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Three ministerial candidates present their plans to parliament

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Nominee ministers for foreign affairs, finance and interior, on Monday presented their operational strategies to the Wolesi Jirga, or Lower House of Parliament, for their votes of confidence.

Acting foreign minister Haneef Atmar said if there is no peace agreement reached between the Afghan team and the Taliban in Qatar, national and regional consensus will be jeopardized, and even if the peace process is successful, the threat of terrorism will not end in Afghanistan.

“The issue of peace is a serious need, and if this process does not succeed, the national and regional consensus will be jeopardized and the system and the country will be damaged, and if we find peace with the Taliban, still the threat of terrorism will remain,” Atmar told MPs.

He also stated that peace and stability in Afghanistan would be in the best interests of the region and the world.

However, he stated that “Afghanistan will be faced with terrorism threats” even if a peace deal is reached with the Taliban.

Atmar stated that regional and global cooperation in respect of the Afghan peace process was needed and that assistance from stakeholders in fighting terrorism was also necessary.

He said economic growth was also dependent on regional and foreign cooperation especially in terms of transit and trade connectivity.

Atmar said the international community’s assistance to Afghanistan needs to become responsible and effective.

“We will not let anyone undermine our national sovereignty,” he said.

Acting interior minister Massoud Andarabi and acting finance minister Abdul Hadi Arghandiwal also presented their strategies to MPs.

Arghandiwal said if he wins a vote of confidence as finance minister, he will increase domestic revenue to 400 billion Afghanis by 2025 and declare Afghanistan as economically independent in the same year.

Arghandiwal said under his reform program, the finance ministry will be able to collect $700 million in the short-term from the international community.

He also said that the construction of hydro-electric dams, investment in the agricultural sector, and mining were areas that would be prioritized under his leadership.

Arghandiwal stated that the problem of corruption in the country is a major challenge that requires serious action. He also said more than 1,000 people have been referred to the Attorney General’s Office on charges of corruption in customs and other revenue sectors.

Meanwhile, Massoud Andarabi, the nominee and acting minister for interior, told members of the Wolesi Jirga that the Taliban had increased violence across the country by changing their tactics.

Andarabi said targeted assassinations, attacks on district centers and roadside bombs are key tactics now being used by the Taliban.

He added that security forces had responded to all Taliban action in Helmand and Kandahar provinces.

Meanwhile, some lawmakers have criticized some of the nominees and accused them of being corrupt, saying they are “old faces”.

MPs have however decided that once all 10 ministerial candidates have presented their operational plans, lawmakers will vote by ballot on Thursday to determine the fate of the candidates.

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Pakistani PM urges IEA to rein in terrorist groups

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Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has said that it’s a sad reality that the soil of neighbouring Afghanistan is being used for terrorist attacks inside Pakistan.

“Afghanistan is our brotherly country and the two countries are neighbours by nature. We have to live as good neighbours. It’s up to us how we live cordially and in a friendly way. We have asked the Afghan interim government several times that the Afghan soil should not be used as per the Doha agreement against Pakistan and its interests,” Shehbaz told the media during his visit to London, Geo News reported on Sunday.

“Sadly, terror groups such as Tehreek-e-Taliban (TTP) and other terror groups are operating from Afghanistan. They have killed innocent people inside Pakistan. These sacrifices of Pakistanis will not go in vain. My advice to Afghanistan is to rein in these terrorist groups.”

Pakistani officials have repeatedly claimed that Afghan soil is being used in attacks against Pakistan.

The Islamic Emirate, however, has denied the allegations, saying Afghanistan is not responsible for Pakistan’s “security failure”.

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Pakistan’s Punjab CM calls for ‘human response’ to Afghan girls’ education ban

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Maryam Nawaz, the chief minister of Pakistan’s Punjab province, on Saturday expressed regret over the educational restrictions on girls in Afghanistan, calling on the international community to address the issue.

Speaking at the Antalya Diplomacy Forum in Turkey, Maryam stressed that no society progresses without investing in the welfare of women and children.

“Innocent children lie under the rubble in Palestine. Girls in Afghanistan are denied access to schools. The children of Kashmir are victims of oppression. In Sudan, they walk miles for food. These are not isolated issues—they demand collective human response,” she said.

The Islamic Emirate has suspended education of girls beyond sixth grade.

This policy has been widely criticised internationally.

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IEA Supreme Leader defends public executions, says its as ‘part of Islam’

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The Supreme Leader of the islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) Hibatullah Akhundzada has defended public executions and said these are an integral part of Islam.

In a voice clip reportedly taped during a speech at a seminar for Hajj instructors in Kandahar on Saturday, Akhundzada said: “We must carry out disciplinary measures, perform prayers and acts of worship. We must enter Islam completely. Islam is not just limited to a few rituals; it is a comprehensive system of all divine commands.”

Not a single command of Islam should be left unfulfilled, he is heard saying on the voice clip, which was posted to X by the IEA’s spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid.

God had commanded people to pray and to enforce his punishments, said Akhundzada, adding that the IEA did not wage war for power or wealth but rather to “implement Islamic law”. He rejected criticism of the executions.

This comes after widespread condemnation following the execution by firing squad on Friday of four men convicted of murder.

Akhundzada has previously rejected the need for Western laws in Afghanistan.

He said Saturday: “Yesterday, executions were carried out. You saw how much protest was raised in the world, and said that they [IEA] kill people, that they are oppressors, that they terrorize people. They call this terror; they call this against Sharia; but this is a Sharia order to take revenge. One order is to implement the orders of Allah. One order is to impose punishments,” said Akhundzada.
He added that the Islamic Emirate is facing a great test but they will not bargain with the world over Islam, religion, and the Prophet (PBUH).

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