. But the internet blackout and the suspension of cellphone services hit the entire country at the same time last month, leaving many Afghans worried that it could go on indefinitely, or happen again even after service was restored.

“We are always at home, so the internet was our only way to tell other people that we are alive,” said Mahsa, 19, who was in the middle of a math lesson with a U.S.-sponsored online education program when the blackout began. (The New York Times agreed to identify her by only her first name because she feared backlash by the government.)

Because the Taliban have banned education for girls after sixth grade, online education has been the only avenue for female students like Mahsa to pursue their studies.

Afghan officials have not communicated publicly about the shutdown, and spokesmen from multiple government agencies have not responded to requests for comment. But officials outside the country and analysts have said the internet shutdown was the result of an order by Afghanistan’s leader, Sheikh Haibatullah Akhundzada, who has sought to restrict internet access to prevent “immoral acts.”

“The internet shutdown is the most damaging decision the emir has made after closing schools for girls,” Asfandyar Mir, a senior fellow in the South Asia program at the Stimson Center in Washington, said about Mr. Akhundzada. “This time, it affected everyone and had immediate consequences, including for the economy.”

Why the internet came back after two days remains unclear. But officials outside the country, analysts and one aide to an Afghan government official said in interviews that some Afghan officials had most likely recognized that the shutdown was unsustainable and had restored internet access — with or without Mr. Akhundzada’s approval.

The Times was not able to independently verify the claim. If confirmed, the resistance from government officials would be the latest signal of a schism between Kabul-based ministers who are in favor of fewer social restrictions, including lifting those on women and girls, and the ultraconservative Mr. Akhundzada, who lives in Kandahar, in southern Afghanistan, away from the central government.

“Defiance of the Emir is anathema to Taliban ideology, which is based on allegiance to him,” said Graeme Smith, an author and analyst with two decades of experience in Afghanistan. “But this looks like a rare example of internal pushback against the leader.”

The internet shutdown was not addressed at a gathering convened by Mr. Akhundzada in Kandahar with hundreds of provincial and district governors shortly after online access was restored, according to two participants. Signs of dissension within the group were not present either, though Mr. Akhundzada urged the attendees to show unity and respect their superiors, according to the two participants. They spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not allowed to publicly discuss the meeting.

For countless Afghans, the internet shutdown paralyzed daily life. Although internet access is patchy in some parts of Afghanistan, smartphone use has proliferated in recent years with the expansion of 4G networks and the widespread availability of cheap devices.

In Herat, a buzzing city in northwestern Afghanistan, the blackout nearly ruined Nazir Hussaini’s two travel businesses, he said. He could not exchange currency nor register visa applications for clients seeking to cross into Iran, about 70 miles away.

“It felt like we were thrown back 30 years, trapped in the dark and unable to breathe,” Mr. Hussaini said.

Muhammad, a police officer in Kabul, was on his way to the police station for a late shift when the internet went off around 5 p.m. on Sept. 29. When a crime is reported in the area where he serves, which is home to hundreds of thousands of people, Muhammad said that he and his colleagues would first share the news in an internal WhatsApp group. But as they could not communicate online for two days, and local elders who would usually call them to report a crime could not reach them, Muhammad said that he and his colleagues did not conduct any investigations.

The internet shutdown further harmed the Afghan economy, already battered by multiple crises.

It cut off many Afghans from their relatives who send much-needed funds from abroad. It imperiled the work of U.N. agencies and humanitarian agencies that have provided relief to the victims of an earthquake that killed more than 2,200 people last month, and to many of the nearly three million Afghans who have returned to Afghanistan this year amid a wave of forced returns and deportations from neighboring Pakistan and Iran.

Human rights defenders and Afghanistan observers have warned that restricted access to online media platforms would severely undermine women’s and girls’ mental health.

Mahsa, the high school student, echoed those concerns.

“With a shutdown or restricted access to internet, you’re in a gray zone,” she said, “and if something happens to me, nobody will know.”

Taimoor Shah, Yaqoob Akbary and Safiullah Padshah contributed reporting.

Khalilzad Warns Pakistan’s Airstrike on Kabul Could Spark Broader Regional Conflict

October 11, 2025 Current News Articles

By Fidel Rahmati

Khaama Press

October 11, 2025

Former U.S. envoy Zalmay Khalilzad warned that Pakistan’s airstrike on Kabul could ignite broader conflict and increase instability across the region.

Former U.S. Special Envoy for Afghanistan Peace Zalmay Khalilzad warned that Pakistan’s airstrikes on Kabul risk triggering a broader conflict, describing the operation as a failure and urging diplomacy to prevent further escalation.

“Pakistan’s attack against the capital of Afghanistan appears to have been a failure,” Khalilzad wrote in a post on X on Saturday. “It seems that the person who was targeted may not have been in Kabul at all. What might Islamabad do next? More attacks? Pakistani aircraft have been flying over Kabul breaking the sound barrier. Afghans are also preparing for a response. Some leaders are pushing for immediate retaliation. The probability of conflict and wider instability is on the rise.”

The former U.S. diplomat, who brokered the 2020 U.S.-Taliban peace agreement, said that “at times when crises heat up, diplomacy can come to the rescue.” He noted that Pakistan’s defense minister and intelligence chief had signaled interest in visiting Kabul but questioned their intent. “Does this indicate a desire by Pakistan for negotiations with Afghanistan – or, more importantly, with the TTP? I am doubtful,” he wrote.

Khalilzad also criticized Pakistan’s internal political turmoil, linking it to the country’s growing insecurity. “When Imran Khan was leading Pakistan, he engaged in negotiations, and a ceasefire was achieved,” he said. “If Imran Khan had not been overthrown and jailed on trumped-up charges, the deal with the TTP probably would have gone forward, and thousands of Pakistani lives would have been saved. Pakistan would not be a mess and heading towards becoming a failed state with growing insurgency and terror.”

He added that “it is not too late for the establishment in Islamabad to embrace diplomacy,” but cautioned that he was “not optimistic.” Khalilzad said that preventing further escalation would require “pressure and engagement with the Pakistani establishment by countries with influence to avert a wider conflict.”

His comments came two days after Pakistani fighter jets carried out airstrikes in Kabul and Paktika, reportedly targeting Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) leader Noor Wali Mehsud. Neither Islamabad nor the Taliban government has confirmed the outcome.

The Taliban condemned the strikes as a “violation of Afghanistan’s airspace,” while Pakistani officials have defended recent operations as legitimate counterterrorism actions.

Analysts say Khalilzad’s warning reflects growing international concern that continued cross-border attacks and retaliatory threats could destabilize relations between Islamabad and Kabul.

They caution that without renewed dialogue, both countries risk being drawn into a prolonged confrontation that could undermine regional security and complicate counterterrorism efforts across South Asia.

Etihad Airways to Resume Direct Flights Between Abu Dhabi and Kabul

October 11, 2025 Current News Articles

Bibi Amina Hakimi

TOLOnews’ Reporter

11 Oct 2025

Continuing the resumption of international flights between Kabul and various countries, Etihad Airways of the United Arab Emirates has announced that it will begin direct flights between Abu Dhabi and Kabul starting December 18, 2025.

According to the airline, flights will operate on Saturdays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays, with return flights scheduled for the same days.

Etihad’s Chief Executive stated that Kabul is part of the airline’s new strategy to expand access to regional markets. He added that the launch of these flights will create new opportunities for trade, investment, and family reunions.

Mohammad Nabi Afghan, an economic analyst, told TOLOnews: “The launch of these flights is a positive step. We should also focus on establishing an air corridor, as the cargo system is now active and can help expand exports.”

Meanwhile, the Afghan Business Council in the UAE reports that nearly 300,000 Afghan citizens live and work in the country, making the UAE one of the largest centers of Afghan migration and commerce in the Gulf region.

Haji Obaidullah Sadrkhil, head of the Afghan Business Council in the UAE, said: “The more airlines and flights we have, whether to Dubai, Sharjah, or Abu Dhabi, the more it helps our economy. Afghan products, like dried fruits and other goods, can also be exported to other countries via the UAE.”

At the same time, the Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation says that currently two domestic and eight international airlines are operating in Afghanistan.

Hekmatullah Asifi, spokesperson for the ministry, stated: “Aviation services are being provided in a standard manner. At present, two domestic and around eight international airlines are offering transport and travel services to Afghan citizens.”

This comes after many airlines suspended operations in Afghanistan following the return of the Islamic Emirate to power. However, in the past two years, Air Arabia, FlyDubai, and Turkish Airlines have resumed their flights to Kabul.

Putin Warns Afghanistan Still Faces Serious Security and Stability Challenges

October 10, 2025 Current News Articles

By Fidel Rahmati

Khaama Press

October 10, 2025

President Vladimir Putin warned that Afghanistan continues to face serious security and stability challenges, urging stronger regional cooperation to prevent extremist threats from spreading.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday that the Taliban is attempting to stabilize Afghanistan but acknowledged that significant problems continue to undermine the country’s security.

Speaking at a press conference in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, Putin emphasized the need to strengthen security along the Tajik-Afghan border, calling it vital for regional stability and counterterrorism efforts.

“The security of the border between Tajikistan and Afghanistan must be ensured,” Putin told reporters, adding that even Taliban leaders recognize the ongoing difficulties facing their country.

His remarks came after a bilateral meeting with Tajik President Emomali Rahmon and during the Russia–Central Asia summit held in Dushanbe, which focused on regional security and cooperation.

Putin warned that extremist groups continue to operate from Afghanistan territory, using it as a base to spread radical ideologies and conduct cross-border criminal activities.

Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev proposed creating a high-level consultation mechanism among Russia and Central Asian states to coordinate policies on Afghanistan and enhance joint security measures.

Analysts say Moscow’s renewed focus on Afghanistan reflects fears of instability spilling into Central Asia, where Russia maintains strong military ties and border security commitments.

Observers note that while Moscow maintains limited contact with the Taliban, it remains cautious about formally recognizing the group, balancing engagement with concerns over terrorism and regional instability.

Pakistan Defence Minister Says Afghan Refugees Must Leave Immediately

October 10, 2025 Current News Articles

By Fidel Rahmati

Khaama Press

October 10, 2025

Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif said millions of Afghan refugees must leave, warning Islamabad can no longer bear the economic and security costs of hosting them.

Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif said late Thursday that millions of Afghan refugees must return home, warning that the country can no longer bear the “heavy cost of hospitality.”

In a post on X, Asif accused former prime minister Imran Khan of bringing thousands of Taliban members into Pakistan and providing them shelter during his tenure. He said Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party continues to advocate negotiations with militants even as “the blood of Pakistani soldiers and civilians keeps being shed.”

The minister said years of dialogue with the Taliban had failed to reduce violence, noting that border attacks continue and that “every day, the bodies of our soldiers return from the frontier.”

Asif estimated that around six million Afghan refugees remain in Pakistan, adding that the country has paid “for six decades of hospitality with its blood.”

His comments came amid reports of airstrikes hitting parts of Kabul on Thursday night, which local media outlets linked to Pakistan’s ongoing operations against Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants.

The remarks underscore Islamabad’s growing frustration over cross-border militancy and the financial burden of hosting millions of Afghan refugees amid worsening security conditions.

Analysts say Pakistan’s stance signals a harder line toward Kabul and could further strain relations between the two neighbours already divided over militancy, border control, and refugee management.

Key Takeaways from Afghanistan–India Foreign Ministers’ Press Conference

October 10, 2025 Current News Articles

Mursaleen Muwahed

Multilingual Journalist & Social Media Editor

Tolo News

10 Oct 2025

Dr. S. Jaishankar stated that India is fully committed to the sovereignty, territorial integrity, and independence of Afghanistan.

India’s Minister of External Affairs, in a joint press conference with Amir Khan Muttaqi, the Foreign Minister of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, announced that India’s diplomatic mission in Kabul will be upgraded to the status of an embassy.

Dr. S. Jaishankar stated that India is fully committed to the sovereignty, territorial integrity, and independence of Afghanistan.

He added that Afghanistan and India remain committed to their shared path of growth and prosperity and emphasized that Kabul and New Delhi must coordinate their efforts to combat terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.

The Indian Foreign Minister also announced India’s donation of 20 ambulances, the provision of MRI and CT scan machines to Afghan hospitals, and the supply of vaccines for immunization and cancer medicines.

Dr. Jaishankar said: “A gift of 20 ambulances is another gesture of goodwill, and I would like to hand over five of them to you personally as a symbolic step.”

He expressed concern about the forced deportation of Afghan refugees from neighboring countries and reaffirmed India’s commitment to assisting in the construction of housing for returnees.

He added: “The plight of forcibly repatriated Afghan refugees is a matter of deep concern. Their dignity and livelihood is important. India agrees to help construct residences for them and continue providing material aid to rebuild their lives.”

The Indian official also noted the history of effective cooperation between Afghanistan and India in the areas of water management and irrigation. He said that, considering Afghanistan’s interest, New Delhi is ready to collaborate on the sustainable management of water resources with Kabul.

Expressing satisfaction with the launch of new flights between Kabul and New Delhi, he said the two countries share mutual interests in boosting trade and commerce.

Mr. Jaishankar also stated that India will expand its educational and capacity-building programs for Afghan students pursuing studies at Indian universities.

He noted: “Our educational and capacity building programs have long nurtured the Afghan youth. We will expand avenues for Afghan students to pursue studies at Indian universities.”

In reference to the growing sporting talent among Afghans, the Indian Foreign Minister announced that India would expand its support for Afghan cricket.

Dr. Jaishankar said: “The emergence of outstanding talent in Afghan cricket is truly admirable, and India is pleased to expand its support for Afghan cricket.”

He also announced that with the introduction of a new visa module for Afghans by India in April 2025, a greater number of visas are now being issued in the medical, business, and student categories.

Regional powers call for calm

Pakistan condemns attack

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