Diplomats from the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) member states have held preparatory consultations ahead of a planned visit by the OIC Ministerial Contact Group to Kabul.

The technical-level meeting focused on coordinating efforts and finalizing the agenda for the mission to Afghanistan, Delovoy Kazakhstan newspaper reported on Tuesday.

During the discussions, participants stressed the importance of a coordinated and unified approach among member states to ensure the effectiveness and practical outcomes of the visit.

The agenda was designed to cover key political, humanitarian, and economic issues central to international engagement with Afghanistan.

The meeting marked an important step in organizing the visit, addressing logistical, organizational, and technical matters, and aligning the priorities of participating countries.

The OIC Ministerial Contact Group on Afghanistan was established according to a resolution at the 51st session of the Council of Foreign Ministers of OIC Member States in Istanbul in June 2025.

The group’s mandate is to coordinate member states’ efforts, promote cooperation, and ensure consistent engagement on Afghanistan-related issues, including political dialogue, humanitarian assistance, and economic support.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) says it has arrested an Afghan national convicted of attempted murder in Rochester, New York.

According to ICE, officers arrested Waheed Allah Mohammad, 39, on Jan. 1. After stabbing his 19-year-old sister, he was convicted in New York in 2009 of first-degree attempted murder and first-degree assault and sentenced to 10 years in prison and five years of supervision. 

ICE said Mohammad entered the United States legally in 2004, but his conviction violated the terms of his legal status. An immigration judge ordered his deportation in 2012.

ICE said Mohammad will remain in custody pending his removal from the United States.

Pakistan’s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar on Monday voiced concern over expanding ties between Afghanistan and India, as Islamabad grapples with a sharp rise in militant attacks and vows to eliminate terrorism.

Speaking to reporters, Tarar criticized repeated visits by Afghan officials to India, alleging they form part of a “foreign-funded agenda” aimed at destabilizing Pakistan. He questioned the nature of such engagement, linking it to militant violence inside the country.

India and Afghanistan have repeatedly rejected Pakistan’s claims of supporting armed groups.

His remarks follow visits to India last year by Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, Commerce Minister Nooruddin Azizi and Public Health Minister Noor Jalal Jalali — among the highest-level Afghan engagements with New Delhi since 2021.

According to Pakistan’s military, the country recorded 5,397 militant incidents in 2025, including 3,811 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and 1,557 in Balochistan. Security forces conducted more than 75,000 intelligence-based operations, killing 2,597 militants.

Tarar said the government remains determined to combat terrorism in all its forms and ensure the security of Pakistani citizens amid escalating militancy.

Meanwhile, Mohibullah Wasiq, chief of staff at the Foreign Ministry of Afghanistan, highlighted in a post on X late Monday the balanced foreign policy of the Islamic Emirate and announced that expanding bilateral relations with India based on the principle of mutual respect is one of the important priorities of the country’s foreign policy.

According to him, after four years of IEA rule, this new stage of relations provides an important opportunity to strengthen economic cooperation, develop trade, consolidate bilateral relations and secure common interests between the two countries.