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Ghani lands in Ufa for BRICS summit
Afghan President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani arrived at Ufa International Airport in the Russian Republic of Bashkortostan, Thursday, to attend the seventh BRICS summit.
The leaders of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa are expected to discuss further cooperation between the countries of the bloc, particularly within the context of the newly-formed New Development Bank (NDB).
The summit comes ahead of the 15th meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) on July 9 and 10, also taking place in Ufa. In total, 10,000 visitors are expected at the two events.
It has been said that President Ghani will call for the permanent membership of Afghanistan in the organization.
Political deputy of the foreign ministry said that stability in Afghanistan and region, peace talks with Taliban and fight against terrorist groups are the key issues in SCO summits.
“President Ghani will have 10 bilitrial meetings with presidents of SCO member countries and the main focus is stability in Afghanistan and the region,” Hekmat Khalil Karzai, deputy political of foreign ministry said.
According to Russian sources, Russian President Vladimir Putin will hold talks with President Ghani on the sidelines of SCO and BRICS summits in Russia’s UFA on July 10.
The SCO could prove a guarantor for projects such as the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline project.
The five BRICS emerging economies – Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa – will meet from July 8 to 9.
The SCO – which is a political, economic and military organization founded by China, Russia, and Central Asia’s Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan – is scheduled for July 9-10.
Meanwhile, China on Wednesday said it is “willing” to cooperate with both India and Pakistan countries to work for the stability of war-torn Afghanistan.
“Since 2009, SCO has had many contacts with Afghanistan, and we are also willing to cooperate with India and Pakistan on the Afghan issue,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson, Hua Chunying told a media briefing here on Wednesday.
“We hope to play a constructive role to this end. Afghanistan is an important country and observer of SCO, and its situation bears on the security and stability of Central Asia,” Hua said.
This is President Ghani’s first trip to Russia and attends to SCO summits. Ghani will gather the consultation of SCO members regarding Peace negotiations with Taliban on the sidelines of the summit.
Afghan scholars have described the “martyrdom” of Maulana Muhammad Idris, a prominent Pakistani religious scholar, as a major loss and have extended their condolences over his death to all scholars worldwide, particularly to the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Pakistan.
In a condolence message, Afghan scholars stated: “Killing scholars is a grave injustice that brings the wrath and anger of Almighty Allah and is considered an unforgivable crime. We, the scholars of Afghanistan, strongly condemn such actions.”
They also urged the government of Pakistan to take serious measures to prevent the targeting of religious scholars.
Maulana Muhammad Idris was killed on Tuesday in an armed attack in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
The Islamic Emirate’s High Commission for Addressing Migrants’ Problems has called on international organizations and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to engage with Pakistan to prevent difficulties for Afghan nationals, ensure they are not subjected to harassment, and facilitate their swift return.
The commission said the issues should be addressed as a matter of urgency.
According to the commission, Afghan returnees entering the country through the Torkham crossing are often held up for days on the Pakistani side for various reasons. It added that women, children, and elderly people are among those affected, many of whom are facing multiple hardships while waiting along roads in uncertain conditions.
“Our request is that Afghan migrants should not be left waiting on the other side of the border,” the commission said.
“We have the necessary capacity to receive and resettle returnees. Regardless of the number arriving each day, we are able to manage them and provide the required services.”
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Afghan activist Matiullah Wesa awarded France’s Freedom Prize 2026
Wesa is the founder of the Pen Path initiative and is widely known for campaigning in support of access to education, particularly for girls in Afghanistan.
Afghan education advocate Matiullah Wesa has been named the recipient of France’s Freedom Prize 2026, in recognition of his efforts to promote education and children’s rights in Afghanistan.
According to French media reports, Wesa was selected through an online vote involving 18,708 young people from 75 countries, highlighting strong international support for his advocacy work.
The award ceremony is scheduled to take place on June 4 in the city of Caen at the Zénith hall, where more than 4,000 young participants are expected to attend alongside several World War II veterans.
Wesa is the founder of the Pen Path initiative and is widely known for campaigning in support of access to education, particularly for girls in Afghanistan.
The Freedom Prize, established in 2019 by the Normandy Region and the International Institute for Human Rights and Peace, honours individuals and organizations that have made significant contributions to the defense of human freedoms.
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