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Taliban warns foreign forces to leave by May 1

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Taliban on Wednesday afternoon warned the US and NATO to stick to the agreement of troops withdrawal on May 1 and said if the Doha agreement is not adhered to problems will be “compounded” and those in breach of the deal will “be held liable”.

In a series of tweets, Zabihullah Mujahid, a Taliban spokesman, said: “The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan seeks the withdrawal of all foreign forces from our homeland on the date specified in the Doha Agreement.

“If the agreement is adhered to, a pathway to addressing the remaining issues will also be found.

“If the agreement is breached and foreign forces fail to exit our country on the specified date, problems will certainly be compounded and those whom failed to comply with the agreement will be held liable.”

This comes ahead of an expected official announcement by US President Joe Biden that troops with be pulled out by September 11 – the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on the United States.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken meanwhile said in Brussels on Wednesday that the coalition of NATO-led troops in Afghanistan will leave the country in coordination with a planned U.S. withdrawal by September 11.

Blinken said it was time for NATO allies to make good on its mantra that allies went into Afghanistan together and would leave together.

“I am here to work closely with our allies, with the (NATO) secretary-general, on the principle that we have established from the start: In together, adapt together and out together,” Blinken said in a televised statement at NATO headquarters.

“We will work very closely together in the months ahead on a safe, deliberate and coordinated withdrawal of our forces from Afghanistan,” Blinken said, standing alongside NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg,

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Bilal Karimi meets Chinese deputy director of Asian affairs in Beijing

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The ambassador of the Islamic Emirate to China Bilal Karimi on Wednesday met with Zhang Maoming, Deputy Director-General of Department of Asian Affairs of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, and discussed further strengthening political relations, as well as economic, trade, transit, and consular issues between the two countries.

According to a statement issued by the Embassy of Afghanistan in China, Zhang spoke about the 70th anniversary of political relations between Afghanistan and China, noting that Beijing and Kabul have historically coexisted in peace and harmony, the statement read.

Zhang added that China will strive to enhance the positive spirit of peaceful coexistence to expand comprehensive cooperation between the two countries.

Meanwhile, Karimi also described the overall security and stability in Afghanistan as an important opportunity and emphasized its benefits for all.

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Afghan embassy in Islamabad slams Pakistan for forced deportation of Afghans

This week the International Organization for Migration (IOM) stated that over 18,000 Afghan migrants returned to Afghanistan from Islamabad and Rawalpindi last month.

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Afghanistan’s embassy in Islamabad said on Wednesday that Afghan nationals in Islamabad and Rawalpindi have recently been subjected to arrests, searches, and orders from the police to leave the twin cities and relocate to other parts of Pakistan.

According to a statement issued by the embassy, this process of detaining Afghans, which began without any formal announcement, has not been officially communicated to the Embassy of Afghanistan in Islamabad through any formal correspondence.

“In response, the Embassy has held multiple meetings with relevant Pakistani authorities and officials to seek clarification on the matter — whether these actions are isolated incidents that need to be stopped or part of an official policy that should be publicly disclosed,” the statement read.

The statement noted that discussions with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) revealed that they were unaware of the ongoing situation.

However, Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has now confirmed that there is “a definitive and final plan to deport/remove all Afghan refugees not only from Islamabad and Rawalpindi but also from the entire country in the near future,” the embassy stated.

Pakistan officials told Afghanistan’s embassy officials that this decision was official and only Afghans who are in possession of valid, legal, visas will be allowed to reside in Islamabad and Rawalpindi.

The embassy went on to state that Pakistan has decided to remove all Afghan refugees, including those holding ACC (Afghan Citizen Card) and PoR (Proof of Registration) cards, from Islamabad and Rawalpindi, and that their expulsion from the country is imminent.

Embassy officials have meanwhile expressed serious concerns in meetings with Pakistani authorities and international organizations regarding the mass expulsion of Afghan refugees within such a short timeframe and the unilateral nature of Pakistan’s decision.

The Embassy has shared this matter with Kabul to facilitate discussions on the dignified repatriation of Afghan nationals and to assess the existing challenges surrounding this issue.

This week the International Organization for Migration (IOM) stated that over 18,000 Afghan migrants returned to Afghanistan from Islamabad and Rawalpindi last month.

According to the organization, 9,846 Afghan returnees were identified through border crossing points of Torkham, Chaman, Ghulam Khan, Badini, and Bahramcha.

Since September 15, 2023, at least 824,568 individuals have returned to Afghanistan while two percent (18,577) of this total has returned since January 2025, the IOM said.

According to the report, the fear of arrest (78 percent) and inability to pay house rent (34 percent) are the most common reasons for the return cited among the heads of households returning to Afghanistan.

The IOM also stated that both the fear of arrest and communal pressure to return increased in the past two weeks.

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IOM reports rise in repatriation of Afghan refugees from Islamabad, Rawalpindi 

Since September 15, 2023, at least 824,568 individuals have returned to Afghanistan while two percent (18,577) of this total has returned since January 2025, the IOM said.

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Over 18,000 Afghan migrants returned to Afghanistan from Islamabad and Rawalpindi in January, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported. 

According to the organization, 9,846 Afghan returnees were identified through border crossing points of Torkham, Chaman, Ghulam Khan, Badini, and Bahramcha.

Since September 15, 2023, at least 824,568 individuals have returned to Afghanistan while two percent (18,577) of this total has returned since January 2025, the IOM said.

The IOM said 10 percent of the returnee households were women-headed households, adding that no child-headed households were recorded during the said period. 

More men (52 percent) than women (48 percent) returned during the reporting period.

According to the report, the fear of arrest (78 percent) and inability to pay house rent (34 percent) are the most common reasons for the return cited among the heads of households returning to Afghanistan.

The inability to pay household utilities (30 percent), no employment (26 percent), and communal pressure to return (nine percent) were also cited among reasons. 

The IOM also stated that the fear of arrest and communal pressure to return both increased in the past two weeks.

In addition, 89 percent of Afghans reported family reunions as the reason for choosing their final destination and 67 percent noted the availability of assistance in Afghanistan as another reason. 

 

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