Afghanistan

January 7, 2025 12:12 PM

UK politicians urge England to boycott Afghanistan match over treatment of women

A group of British lawmakers urged England to boycott their Champions Trophy match against Afghanistan next month, saying the country's cricket board (ECB) needed to take a stand against the Taliban's crackdown on women. Since the Taliban returned to power in 2021 it has clamped down on the rights of women and girls, restricting their access to education and work, curbing their freedom of movement, and forcing them to cover their faces and bodies. Women and girls have also been barred from spo...

January 6, 2025 4:20 PM

India condemns Pak airstrikes on Afghanistan, says ‘old practice’ to blame neighbours for internal failures

India on Monday condemned the recent Pakistani airstrikes on Afghanistan, emphasizing that it is Islamabad's "longstanding pattern" to blame its neighbours for its internal failures. "We have noted media reports of airstrikes on Afghan civilians, including women and children, in which several civilian lives have been lost," said Randhir Jaiswal, spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), while responding to media queries. "We unequivocally condemn any attack on innocent civilians. ...

December 27, 2024 9:04 AM

Condolences pour in from across the globe on demise of former PM Manmohan Singh

Condolences have poured in from across the globe following the demise of former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh. Leaders from neighbouring countries including the Maldives and Afghanistan, expressed deep grief over his passing, highlighting his contributions and warm relations with their nations. Former President of Afghanistan, Hamid Karzai in a post on X said that India has lost one of its most illustrious sons. Calling him an "unwavering ally and friend to the people of Afghanistan", Karzai...

July 20, 2024 4:51 PM

Panel studying US war in Afghanistan holds first public hearing

A commission created by Congress to conduct an independent review of the 20-year U.S. war in Afghanistan held its first public hearing on Friday, pledging to be "unflinching" in examining how and why key decisions were made and who made them. But, while accountability "is centrally important, our focus is less on assigning credit or blame ... than on extracting and applying its lessons" for future conflicts, said co-chair Colin Jackson. The panel's first public hearing came just over a month b...

July 1, 2024 10:54 AM

India joins UN led conference on Afghanistan in Doha

India has joined a UN-led conference on Afghanistan that began on Sunday in Doha. Representing India at the conference is J.P. Singh, Joint Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs. India is one of 25 countries participating in this third conference, which aims to find ways to improve the lives of Afghan people under Taliban rule. This meeting is notable because it is the first time the Taliban are attending the talks. However, the UN has clarified that the discussions are not intended to ...

September 16, 2024 6:37 PM

Russia invites Afghanistan’s Taliban to major economic forum

Russia has invited Afghanistan's Taliban to its biggest annual economic forum as Moscow moves to remove a ban on the Islamist movement, a senior Russian diplomat was quoted as saying on Monday. Since the Taliban seized power in August 2021 as U.S.-led forces withdrew after 20 years of war, Russia has been slowly building ties with the Taliban, though the movement is still officially outlawed in Russia. Russia's foreign and justice ministries have reported to President Vladimir Putin on the iss...

September 16, 2024 6:16 PM

Pakistan asks Afghanistan to turn in TTP terrorists involved in attack on Chinese nationals

Pakistan has demanded that the Taliban government in Afghanistan hand over terrorists from the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) who were involved in the attack on Chinese engineers in the Shangla district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, reported ARY News. The attack, which took place on March 26 in Bisham city of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's Shangla district, claimed the lives of five Chinese engineers and one Pakistani citizen. The incident occurred when the convoy was traveling between Islamabad and ...

May 6, 2024 5:05 PM

Over 23 million Afghans in dire need of humanitarian aid: UNAMA report

A staggering 23.7 million people are in dire need of humanitarian assistance in Afghanistan, according to a report by the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan. The report, cited by Khaama Press, highlights the significant humanitarian challenges in Afghanistan despite a decline in violence. Echoing similar concerns, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies has also highlighted the severe deterioration of the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan. Millio...

April 18, 2024 5:20 PM

EAM Jaishankar meets UN Assistance Mission Chief, discusses current situation in Afghanistan

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar expressed pleasure at welcoming Special Representative Roza Otunbayeva, head of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), to New Delhi on Thursday. In a post on X, Jaishankar said that he and Otunbayeva discussed the present situation in Afghanistan and exchanged viewpoints. The External Affairs Minister also highlighted that India has provided essential aid to Afghanistan, including wheat, medicines, pesticides, and school supplies. ...