The Department of Refugees and Repatriates of Balkh province has allocated around 3,000 acres of land to returning Afghan refugees, officials said, as the distribution process continues.

So far, more than 27,000 families have been registered in the province, with each set to receive one plot of land. Over 300 families have already been given land in Maulana Jalaluddin Mohammad Balkhi township.

Asadullah Wafa, head of the Department of Refugees and Repatriates in Balkh, said, “Approximately 27,000 to 28,000 families are listed. The committee has begun its work, and land documents are being processed. Land and deeds have been given to 350 families, and their documentation is complete.”

Returnees welcomed the initiative but noted that lack of permanent housing, unemployment, and limited access to health and education remain major challenges.

Agha Mohammad, a returnee, said, “We are very happy that we were given land.”

While international organizations have repeatedly expressed concern over the forced expulsion of Afghans from Pakistan and Iran, Pakistani authorities continue to increase pressure on Afghan refugees.

The process of land distribution is also ongoing in several other provinces of the country.

The Ministry of Public Works has announced that since the beginning of the current Solar Hijri year (1404), the volume of rail transportation in Afghanistan has increased by more than 18 percent.

Officials from the ministry said that the amount of cargo transported this year has reached more than 2.3 million tons, representing an increase of over 18 percent compared to the same period last year.

They added that efforts are underway to implement railway development projects within the country so that Afghanistan, in addition to using railways for international transport, can also use them for domestic transportation.

 Mohammad Ashraf Haqshenas, spokesman for the Ministry of Public Works, said: “The volume of transportation during the first eight months of this year shows an 18.43 percent increase compared to last year, with the highest level of transportation occurring in the past two months.”

Meanwhile, members of the private sector are calling on the Ministry of Public Works to expand its efforts to develop railway lines in the country so that Afghanistan’s exports can reach regional and global markets on a large scale and at reasonable costs.

However, economic experts said that if the rail transportation system in Afghanistan is expanded, there will be a significant increase in the export of the country’s mineral and industrial products, in addition to agricultural products.

These experts have urged the Ministry of Public Works to expand the standardization and innovation of the country’s transit infrastructure so that Afghanistan can become a regional transit hub.

Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry reaffirmed its respect for Afghanistan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, emphasizing that it has no intention of interfering in the country’s government.

Speaking at a press conference on Friday, spokesperson Tahir Andarabi addressed questions about the possibility of a change in Afghanistan’s leadership. He said, “It is for the Afghan people to pick and choose whichever government they want, and we are ready to work with the present dispensation, the current Kabul regime.”

Andarabi stressed that using the term “regime change” in reference to a neighboring country is incorrect. He reiterated that Pakistan’s policy is to respect Afghanistan’s internal decisions and to maintain constructive cooperation with the government in Kabul.

The statement comes amid heightened tensions between the two neighbours over security issues.

Andarabi said Islamabad was still waiting for written assurances from the Islamic Emirate not to use Afghan soil against Pakistan and that the closure of the trade crossings was linked to this issue.

Since the closure of the crossings, 306 Pakistani citizens, including 15 students, have returned to their country by air, he said.

Pakistani officials have repeatedly claimed that attacks in the country are organized by militants on Afghan soil. In October, Pakistan launched attacks in Afghanistan and deadly clashes between the two sides led to the closure of crossings.

The Islamic Emirate, however, rejects Pakistan’s claims, saying the root of insecurity is inside the country and Afghanistan cannot be held responsible.