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Afghanistan, Qatar sign air services MoU
The Ministry of Transport of Qatar said in a statement that the MoU will increase air traffic rights between the two countries.
Afghanistan and Qatar signed an air services Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Monday.
The Ministry of Transport of Qatar said in a statement that the MoU will increase air traffic rights between the two countries.
“The MoU comes in the context of connecting the State of Qatar with more air services agreements, allowing for its national carrier to expand its network of destinations around the world,” the statement said.
The MoU was signed by Abdul Salam Haidari, Deputy Minister of Transport and Aviation of Afghanistan, and Mohammed Faleh Al-Hajri, in charge of managing the Qatar Civil Aviation Authority.
In a post on X, Qatar’s Civil Aviation Authority said: “A bilateral meeting was held this morning (Monday) between the civil aviation authorities of both Qatar and Afghanistan.”
“The talks focused on ways to enhance cooperation in the field of air transport between the two countries and addressed various topics of mutual interest in the field of civil aviation,” the post read.
This development comes amid an increase in overflights over Afghanistan in the past two months.
Data shows that airlines have been diverting flights over Afghanistan in order to avoid Iranian airspace and the growing conflict in the Middle East.
FlightRadar24 showed 132 over-flights of Afghanistan on 29 September. On 2 October, the day after Iran attacked Israel, the number of Afghan over-flights rose to 176.
On 6 October, the daily number had steadily risen to 222.
FlightRadar24, on Monday evening, at 7.40pm Kabul time, showed a Lufthansa flight and two Singapore Airlines flights using Afghanistan’s airspace.
The data did not show a breakdown of which airlines were using Afghan airspace but British Airways flights have in recent days been recorded on FlightRadar24 as flying over Afghanistan.
Many airlines had started routing through Iran and the Middle East after Russian and Ukrainian skies were closed to most Western carriers when the Ukraine war began in 2022.
However, air traffic control for carriers flying over Afghanistan has not been available since the US forces withdrew from the country in 2021. Instead, airlines have to rely on guidelines from regulators.
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G7 envoys urge national dialogue for lasting stability in Afghanistan
Special Representatives of the Group of Seven (G7), including the European Union, have emphasized the importance of a national dialogue for achieving long-term stability in Afghanistan.
Following a meeting on Afghanistan in Geneva, Switzerland, G7 special envoys issued a joint statement calling for the restoration of women's rights and urging the Islamic Emirate to fight terrorism.
The statement reads: "Achieving sustainable peace and stability requires credible governance that represents all segments of Afghan society."
The representatives also expressed concern over the IEA’s decision to ban girls from attending medical institutes, warning that it will have devastating consequences for the citizens, particularly mothers and their infants.
The statement described this ban as unacceptable and called on the Afghan authorities to lift it immediately.
Earlier, countries and international organizations had called for the removal of restrictions on the education and employment of women and girls, emphasizing the need for a national dialogue.
In response to these concerns, IEA has repeatedly stated that it will not allow interference in the internal affairs of the country.
The G7 special envoys also expressed their concern about the recent terrorist attacks in Kabul and the surrounding region, warning that terrorism remains a serious threat to Afghanistan's security. They confirmed the actions of the IEA against Daesh but stressed the need for more decisive measures.
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Afghanistan’s bright future lies in educating girls: Karzai
Hamid Karzai, the former president of Afghanistan, says the demand of Afghan girls for the reopening of schools and universities is their fundamental right and adds that Afghanistan cannot have a bright future without ensuring access to education for girls.
In a statement on his X (formerly Twitter) account, Karzai said: "The demand and voice of our country’s girls for education and knowledge is a rightful one and crucial for a prosperous Afghanistan."
He further emphasized, "Empowering the youth—both girls and boys—is the only way to achieve self-reliance, break the cycle of poverty, and drive the development and prosperity of society."
Karzai underscored that education is vital for Afghanistan’s growth and development, expressing hope that the doors of schools and universities for girls will be reopened as soon as possible.
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IEA to set up special courts to address pensions
Mawlawi Hebatullah Akhundzada, the supreme leader of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA), has issued a decree to establish special courts to address pensions, Bakhtar news agency reported on Saturday.
According to the decree, the courts must confirm and process pensions in accordance with Sharia and law.
Pensioners have repeatedly voiced concern over delay in payment, saying that their financial challenges are growing.
Earlier this year, IEA's supreme leader banned money being deducted from salaries of government employees for pensions.
He also requested information on the tenure of employees and the total amount deducted from salaries for pensions.
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