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Aid starts arriving after entire villages destroyed in deadly quake

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Villagers rushed to bury the dead on Thursday and dug through rubble by hand in search of survivors following Wednesday’s deadly 6.1 magnitude earthquake that has killed over 1,000 people and injured hundreds more.

The quake, which struck just before 2am on Wednesday morning, while most people were asleep, has completely destroyed hundreds of houses and in some cases entire villages.

AP reported that in a village in Paktika, the men dug a row of graves as they tried to lay the dead to rest quickly in line with Muslim tradition.

In one courtyard, bodies lay wrapped in plastic to protect them from the rain that is hampering relief efforts for survivors.

The quake was Afghanistan’s deadliest in 20 years and officials have warned the casualty toll could rise.

NGOs have heeded the Islamic Emirate’s desperate appeal for help and aid is starting to make its way into the affected areas.

Among those who stepped in to help was the Bayat Foundation, which sent in an ambulance, medical supplies and a team of doctors, who will operate a mobile clinic in the worst hit areas to help the injured.

The World Food Program, Pakistan, Qatar, Iran and the United Nations have also dispatched assistance and aid along with other UN agencies.

Paktika residents meanwhile came together on Thursday and in conjunction with a charity association and local businesses established a collection of cash, food and water for those in need.

By mid-day these residents had already collected over 200,000 Afghanis for quake victims.

Afghanistan’s national cricket hero Rashid Khan also reached out to his fans and launched an appeal for donations on his social media pages.

In a rare move, the IEA’s supreme leader, Haibatullah Akhundzadah, pleaded for help from the world on Wednesday. In a statement he called on the international community to send in help as soon as possible.

However, the full extent of the devastation among villages in remote mountainous regions was slow in coming to light.

The head of the Paktika provincial health department Dr Hekmatullah Esmat told Ariana News early Thursday that in Paktika alone, “hundreds of families have been killed”.

One survivor, who spoke to Ariana News, said he lost 18 members from his 24-member family in the quake.

The official death toll has however been put at almost 1,000 but officials have said this tally is expected to rise.

The earthquake struck just before 2am on Wednesday morning, when most people were asleep. Thousands of village houses collapsed, resulting in the high casualty toll.

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G7 envoys urge national dialogue for lasting stability in Afghanistan

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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

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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

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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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