KABUL: The Taliban military chief on Saturday ordered Taliban members to avoid aerial gun firing after two people were killed and 10 wounded on Friday night in Kabul, a Taliban media official confirmed. Mullah Mohammad Yaqoob, military chief of Taliban movement, have instructed all provincial governors and police chiefs to strictly control and avoid aerial … Read more
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres thanked Pakistan and seven other countries for their support of continuing UN operations in Afghanistan, which is facing a major humanitarian crisis. “The Secretary-General is indeed very grateful for the generosity of member states – including Pakistan, Denmark, Kazakhstan, North Macedonia, Poland, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and the United … Read more
“America is back,” goes President Joe Biden’s catchphrase, but his unapologetic exit from Afghanistan shows America won’t be back to business as usual. Beyond the trauma of the Kabul evacuation, Biden is pitching a much broader retreat: a halt to using vast military resources to impose order and US values around the planet. “This decision … Read more
ISLAMABAD: Clad in a shalwar kameez, a young boy in his 20s looks tired and disappointed, but he’s surrounded by people, who are anxious to hear news about their homeland, Afghanistan. Darya Khan, is a new resident of the muddy settlement for Afghan refugees alongside Islamabad’s National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST). It took … Read more
Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed announced on Thursday that Pakistan’s border with Afghanistan at Chaman may be closed for some days due to ‘threats’. Addressing the media in Islamabad, the minister assured everyone that Pakistan’s forces are present at the border. “We are proud of our security institutions for the service they are rendering for … Read more
The Taliban are close to forming their government, naming Sheikh Haibatullah Akhundzada, as the country’s supreme leader, a Taliban official told The New York Times. The announcement, which will also lay out key appointments to the communications and interior ministries, may come as soon as Thursday, the Times said, citing the official who requested anonymity. … Read more
Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has cautioned the West of the serious consequences of abandoning Afghanistan which could result in civil war and economic collapse. In an interview with Sky News, the foreign minister stressed upon the West to engage with Taliban because otherwise, Afghanistan could descend into another chaos. He said it “will give … Read more
The Netherlands Foreign Minister Sigrid Kaag will arrive in Islamabad today to discuss the situation in Afghanistan with her Pakistani counterpart, Shah Mahmood Qureshi. “The two foreign ministers will exchange views on the evolving situation in Afghanistan. The talks will also cover bilateral matters,” said the Foreign Office in a statement on Wednesday. It added … Read more
Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi has urged the world community to stay engaged with Afghanistan for peace and stability. Addressing a joint news conference in Islamabad on Tuesday along with his German counterpart Heiko Maas after delegation-level talks, the foreign minister said humanitarian assistance must flow and economic collapse of Afghanistan must not be allowed. … Read more
The UN Security Council passed a resolution calling for Taliban to facilitate safe passage for people wanting to leave Afghanistan, allow humanitarians to access the country, and uphold human rights, including for women and children. Thirteen of the 15 ambassadors voted in favour of the resolution, which further demanded that Afghanistan should not be used … Read more
The United States has pulled all its troops out of Afghanistan, ending its longest war to cries of shame at home and celebratory gunfire from its victorious Taliban enemies in Kabul. The last of the American troops overseeing a desperate evacuation effort flew out of Kabul airport on Monday night, completing a withdrawal that has … Read more
ISLAMABAD: Minister for Interior Sheikh Rashid on Monday clarified that so far no ‘refugee status’ had been granted to anyone in the wake of foreigners’ evacuation and takeover of the Taliban in Afghanistan. Addressing a press conference, he said that on daily basis, many people come and return back from the Chaman border as per … Read more
With the Taliban take over in Afghanistan, Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa told parliamentarians on Monday that Pakistan’s “timely steps for western zone border management” had ensured that the country’s borders were ‘secure’. “Due to our timely steps for western zone border management, today despite challenges Pakistan’s borders are secure … Read more
As part of the humanitarian air bridge, the first cargo flight of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) carrying medical supplies of World Health Organisation (WHO) landed in Mazar-e-Sharif on Monday. The PK-234 (Boeing 777 AP-BHV), flew from Dubai and landed at the Mazar-e-Sharif Airport – the first international flight to the country’s fourth-largest city after the … Read more
Forming the government in Afghanistan is the responsibility of the Afghan people, Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry said stressing that regional powers will have to help to stabilize the country. In an interview with TRT World, the information minister said that Pakistan’s efforts for inclusive government in Afghanistan must be supported. “Pakistan is working with regional … Read more
A senior official of the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), after a visit to Afghanistan, said that the world “cannot abandon Afghan children now” when their needs are greater than ever before. UNICEF Regional Director for South Asia George Laryea-Adjei said children have paid the heaviest price in recent weeks of increased conflict and insecurity in … Read more
Rockets flew across the Afghan capital on Monday as the United States raced to complete its withdrawal from Afghanistan, with the evacuation of civilians all but over and terror attack fears high. President Joe Biden has set a deadline of Tuesday to withdraw all US forces from Afghanistan, drawing to a close his nation’s longest … Read more
Afghanistan U-19 cricket team is waiting for the visas from Pakistan as they will travel to Pakistan by road and then travel to Bangladesh by air. The current situation in Afghanistan has taken its toll on its cricket team as well. Recently, the ODI series which was supposed to be played between Afghanistan and Pakistan … Read more
Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said that peace and stability in Afghanistan would benefit the entire region. In a press statement issued on Saturday, the foreign minister said that neighbouring countries of Afghanistan were well aware of the situation there. Referring to his recent visit to four different countries, Qureshi said that he met the … Read more
LAHORE: The trade with Afghanistan continued as usual even after the Taliban takeover, a senior government official said on Saturday. Talking to the newsmen after inaugurating Pakistan Footwear Design Hub, Adviser to the Prime Minister on Commerce, Textile, Industry and Production, and Investment Abdul Razak Dawood said: “We are closely monitoring the situation in Afghanistan. … Read more
Pakistan would like an “inclusive, broad-based government” in Afghanistan, but the question of recognition would arise only after the leaders of Taliban and other groups, now in talks, form a government, Ambassador Munir Akram said. “We are consulting with all the regional countries in order to have a coordinated approach on the issue of not … Read more
US Senator Lindsey Graham on Saturday called on the inclusion of Pakistan for any “sustainable solution in Afghanistan”. Taking to Twitter, Graham said he was briefed by Pakistani envoy Asad Khan about the situation in Afghanistan. “Very much appreciate the efforts of the Pakistani government to assist with the evacuation of US citizens, our allies, … Read more
In the wake of the evolving situation in Afghanistan, Minister for Planning and Development Asad Umar said on Saturday stressed that the world must not repeat the mistake it made after the soviet withdrawal. “This is the time for the global community to engage and not isolate Afghanistan,” he said in a tweet. The world … Read more
Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has underscored that Pakistan will continue to play its constructive role in support of the efforts to promote peace and stability in Afghanistan. In a telephonic conversation with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, the foreign minister appreciated the contribution of the United Nations in addressing the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan. Antonio … Read more
The US military said it had carried out a drone strike against a ‘planner’ of the Islamic State-Khorasan, the group which claimed credit for the deadly suicide bombing at Kabul airport. “The unmanned airstrike occurred in the Nangarhar Province of Afghanistan. Initial indications are that we killed the target,” said Captain Bill Urban of the … Read more
A total of 7,629 people from different nationalities have been evacuated from Afghanistan so far through air and land routes. “Pakistan continues to evacuate diplomatic staff and foreign nationals including the personnel of international institutions stranded in Afghanistan since Taliban takeover of Kabul on August 15,”a statement said. Pakistan International Airline, the national flag carrier, … Read more
The UK government’s Thursday travel review revealed no changes for Pakistan, which remains on the red list, despite weeks of lobbying by the Pakistan High Commission and British Pakistani MPs. Travelers from Pakistan will be disappointed by the UK government’s decision, as they will be subjected to an obligatory 10-day hotel quarantine, which would cost … Read more
Director-General Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Major General Babar Iftikhar said on Friday that the situation on Pakistan’s border with Afghanistan is “fairly normal and pretty much under control” and assured the nation that the army is prepared and will not be unaware if something happens on the western front. The DG ISPR in a press … Read more
