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Taliban assures Afghans they will be free to travel after August 31
Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai, a leading member of the Taliban’s negotiating team, said Saturday that Afghans who possess legal documents, passports, and visas will be able to travel abroad after the foreign troops have left the country.
“I request my compatriots, sisters, and brothers that it is your legal right, as Afghans, to obtain passports from MoI (Ministry of Interior) and to travel to the country you want to go to; obtain visas and prepare your legal documents, and then you can travel via any border crossing in Afghanistan – both air and ground,” Stanikzai said.
“No one will prevent you from traveling,” he stated.
Stanikzai said: “We want you to travel abroad; for medical treatment, business, education, and other. We have no issues with that. But it should be in a dignified fashion that is appropriate to you as an Afghan and Muslim.”
This comes after an estimated 90 people were killed and over 150 wounded in Thursday’s twin explosions outside the Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul.
The blasts took place in densely crowded areas around the airport – among the thousands of people who had been trying to get on evacuation flights.
Meanwhile, Stakenzai accused the United States of creating chaos regarding evacuation flights and said the Americans had not clarified which Afghans were entitled to leave with the last of the US troops.
He stated that Washington’s evacuation announcement had led to a misunderstanding “as a number of our people thought that anyone who can to the airport will be evacuated.”
Stanekzai noted that “general amnesty” has been announced for everyone.
“No one’s life is in danger. All Afghans are now living in peace in the country. No one’s life, property or honor is threatened.”
“Our Afghan sisters and brothers should refrain from rushing to the airport because the enemy is still waiting to ambush them. We advise you to be patient. All government ministries and institutions will formally resume their work as soon as a new government is announced and then you will be able to travel through official channels in a dignified fashion.”
He added that all border crossings will be open for travel once the international forces withdraw from the country, on August 31.
“Our people with documents, passports, and visas will be able to travel with confidence and assurance. The Islamic system will not stop anyone. I would like to tell you all – with confidence – that you can freely go abroad but with [the correct] documents.”
Stakenzai said that security forces are not letting “individuals who don’t possess documents to travel.”
“Let the foreign forces withdraw first, evacuate the country, and then following that, our compatriots – whether they have worked with the Americans or otherwise – may leave the country if they want to. All airports, particularly Kabul airport will be open for them to travel.”
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Afghanistan lodges complaint with UN over Pakistani airstrikes
Afghanistan’s acting representative to the United Nations has formally raised concerns at the UN Security Council following overnight airstrikes this week it says were carried out by Pakistan inside Afghan territory.
Nasir Ahmad Faiq, acting chargé d’affaires of Afghanistan’s mission to the UN, announced on Monday that a formal complaint had been submitted regarding the strikes, which reportedly resulted in civilian casualties.
In a statement posted on X, Faiq called for “the immediate cessation of such actions, a thorough and impartial review, full respect for Afghanistan’s territorial integrity, and strict adherence to the Charter of the United Nations and international law.”
According to Afghan officials, the strikes took place late Saturday night in eastern Nangarhar and south-eastern Paktika provinces.
Authorities say dozens of civilians, including women and children, were killed or wounded when residential areas were hit.
Islamabad has previously maintained that it reserves the right to act against militant groups it says operate near or along the disputed Durand Line. Afghan officials, however, have consistently rejected allegations that Afghan territory is being used to launch attacks against Pakistan.
The latest incident comes amid heightened tensions between Kabul and Islamabad over security concerns and cross-Durand Line militancy, further complicating already fragile bilateral relations.
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US companies are welcome to join TAPI project: Turkmenistan’s ex-president
In an interview with Al Arabiya, former Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov said international companies, including United States firms, are welcome to join the Turkmenistan–Afghanistan–Pakistan–India (TAPI) gas pipeline project.
Berdymukhamedov noted that while the project enjoys U.S. support, it will need to navigate longstanding regional tensions, as Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India have seen outbreaks of deadly fighting over the past year.
“This project, which enjoys international support, including from the United States, possesses immense potential in meeting the growing energy needs of South Asian nations. It also opens promising avenues for accessing the emerging markets of the Asia-Pacific region, the Near East, and the Middle East,” he said.
“The TAPI project is also of paramount importance for political stability and economic prosperity, maintaining high investment attractiveness,” Berdymukhamedov added.
Turkmenistan plans to complete the first section of the pipeline, reaching the Afghan city of Herat, by the end of 2026. No plans have yet been announced to extend the project further south.
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UK’s Reform party pledges visa ban affecting Afghanistan and five other states
The British political party Reform UK, led by Nigel Farage, is set to impose a blanket visa ban on Afghanistan and five other countries — including Pakistan — as part of its proposed crackdown on illegal migration and states refusing to accept deported nationals.
In a speech set for Monday, the party’s newly appointed “shadow” home secretary, Zia Yusuf, will outline plans to halt all visas for diplomats, students, workers, VIPs and tourists from Pakistan, Somalia, Eritrea, Syria, Afghanistan and Sudan. Reform says these governments fail to cooperate in accepting back deported migrants and convicted criminals.
Pakistan received more than 160,000 UK visas last year, making it one of the biggest visa recipients. However, British officials say Islamabad accepts back only a small fraction of rejected asylum seekers and has resisted pressure to take back individuals convicted in high-profile criminal cases.
The move – which mirrors US President Donald Trump’s visa ban on 75 countries – would be a key element in Reform’s strategy to deport up to 288,000 illegal migrants from the UK on five charter flights a day.
On legal migration, Yusuf will say a Reform government would terminate all welfare payments to foreign nationals, including the 1.3 million currently receiving UC, up from around 900,000 in 2022.
Yusuf is expected to say that years of weak immigration enforcement have undermined public trust and that a Reform government would secure Britain’s borders and make people feel safe.
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