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International Women’s Day highlights challenges Afghan women face
International Women’s Day was marked by Afghan women from all walks of life on Monday, including female officials, women security force members and civilians.
For many however it was a day that highlighted the challenges, pain and suffering so many face on a daily basis.
One victim of domestic violence, Zahra, spoke out about the abuse she suffered at the hands of her drug addict husband, who she said set fire to her and their house three months ago.
“He rescued his brothers first; when my turn arrived I was unconscious,” stated Zahra.
Doctors who treated Zahra said she sustained burns to 50 percent of her body and had to be hospitalized following the incident.
President Ashraf Ghani meanwhile said in a taped video marking the day that Afghan women have made enormous progress in the past few years and that they will represent themselves.
“Afghan women participate in national discussion as women,” said Ghani.
Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC) said however that violence against women has increased in the past few months.
According to the AIHRC six women have been killed in recent targeted attacks.
“We demand women’s participation in peace talks, [women] from across the country and a ceasefire needs to be declared and [there needs to be] a reduction in violence,” said Shaharzad Akbar, head of AIHRC.
“Women are victims of the clashes and the continuation of war violates human rights especially women’s rights,” said Shabnam Salehi, a member of AIHRC.
Beside domestic violence Afghan women say that they are concerned that their achievements made over the past 20 years will be compromised in the peace talks and in any future peace agreement.
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Afghanistan-Gambia ties discussed during Doha meeting
Both sides also exchanged views on strengthening diplomatic engagement and exploring future economic cooperation.
Suhail Shaheen, head of the Islamic Emirate’s embassy in Doha, has met with Omar Jah, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of The Gambia to Qatar, to discuss bilateral relations and areas of mutual interest.
According to a statement from the Afghan embassy in Doha, Jah also oversees Gambian diplomatic affairs related to Afghanistan.
The meeting focused on Afghanistan-Gambia relations, the current security situation in Afghanistan, and potential investment opportunities in the country.
Both sides also exchanged views on strengthening diplomatic engagement and exploring future economic cooperation.
Mahmood Khan Achakzai, a member of Pakistan’s National Assembly and head of the Pakhtunkhwa Awami National Party, has said that if capable statesmen had been in power, people living on both sides of the Durand Line could have moved freely across the line.
Speaking during a podcast interview, Achakzai said that countries with histories of major conflict, including Russia, Germany and the United Kingdom, now maintain far more open borders despite past wars. He said that in many such regions, only a “paper line” remains, with limited border restrictions.
Drawing comparisons with the disputed Durand Line boundary between Afghanistan and Pakistan, Achakzai argued that a similar arrangement could have been possible in South Asia.
“What is the problem here? A Punjabi could dance in Kandahar and a Pashtun could come here. Even if we are not formally one country, we could have effectively functioned like one,” he said.
The Pakistani politician also referred to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and the later U.S.-led intervention, saying Afghanistan has the right to seek war reparations from those countries to support reconstruction efforts.
Achakzai further criticised the treatment of Pashtuns in Pakistan, alleging that individuals in cities including Lahore and Karachi have faced detention and deportation.
Kyrgyzstan has completed major construction work on its territory under the regional energy project CASA-1000, according to a recent report by the Eurasian Stabilization and Development Fund (ESDF). With key infrastructure now in place, further progress on the project depends on the completion of construction in Afghanistan, which is expected by the end of 2027.
The report notes that Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Pakistan have largely finalized their respective infrastructure components and are now awaiting the completion of the Afghan section before moving forward with full operational stages.
The CASA-1000 project, valued at approximately $1.2 billion, aims to establish a high-voltage electricity transmission line linking Central and South Asia. The initiative is designed to enable Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan to export surplus hydropower during summer months, when electricity demand rises in Pakistan and Afghanistan due to increased use of cooling systems.
Construction work in Afghanistan was suspended in August 2021, at a stage when only about 18 percent of transmission structures had been installed, although more than 90 percent of equipment had already been delivered to the country. Following extended negotiations and security assurances, work on the Afghan section resumed in December 2024.
ESDF experts say that once construction in Afghanistan is completed, participating countries will be able to begin technical testing of the high-voltage direct current (HVDC) system. A full launch of the regional energy corridor is expected by the end of 2027, marking a significant milestone in regional energy integration between Central and South Asia.
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