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OIC chief says he will ‘pursue dialogue’ with IEA and int’l community
The head of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation said on Tuesday that the 48th Session of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers meeting will tackle a number of issues and that the organization will address the situation in Afghanistan.
Speaking during the opening session of the meeting, in Islamabad, the Secretary-General of the OIC, Hissein Brahim Taha, also said that foreign ministers would discuss the political and security situation in Afghanistan with the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA).
In his address to delegates, Taha said: “I will pursue dialogue for peace, security and development in Afghanistan with de facto authorities and international partners.”
Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan also commented on Afghanistan during the opening session and said: “We call for more efforts to help the brotherly Afghan people and we call on Afghans to help themselves by ensuring that Afghan lands are not used as a haven for extremist groups and respect for human rights, including Women's right to education.”
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan meanwhile gave the opening speech at the two-day meeting and said the OIC needs to encourage the Afghan people and include them in the international community.
He said he believed the "people of Afghanistan are strong enough to evolve and go in the right direction."
Imran Khan also said no other people had suffered as much as Afghans but noted that for the first time in over 40 years, there was no conflict in the country.
"The only danger now is through the sanctions [imposed on Afghanistan] and non-recognition", which could cause a humanitarian crisis, he said.
Imran Khan stated that it was "extremely important" to stabilize Afghanistan because it was the "only way we are going to be able to stop international terrorism from Afghan soil".
"Let's not be delusional that some other country can come in and fight terrorism through drones. The only way is a stable Afghanistan government that can take care of terrorism.
"Anyone who knows the Afghan character should be cautioned, please do not push the people of Afghanistan where they feel their sovereignty is being threatened."
The meeting, however, is taking place in the midst of Imran Khan's toughest political phase as he is facing a no-confidence motion.
Nearly two dozen lawmakers of his own Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party have turned against him in the past week. The session for a vote on the motion has been called on 25 March.
Afghanistan has sent a delegation to Islamabad for the meeting but Pakistan’s Dawn News reported that Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi was not present.
According to Dawn News, another IEA official, Muhammad Akbar Azeemi, is leading the Afghan delegation.
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Ten people killed in Baghlan attack
Ten people were killed by unknown individuals in Afghanistan’s northern Baghlan province on Thursday night, police said on Friday.
The incident happened as the victims were doing Zikr at a mosque in Shahr-e-Kuhna of Nahrin district, police said in a statement.
The statement said that they used to regularly go to mosques and monasteries at night after returning from work.
Abdul Ghayoor Khadim, a provincial police official, said that several people were arrested in connection with the incident, adding that an investigation was launched.
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Chinese, Turkmen officials meet to discuss Afghanistan
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan Serdar Muhammetdurdiyev on Thursday met with Chinese special envoy for Afghanistan, Yue Xiaoyong, the Foreign Ministry of Turkmenistan announced.
During the meeting, the sides discussed priority vectors of strategic interstate cooperation built on a long-term, mutually beneficial basis, as well as exchanged views on the implementation of previously reached agreements.
It was noted that personal contacts between the leaders of the two countries play a key role in intensifying the interstate dialogue, which give a strong impulse to further development and expansion of Turkmen-Chinese ties.
It was emphasized that Turkmenistan considers multilateral international platforms for maintaining stability in Afghanistan as an important factor in promoting sustainable improvement of socio-economic state of the neighboring country. The sides exchanged views on the preparations to the 5th meeting of Foreign Ministers of Afghanistan's Neighboring States to be held in Turkmenistan.
The interlocutors reaffirmed that Turkmenistan and China will continue to provide all-round support for the economic restoration of Afghanistan.
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U.S. House approves bill on evacuation of Afghan allies
The U.S. House Of Representatives has passed a legislation on evacuation of Afghans who assisted Americans during the 20-year war in Afghanistan.
“The passage of the CARE Authorization Act of 2024 further underscores the commitment made by the U.S. government to safeguard those who served shoulder-to-shoulder with our personnel during the twenty-year mission in Afghanistan,” Congresswoman Dina Titus said in a statement.
“The State Department has made it clear: There is no deadline for the crucial job of protecting Afghan allies. By authorizing the Coordinator for Afghan Relocation Efforts at the State Department, we can more effectively relocate and resettle those who have qualified to immigrate to the U.S. as a result of their service to this country.”
In 2022 the State Department established a specialized office called the Coordinator for Afghan Relocation Efforts (CARE) to streamline and coordinate the ongoing relocation and resettlement process for eligible Afghans from Afghanistan and Pakistan to the United States.
The CARE Authorization Act of 2024 will formally authorize the CARE office at the State Department for three years and grant important authorities to advance its mission. These include an extension of authorities to enter into personal services contracts as well as measures to streamline the transfer of funds to and from other agencies involved in the Afghan relocation mission.
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