Latest News
Hekmatyar gives gov’t 10-day ultimatum to accept HIA demands
Dozens of Hizb-e-Islami Afghanistan (HIA) supporters staged a protest rally in Kabul on Friday, demanding the release of the party’s prisoners from Afghan jails.
Addressing the marchers, the Hizb-e-Islami leader Gulbuddin Hekmatyar set the government a 10-day deadline to meet their demands.
Hekmatyar warned that if the government failed to abide by conditions laid out in the gov’t-Hizb-e-Islami accord – which was signed in 2016 – the protests would be extended to other provinces.
“The Arg (Afghan Presidential Palace) must put aside deception and implement the Hezb-e-Islami agreement and release all our prisoners. We give a ten-day deadline,” Hekmatyar said.
Meanwhile, Hekmatyar claimed that the security forces have prevented his supporters from joining the protest in several parts of the city, aimed at curbing the demonstration.
A number of Hizb-e-Islami members have called on the Afghan security forces to respect civil rights and let the people raise their voices.
“Police, army, and the NDS forces are the children of the country, they have to let us raise our voices,” Abdul Sattar Khawasi a member of the party said.
Habiburrahman Hekmatyar, son of Hekmatyar stated: “If our demonstrations are stopped (police did not open the way toward the city), we will remove all the police checkpoints from the ways.”
The Afghan government and the Hizb-e-Islami leader Hekmatyar signed a peace treaty in 2016.
According to the agreement, Hekmatyar agreed to cease hostilities in exchange for government recognition of the group and support for the removal of US and United Nations sanctions against the group’s leader.
Based on the agreement, the government committed to grant Hekmatyar amnesty for all his past offenses and release Hizb-e-Islami inmates.
Ziaulhaq Amarkhil, a Senior Advisor to President Ghani in Political and Public Affairs and the Governor of Nangarhar, had stated in a tweet that the government released 1164 Hizb-e-Islami prisoners from Jails in 2020.
He said the government has no obligation to release those who are involved in cases of violation of human rights (Haqul Abd – due to mankind), kidnapping, drug trafficking, prisoners who are sentenced to death and are members of Daesh.
In an interview with Al Arabiya, former Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov said international companies, including United States firms, are welcome to join the Turkmenistan–Afghanistan–Pakistan–India (TAPI) gas pipeline project.
Berdymukhamedov noted that while the project enjoys U.S. support, it will need to navigate longstanding regional tensions, as Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India have seen outbreaks of deadly fighting over the past year.
“This project, which enjoys international support, including from the United States, possesses immense potential in meeting the growing energy needs of South Asian nations. It also opens promising avenues for accessing the emerging markets of the Asia-Pacific region, the Near East, and the Middle East,” he said.
“The TAPI project is also of paramount importance for political stability and economic prosperity, maintaining high investment attractiveness,” Berdymukhamedov added.
Turkmenistan plans to complete the first section of the pipeline, reaching the Afghan city of Herat, by the end of 2026. No plans have yet been announced to extend the project further south.
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.
Latest News
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.
US companies are welcome to join TAPI project: Turkmenistan’s ex-president
Mexican military kills cartel boss ‘El Mencho’ in US-backed raid
UK’s Reform party pledges visa ban affecting Afghanistan and five other states
Iran and U.S. to meet on Thursday for talks
Ex-US envoy Khalilzad condemns Pakistan air attacks on Afghanistan
AFC Futsal Asian Cup 2026: Day One Review
IEA releases three Pakistani soldiers to mark Ramadan
AFC Futsal Asian Cup: Afghanistan to face Iran in crucial Group D clash
Afghanistan’s Chief of Armed Forces underscores readiness and equipment for national defense
Afghanistan welcomes investment and technology partnerships with India
Tahawol: Repeat crimes by Pakistani military in Afghanistan discussed
Saar: Pakistani military regime’s airstrikes on Afghanistan
Tahawol: US military review for attack against Iran discussed
Saar: Afghanistan’s expanding ties with Central Asia discussed
Tawsia: Calls for implementing development and infrastructure projects
-
Latest News5 days agoAfghanistan’s Chief of Armed Forces underscores readiness and equipment for national defense
-
Latest News4 days agoAfghanistan welcomes investment and technology partnerships with India
-
Sport4 days agoAfghan Peaks founder climbs Aconcagua to promote Afghanistan’s mountain potential
-
Latest News3 days agoIndian customs seize Chinese walnuts falsely declared as Afghan
-
Business4 days agoPakistan allows re-export of stranded Afghan transit cargo
-
Latest News3 days agoPakistan’s Punjab to send home 20 more Afghans in repatriation drive
-
Latest News4 days agoPakistan signals possible air strikes as Kabul releases Pakistani soldiers in goodwill move
-
Latest News2 days agoMoldova bans Afghan airlines over safety concerns