Nooruddin Azizi, the Acting Minister of Industry and Commerce of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, and a high-ranking delegation, has left for Pakistan for talks on various issues.

According to a statement issued on Wednesday, the Ministry of Industry and Commerce stated that the purpose of this trip is to assess and resolve existing obstacles in trade, transit, and transportation between the two countries, as well as to hold discussions regarding the challenges faced by Afghan refugees residing in Pakistan.

The high-level delegation led by Azizi includes representatives from the office of the Economic Deputy Prime Minister, the Investment Facilitation Directorate of the Administrative Office, and the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Finance, Refugees and Repatriation,

Washington’s former special envoy to Afghanistan, Zalmay Khalilzad, said in a social media post on Wednesday that he is concerned Pakistan might be using the expulsion of refugees as a cover to send in ISIS fighters into Afghanistan.

In a post on X on Wednesday, April 16, Khalilzad said: “Knowledgeable people tell me that they are concerned that the Pakistan establishment might well be using the expulsion of Afghan refugees as a cover to send ISIS terrorists to Afghanistan. I share this concern.”

Khalilzad did not elaborate further, nor did he clarify who the “knowledgeable people” were.

The Islamic Emirate has long been known to fight ISIS and has in the past accused Pakistan of supporting the militant group.

In January, Afghanistan’s deputy minister of foreign affairs said ISIS was operating training centers in Pakistan.

Khalilzad’s remarks come amid intensified efforts by Pakistan to deport hundreds of thousands of Afghan refugees in the country.

Pakistan began deporting undocumented Afghans in October 2023 but following a directive in December, authorities ramped up the deportations from April 1. In the first two weeks of this month over 45,000 Afghans returned.

The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan on Wednesday warned the UN in Afghanistan (UNAMA) against criticizing or undermining the ordinances of Islamic Shariah and said remarks by the organization last week on the execution of four men were “unacceptable”.

In a statement issued by the IEA’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Islamic Emirate said the remarks were in “direct contravention of the organization’s mandate, and is categorically unacceptable.”

The ministry stated that as an Islamic government it was their duty to carry out such punishments under Sharia.

On Friday, UNAMA condemned the executions and called for the abolishment of the death penalty in Afghanistan.

In a post on X UNAMA stated: “The death penalty is inconsistent with the fundamental right to life. UNAMA calls for an immediate moratorium on the death penalty as a step towards its abolition.”

Four men were publicly executed in Afghanistan last week: two in Badghis, one in Nimroz, and one in Farah province.

Two of the men were shot around six or seven times by a male relative of the victims in front of spectators in Qala-e-Naw, the centre of Badghis province, witnesses told AFP. The families of the victims reportedly turned down the opportunity to offer the men amnesty.

The Islamic Emirate however said in Wednesday’s statement that Afghanistan implements court rulings in accordance with a thorough judicial process and meticulous legal scrutiny.

“During this process, the accused is granted full rights to defense from the beginning until a final verdict is issued,” the statement read.

The IEA said UNAMA’s remarks that Qisas punishments were “contrary to the right to life” and that the death penalty should be abolished “are considered irresponsible and based on ignorance of Islamic rulings.”

“The implementation of Shariah-prescribed punishments, including Qisas, is an undeniable component of Islamic law.

“In the sacred texts, Qisas is explicitly associated with the preservation of life, and human experience has also demonstrated its effectiveness in ensuring justice and social order.

“As an Islamic government, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan considers the implementation of Qisas its religious obligation,” the statement read.

As such, the IEA reminded UNAMA that “any attempt to critique or undermine the ordinances of Islamic Shariah constitutes an overreach, is in direct contravention of the organization’s mandate, and is categorically unacceptable.

“Moving forward, it is imperative that UNAMA refrain from engaging in such remarks,” the IEA warned.

Qisas, in Islamic legal terms, translates to “retaliation in kind,” “an eye for an eye,” or retributive justice.

It’s a principle of Islamic law that allows for punishment in kind or compensation.