The ministry of interior announced Wednesday that according to a new decree, issued by the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Emirate, weapon permits issued prior to the IEA’s takeover are no longer valid.

The ministry’s spokesman Abdul Matin Qane said permits for weapons can only be issued by the ministry’s directorate of detection and combating crimes.

Qane asked officials, Mujahideen, members of the public and employees of the Islamic Emirate to refrain from owning and carrying weapons without a permit.

According to the statement, blacked-out windows in cars are also prohibited, unless permits are in place.

Earlier this year, acting Minister of Interior Affairs, Sirajuddin Haqqani, made it clear that it is illegal to own or carry unlicensed weapons in the country.

Haqqani said this applies to individuals and companies.

“No one has the right to carry weapons without a permit, apart from the Emirate's organizations; if it is security companies, businessmen, the private sector, or any person who wants to carry weapons they must obtain permits," Haqqani said at the time.

Qatar's Permanent Representative of the State of Qatar to the United Nations Alya Ahmed Saif Al Thani met with the UN’s Under-Secretary General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo this week for talks on various issues including another Doha meeting on Afghanistan.

According to a statement issued by Qatar’s foreign ministry on Wednesday, the two diplomats “touched on the need to leverage the positive momentum created by the success of the third Doha Meeting of Special Envoys on Afghanistan and to build on its outcome in the fourth meeting to be held in Doha.”

Qatar did not however indicate when the next meeting would be held.

Al Thani and DiCarlo meanwhile discussed the results of the third Doha meeting, which took place on June 30 and July 1 this year.

Their meeting also addressed ways to bolster joint cooperation between the Qatar and the UN’s Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, as well as the latest developments in the Middle East.

Experts, meanwhile, believe that the Doha meetings have not yet yielded positive results.

Zabihullah Mujahid, the chief spokesman for the Islamic Emirate government, led the Afghanistan government delegation to the last meeting.

This was the first time the IEA participated. They were not invited to the first meeting, and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said they set unacceptable conditions for attending the second one in February.

The Afghanistan Cricket Board has finalized the squad for the upcoming Youth Tri-Nation Series against Pakistan and the UAE and for the ACC Men’s U19 Asia Cup 2024.

The Youth Tri-Nation Series, will be held from November 16 to 26 in the form of a double-round robin. The final match is scheduled for November 26 at the ICC Academy Cricket Ground in Dubai, UAE.

From there, the team will take part in the ACC Men’s U19 Asia Cup which is scheduled from November 29 to December 8. This will also be held in the UAE.

The Afghan team are pooled in Group B alongside Bangladesh, Nepal, and Sri Lanka.

The squad announced Wednesday includes Naseer Khan Maroofkhil and AM Ghazanfar, both of whom represented Afghanistan in the ICC Men’s U19 Cricket World Cup 2024 in South Africa.

Afghanistan Cricket Board’s Interim Chief Selector, Ahmad Shah Sulimankhil said in a statement that the ACB’s “selection process started with a camp for the top-performing players from the recent age-level domestic events.

“This was followed by rigorous training and preparations in multiple phases, which helped us to finalize the final 18-man squad for the events ahead.”

He said the players have “undergone extensive training and shown great enthusiasm and readiness to perform at the international level,” and that the ACB is confident the team will do well in both the Tri-Series and the Asia Cup.

Afghanistan Squad for the Youth Tri-Nation Series and the ACC Men’s U19 Asia Cup 2024:

Mehboob Taskin (Captain & Wicket-Keeper), Hamza Alikhil (WK), Uzair Khan, Faisal Khan, Barakatullah Ibrahimzai, Ezatullah Barikzai, Aziz Miakhil, Nazeef Amiri, Abdul Aziz, Nasratullah Nooristani, Khatir Stanikzai, Fahim Khewawal, Hafeez Zadran, AM Ghazanfar and Naseer Khan Maroofkhil.

Reserves: Rohullah Arab, Wahidullah Zadran and Salam Khan.