UN Refugee Agency Chief Visits Pakistan to Address Afghan Refugee Crisis

During the Organisation of Turkic States meeting in Azerbaijan, Mirziyoyev called for the release of Afghanistan's frozen assets.

The Organisation of Turkic States includes Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkey, and Uzbekistan.

According to TASS news agency, Mirziyoyev mentioned that, unfortunately, due to the intensification of wars and conflicts in other parts of the world, Afghanistan, their neighbour where millions of Turkic people live, has fallen out of the global community's attention.

He stated that the return of Afghanistan's frozen assets would help improve the situation in the country.

Mirziyoyev proposed that a common and unified approach towards Afghanistan be placed on the agenda of the foreign ministers of the Organisation of Turkic States.

Like other countries, Uzbekistan does not recognise the Taliban, but it maintains relatively close relations with the group.

The President of Uzbekistan added that his country will continue to provide necessary assistance to the people of Afghanistan.

The ministry stated that during these two days, a section of the Kabul-Kandahar highway will undergo asphalting. In a press release issued on Sunday, the Ministry of Public Works mentioned that the Sheikhabad bridge area in Saydabad district of Maidan Wardak province will be under maintenance.

The press release urged cargo and passenger vehicle drivers to use the Kabul-Logar route until the Kabul-Kandahar highway is reopened.

The Kabul-Kandahar highway was constructed with international assistance during the presidency of Hamid Karzai in early 2000s. However, a significant portion of this route has been destroyed due to the war in recent years.

The Taliban have been accused of destroying this road and its bridges during the insurgency against the previous republic order and the international forces.

According to witnesses, at least five Taliban members were injured in the incident. The Taliban stated they have killed one ISIS member.

Locals reported that the confrontation began when Taliban forces, dispatched to the area for inspection, clashed with ISIS members in a house in Momand Dara.

According to the sources, ISIS members first threw a grenade at the Taliban, resulting in injuries to at least five Taliban members. The Taliban transported the injured to a clinic in the Shinwar district.

Residents said the Taliban then intensified their attacks on the house, and the clashes continued for about an hour, eventually leading to the house being completely destroyed. Based on information from locals, the Taliban have currently surrounded the area, and sporadic gunfire can be heard in the vicinity.

Meanwhile, Al Mirsad, a website affiliated with Taliban intelligence, reported that in an operation by the group in Momand Dara district, an ISIS member named Zakirullah, known as Abu Shir, was killed. According to Al Mirsad, Abu Shir was the ISIS military commander in the Achin district of Nangarhar.

The ministry reported that 4,710 people were deported from Pakistan, while 14,410 migrants were deported from Iran.

The Taliban's Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation said that among those deported from Iran and Pakistan, women and children were also included.

The ministry added that Afghan migrants returned to Afghanistan through Torkham, Spin Boldak, Islam Qala, and Pul-e-Abrisham border crossings.

In recent months, the governments of Iran and Pakistan have significantly increased the deportation of Afghan migrants, expelling hundreds of undocumented migrants from these countries daily.

Additionally, some migrants deported from Pakistan and Iran in recent months have claimed that despite having legal documents, they were first detained by the police and then repatriated to Afghanistan.

These Afghan migrants have sent videos to Afghanistan International, complaining about mistreatment by Iranian police in the refugee camps.

According to the statement, despite various challenges, this year's Muharram mourning ceremonies will be held.

Last year, the Taliban asked Afghan Shias to refrain from erecting scaffolding and large religious flags in the city. The Taliban also banned refreshment stands and the distribution of drinks during Muharram.

In the statement issued by Shia Ulema Council of Afghanistan on Saturday, religious committees in mosques and Hussainiyas, who are primarily responsible for the ceremonies, were asked to pay attention to security issues.

The council also urged the leaders of religious committees to be vigilant about suspicious matters.

Shia leaders in Afghanistan have repeatedly asked the Taliban to officially recognise the Jafari jurisprudence, but the group has not made any official statement on this matter.

The Taliban have based their policies and governance on their particular interpretation of Sunni Hanafi Islam.

The Council also requested religious scholars to avoid discussing contentious issues during the month of Muharram.