The 13th Annual World Happiness Report was released on March 20, coinciding with the International Day of Happiness. Finland has been ranked the happiest country for the eighth consecutive year, maintaining its top position.
Denmark, Iceland, Sweden, and the Netherlands follow in second to fifth place, securing their spots among the world’s happiest nations.
At the bottom of the list, Afghanistan remains the world’s saddest country, ranking 147th. It is followed by Sierra Leone (146th), Lebanon (145th), Malawi (144th), and Zimbabwe (143rd), which complete the five least happy nations.
The report also highlights a slight decline in the United States’ ranking, dropping one place to 24th compared to last year. Meanwhile, the United Kingdom has fallen to 23rd place, marking its lowest happiness ranking since 2018.
Canada, however, has retained its position among the top 20 happiest countries, securing 18th place.
The Torkham border crossing officially reopened on Wednesday, March 19, after nearly a month of closure. The reopening initially allows truck traffic and medical patients to cross, restoring trade between Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Taliban and Pakistani officials stated that passenger movement would resume within the next two days. Videos obtained by Afghanistan International show cargo trucks entering both countries following the reopening. Pakistani authorities confirmed that the crossing would be fully operational for pedestrians by Friday.
The Taliban governor’s spokesperson in Nangarhar said Pakistani officials were working to activate their systems for passenger movement by the end of the week. Earlier, sources confirmed that Taliban and Pakistani border officials had reached an agreement to reopen the crossing.
Security sources said the meeting took place on Wednesday, with the Pakistani delegation led by Asim Kayani, commander of the Pakistan Army in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and the Taliban delegation headed by Abdul Jabbar Hikmat, the group’s commissioner at Torkham. This meeting followed two unsuccessful jirgas [tribal councils] aimed at resolving the border closure.
Participants of both jirgas said the Taliban’s refusal to halt checkpoint construction was the primary obstacle to reopening. Pakistan initially closed the Torkham border on February 21, citing the Taliban’s attempt to build a checkpoint on Pakistani soil.
Syed Jawad Hussain Kazemi, head of Pakistan’s jirga delegation, stated that the Taliban had now agreed to halt construction activities that could escalate border tensions. Both sides also agreed to prevent future conflicts at Torkham until the Joint Coordination Committee (JCC) convenes.
Pakistani media reported that the border would first reopen for passenger movement, followed by commercial goods. Officials from both sides plan to meet soon to facilitate smoother transit at the crossing.
Pakistani customs officials estimate that the Torkham crossing handles approximately $3 million in daily trade and sees around 10,000 crossings per day.
The border was originally shut down on February 21 after clashes between Taliban and Pakistani border forces. The dispute was triggered by Taliban checkpoint construction and Pakistan’s installation of a road sign at the zero-point. The closure stranded thousands of passengers and caused significant financial losses.
A Pakistani official told Express Tribune that the shutdown had cost Pakistan around $72 million. Meanwhile, the Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce reported that Afghan traders had suffered losses of approximately $66 million due to the prolonged closure.
Askar Jalalian, Iran’s Deputy Minister of Justice for Human Rights and International Affairs, announced that 149 Afghan prisoners have been transferred from Iran to Afghanistan.
He stated on Wednesday, March 19, that these prisoners were handed over to the Taliban to serve the remainder of their sentences.
According to Iran’s IRNA news agency, the transferred prisoners had been incarcerated in the provinces of Sistan and Baluchestan, Semnan, Yazd, and Hormozgan. The report stated that the transfer was conducted in accordance with legal procedures and with the cooperation of Iran’s judiciary, prison authorities, provincial courts, and prosecution offices.
Jalalian noted that most of the transferred prisoners had been convicted of drug-related offences. He also announced that Iran’s Ministry of Justice is committed to continuing the transfer of convicted individuals, particularly citizens of Afghanistan, Malaysia, Pakistan, and Türkiye, in future phases.
Earlier, in February 2024, Iranian officials reported that over the past year, Iran had handed over 1,136 Afghan prisoners to the Taliban. In January 2025, the Taliban stated that Iran was preparing to transfer an additional 1,500 Afghan prisoners.
Previous transfers of Afghan prisoners to the Taliban have raised concerns that some individuals may be opposition members and could face human rights violations.
Human Rights Watch (HRW) has warned that Afghan refugees deported from Pakistan are at risk of harassment by the Taliban and face severe economic hardships.
The organisation described Afghanistan’s human rights situation as dire and urged Pakistan to stop expelling Afghan refugees.
In a statement on Wednesday, 19 March, HRW said that deported refugees returning to Afghanistan are struggling with unemployment, a failing healthcare system, and declining international aid. The organisation also called on the Taliban to stop mistreating returning refugees.
HRW stressed that no government should forcibly return refugees to places where they could face persecution. It accused Pakistani authorities of using “abusive tactics” and increasing pressure to expel Afghan refugees.
Elaine Pearson, HRW’s Asia director, called on Pakistani officials to “immediately stop coercing Afghans to return home” and allow those facing expulsion to seek protection. She urged Pakistan to grant refugees access to support and legal protection.
Pearson also urged the Taliban to avoid reprisals against returning Afghans and to reverse their restrictive policies against women and girls.
In late January, the Pakistani government announced that undocumented Afghan refugees must leave the country by the end of March. It also ordered refugees holding Proof of Registration (PoR) cards to vacate Islamabad and Rawalpindi by the end of June. Pakistan warned that failure to comply would lead to forced deportation.
HRW reported that since Pakistan intensified its deportation campaign in November 2024, 70 percent of returnees have been women and children. The organisation noted that returning girls have been deprived of education, while women face growing restrictions under Taliban rule.
Pakistani authorities have launched a screening process to verify security personnel employed in private housing schemes in Rawalpindi.
The initiative, led by the Divisional Intelligence Committee (DIC), aims to ensure that no Afghan nationals, criminals, or individuals with links to terrorism are working in security roles.
According to Express Tribune, Rawalpindi security officials initiated the operation in response to a rise in terrorist incidents. The report states that intelligence officials in Rawalpindi have met with the owners of 79 private housing complexes to discuss the issue.
Rawalpindi, located near Islamabad, is home to hundreds of thousands of Afghan refugees. Many have lived there for years and operate businesses in the city. Recently, Afghan refugees in Pakistan have faced increasing hardships, including arrests, police extortion, and forced deportations.
The Pakistani government has ordered Afghan refugees to leave Rawalpindi and Islamabad. Under the directive, refugees holding Proof of Registration (PoR) cards, Afghan Citizen Cards (ACC), UNHCR receipts, or documents from Western embassies must vacate these cities by 31 March.
Additionally, undocumented Afghan refugees and ACC cardholders have been instructed to leave Pakistan by the same deadline.
Abdul Jabbar Hikmat, the Taliban commissioner in Torkham, has confirmed that the border crossing will reopen on Wednesday, March 19, at 4:00 PM local time.
Earlier, sources told Afghanistan International that Taliban and Pakistani border officials had reached an agreement to resume movement.
Sources stated that both sides finalised the decision during a meeting on Wednesday. Security officials confirmed that Asim Kayani, the Pakistan Army commander in Khyber, led the Pakistani delegation, while Abdul Jabbar Hikmat headed the Taliban delegation.
The meeting followed two failed jirgas aimed at reopening the critical border crossing. Officials involved in the negotiations said the Taliban’s refusal to halt border post construction had been the main obstacle.
Pakistan initially shut the Torkham border on February 21 after a clash between Taliban and Pakistani border forces. The dispute was triggered by the Taliban’s construction of a border post and Pakistan’s installation of a road sign at the zero-point. In response, Pakistan sealed the crossing to both travelers and trade.
The closure has stranded thousands of passengers and caused significant financial losses to businesses. A Pakistani official told Express Tribune that the closure has cost Pakistan around $72 million. Meanwhile, the Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce reported that Afghan traders have suffered losses of approximately $66 million due to the prolonged shutdown.