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Funeral held in Paktia for martyred Minister of Refugees Khalil Haqqani
Tight security measures were in place on Thursday in Garda Serai district in Paktia province for the funeral of martyred Minister of Refugees and Repatriation Khalil ur-Rahman Haqqani.
Khalil Haqqani was martyred in an explosion on Wednesday inside the ministry in Kabul.
The bombing was claimed by ISIS-K (Daesh).
Khalil Haqqani was the uncle of Afghanistan’s acting Minister of Interior Sirajuddin Haqqani, and the brother of Jalaluddin Haqqani, the founder of the Haqqani Network.
The funeral took place in Khalil Haqqani’s home province – where he was born in 1966.
Thousands of people from around the country attended the ceremony, including high-ranking officials. Among those in attendance was Sirajuddin Haqqani, who also addressed those present.
He said Khalil Haqqani had no personal enemies and that Allah will avenge his death.
On Thursday, messages of condolences and condemnation of the attack meanwhile poured in from around the world.
The UN Mission in Afghanistan was among those to condemn the ministry attack and said in a post on X: “There can be no place for terrorism in the quest for stability.”
Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei also extended condolences to the bereaved families and wished a swift recovery for those injured in Wednesday’s blast, Press TV reported.
The United Arab Emirates also “strongly condemned the attack” at the Ministry of Refugees in Afghanistan.
In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) affirmed that “the UAE expresses its strong condemnation of these criminal acts and its permanent rejection of all forms of violence and terrorism aimed at undermining security and stability in contravention of international law.
“Furthermore, the Ministry expressed its sincere condolences and sympathy to Afghanistan and its people, and to the families of the victims of this attack, as well as its wishes for a speedy recovery for all the injured,” the statement read.
Afghanistan’s former president Hamid Karzai also expressed sadness over the “martyrdom” of Khalil Haqqani and said: “With great sorrow, I learned that Khalil Rahman Haqqani, Acting Minister of Refugees and Repatriation, along with a number of our compatriots, has been martyred in an explosion at this ministry.”
Abdullah Abdullah, Afghanistan’s former CEO, also condemned the attack and said in a post on X: “We strongly condemn the terrorist attack on Khalil-ur-Rahman Haqqani and note that he was a member of an influential jihadi family in Afghanistan that played an important role in the jihad against the former Soviet invasion.
“We pray for the survivors and relatives of the late Haqqani and other martyrs of this incident,” he said.
Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has emphasized the continuation of humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan, stating that the ongoing provision of such aid plays an important role in ensuring regional security.
Speaking at the international conference “Peace and Trust” in Ashgabat, the capital of Turkmenistan, Tokayev described addressing complex humanitarian challenges and the reconstruction of Afghanistan as a necessity.
“To ensure regional security, we consider it essential to continue providing assistance to Afghanistan, including by strengthening international efforts to address complex humanitarian issues and the reconstruction of this country. Kazakhstan remains committed to supporting the people of Afghanistan through humanitarian aid, educational projects, trade development, and food security initiatives,” he said.
Meanwhile, experts believe that sustainable improvement of the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan requires broad cooperation from the international community and support for the country’s economic development.
“Investment can be defined as one of the fundamental drivers of the economic cycle, and whenever Afghan traders do not take their money out of the country and instead invest domestically, it naturally leads to greater growth and dynamism in Afghanistan’s economy,” said Abdul Zahoor Modabber, an economic analyst.
As the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan continues, reports by international relief organizations indicate that millions of citizens of the country are in urgent need of food, health, and livelihood assistance.
The reduction in funding for aid organizations, the impacts of climate change, and the return of migrants have increased concerns about a further deterioration of the humanitarian situation in the country.
The Islamic Emirate has announced that it will not participate in the upcoming meeting of special envoys of regional countries on Afghanistan, scheduled to be held in Tehran, despite having received an invitation.
In a statement, Zia Ahmad Takal, Head of Information and Public Relations at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said the Islamic Emirate has maintained continuous and active engagement with all regional countries through various organizations, regional formats, and bilateral mechanisms, achieving notable progress in promoting mutual understanding and regional cooperation.
The statement added that Afghanistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs believes regional cooperation should be advanced by strengthening existing mechanisms and formats within the region.
Tehran is set to host the meeting next week, with special envoys from Pakistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, China, and Russia expected to attend.
Khalifa Sirajuddin Haqqani, Minister of Interior of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, said during a visit to Khost province on Friday that any government which rules through fear cannot be considered a true government.
“A government is one that is loved by its people, one that serves them with respect and compassion, and from whose behavior people learn ethics and sincerity,” he said.
Haqqani also stressed that Afghans who opposed the Islamic Emirate in the past should be tolerated and treated in a way that helps eliminate hostility and animosity, paving the way for national cohesion.
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