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Blinken urges world to press IEA to respect Afghans’ rights
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday called on the international community to press the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) to respect the rights of all Afghans.
Addressing the 49th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council, Blinken also called for redoubling efforts to address the “growing” humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan.
“We must redouble our efforts to address the growing humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, and press the Taliban (IEA) to respect the rights of all Afghans, including by stopping the unjust detentions of women protestors and journalists, ending reprisals, and allowing all Afghans to be educated and work in every sector,” Blinken said.
Respect for the fundamental rights of citizens and the protection of Afghan women’s political and civil rights is a condition by the international community for recognition of the current government in Afghanistan.
IEA, however, says it is committed to ensuring the rights of all Afghans.
“Major problems will not arise with a government that is committed to people’s rights and welfare,” said Bilal Karimi, deputy spokesman for IEA.
Meanwhile, US Special Representative for Afghanistan Tom West has said that it has been a collective international effort to press IEA to allow aid workers access across the country, and the dialogue with it in this regard has been fruitful.
Speaking to US broadcaster NPR, West said that private sector actors in Europe have shipped several hundred million dollars physically to Afghanistan.
“So far the Taliban has not sought to intervene in or seize any of those shipments,” West said.
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UK’s Reform party pledges visa ban affecting Afghanistan and five other states
The British political party Reform UK, led by Nigel Farage, is set to impose a blanket visa ban on Afghanistan and five other countries — including Pakistan — as part of its proposed crackdown on illegal migration and states refusing to accept deported nationals.
In a speech set for Monday, the party’s newly appointed “shadow” home secretary, Zia Yusuf, will outline plans to halt all visas for diplomats, students, workers, VIPs and tourists from Pakistan, Somalia, Eritrea, Syria, Afghanistan and Sudan. Reform says these governments fail to cooperate in accepting back deported migrants and convicted criminals.
Pakistan received more than 160,000 UK visas last year, making it one of the biggest visa recipients. However, British officials say Islamabad accepts back only a small fraction of rejected asylum seekers and has resisted pressure to take back individuals convicted in high-profile criminal cases.
The move – which mirrors US President Donald Trump’s visa ban on 75 countries – would be a key element in Reform’s strategy to deport up to 288,000 illegal migrants from the UK on five charter flights a day.
On legal migration, Yusuf will say a Reform government would terminate all welfare payments to foreign nationals, including the 1.3 million currently receiving UC, up from around 900,000 in 2022.
Yusuf is expected to say that years of weak immigration enforcement have undermined public trust and that a Reform government would secure Britain’s borders and make people feel safe.
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Ex-US envoy Khalilzad condemns Pakistan air attacks on Afghanistan
He described the situation as a tragedy for both Pakistan and its neighbors, urging the Pakistani leadership to reconsider its policies and change course.
Former U.S. Special Envoy for Afghanistan, Zalmay Khalilzad, has strongly condemned Sunday’s airstrikes by Pakistan on Afghanistan. He stated that these attacks killed and wounded numerous innocent women, children, and elderly.
Khalilzad pointed to Pakistan’s long history of misgovernance, interference in minority rights, manipulation of democratic processes, and repeated military takeovers as the root causes.
He described the situation as a tragedy for both Pakistan and its neighbors, urging the Pakistani leadership to reconsider its policies and change course.
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Japan contributes $2.08 million to World Bank Trust Fund for Afghanistan
Japan has remained one of the major donors to Afghanistan’s humanitarian and development efforts.
Japan has signed a $2.08 million contribution agreement with the World Bank to support humanitarian and livelihood programs in Afghanistan, its diplomatic mission in Kabul said on Sunday.
The funding will be channeled through the Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund (ARTF), a multi-donor trust fund administered by the World Bank that finances essential services and development programs in the country.
In a statement, Japan said the contribution is intended to support people in need and promote livelihoods among vulnerable Afghans, including women and young people.
“Japan stands with the Afghan people,” the statement said.
Japan has remained one of the major donors to Afghanistan’s humanitarian and development efforts.
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