175 People Lose Life In Cold Weather in Afghanistan, Says Afghan Red Crescent Society

He also cited security problems as the reason for the process to be stopped.

He clarified that just as he had stopped sermons for a while during the COVID-19 quarantine time, “now we are facing another Corona”. He emphasised that "certainly Corona is very dangerous”.

Hekmatyar said that for this reason, we must take serious measures.

The leader of Hizb-e-Islami had been delivering a sermon every Friday at his residence in district six of Kabul.

Niklasson said that in a meeting with the Pakistani officials, the parties agreed on the need for cooperation between the region and the international community for the benefit of the Afghan people.

The EU special envoy stressed on Friday that during his three days in Pakistan, he discussed with the country's officials about the consequences of the Taliban's policy on the ban of women from work.

The EU envoy also said that in these meetings, the need for inclusive government and protection of the rights and freedoms of Afghan citizens was emphasised.

Niklasson stated that the Taliban's decision to ban women from work, will harm needy women and children in Afghanistan at the worst possible time.

Besides these, Thomas Niklasson, referring to the recent deadly attack on a mosque in Peshawar, said that this attack is a reminder of the terrorist threats against Afghanistan and its neighbouring countries.

The Russian diplomat said that Moscow’s invitation has been sent to the regional countries, but the exact date of the meeting has not been specified.

The meetings of Secretaries of the Security Council of regional countries regarding Afghanistan have been continuously held in the last few years.

The last meeting of these stakeholders had been held on May 27, 2022, in Dushanbe, the capital of Tajikistan.

In the meeting, the representatives of all countries emphasised that an inclusive government should be formed in Afghanistan.

The Red Cross stressed that many people in Afghanistan cannot afford to keep warm due to economic challenges.

The Red Cross has released a video that shows some citizens using plastic to heat their homes.

Khyber, one of the daily wage workers, said that there is no work, and in this cold season, a ton of coal costs 14,000 afghanis. He said that we do not know how to buy coal or wood for 14,000 afghanis.

This worker said that they burn plastic and old shoes so that they can warm up for a while.

The Tajik official added that as a result of the increase in drug smuggling from Afghanistan, more drug traffickers have been arrested too.

Vahidzoda stressed that in 2021, eight Afghan citizens had been arrested for drug trafficking in Tajikistan, and in 2022, the number has jumped to 19 people.

Tajikistan says that the largest shipments of drugs smuggled into Tajikistan has come from Afghanistan.

The Prosecutor General of Tajikistan also said recently that drug smuggling from Afghanistan has almost doubled.

Tajik authorities urged regional countries to expand cooperation in order to curb the increase in drug smuggling from Afghanistan.

Kyrgyzstan security officials had also previously announced that large amounts of drugs from Afghanistan entered the black market of regional countries.

Drug trafficking to Tajikistan and other Central Asian countries has been reported at a time when the Taliban have banned the cultivation and sale of narcotics in Afghanistan.