Taliban, Uzbekistan Discuss Railway Project & Trilateral Talks With Pakistan

Takal stated that the delegation will engage in discussions with Qatari officials on a range of issues, although no further details were provided. The Taliban’s Foreign Ministry has yet to issue an official statement on the visit, and the specific purpose of the trip remains unclear.

Earlier, on 17 April, Muttaqi held a telephone conversation with Mohammed bin Abdulaziz Al-Khulaifi, Qatar’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs. During the call, the two sides discussed expanding diplomatic relations and mentioned a possible visit by Muttaqi to Qatar “in the near future.”

At the time, the Taliban’s Foreign Ministry did not announce the exact date or objectives of the visit. However, the deputy spokesperson has now confirmed to Radio Hurriyat that Muttaqi is travelling to Qatar today.

Qatar is regarded as one of the Taliban’s principal allies. The Gulf nation hosted the Taliban’s political office in Doha prior to the collapse of the previous Afghan government and facilitated 18 months of negotiations between the Taliban and the United States.

The WFP has faced significant financial challenges, particularly following the suspension of aid from the United States. Last year, the US provided $4.5 billion of the WFP’s $9.8 billion total budget.

The agency supplies food and cash assistance to those suffering from hunger caused by crop failures, conflict, and climate change.

According to a report by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), more than 23 million Afghans are currently in need of humanitarian assistance.

Previously, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) also warned that with the return of approximately 5,000 migrants each week, millions of people in Afghanistan are facing worsening poverty, homelessness, and severe humanitarian conditions.

In a statement, Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid condemned the coup of the 7th of Saur (27 April) in 1978, calling it a “communist assault” on Afghanistan’s sovereignty. He hailed the 8th of Saur (28 April) as a “historic day of freedom and a great divine blessing,” noting that it symbolises the nation’s liberation and independence.

Mujahid stated that the anniversaries are being observed at a time when the Taliban has achieved its objectives of “restoring the country’s independence, fostering unity and solidarity, eliminating chaos, and enforcing a Sharia-based system.”

The statement reads: “The Islamic Emirate condemns the coup of the 7th of Saur and the communists’ assault on our sacred domain, and considers the 8th of Saur a historic day of the nation’s freedom and pride, a great divine blessing for which we must offer gratitude.”

The coup on 27 April 1978, led by the People’s Democratic Party of Afghanistan against President Mohammad Daoud Khan, resulted in Nur Muhammad Taraki seizing power. The establishment of a communist regime subsequently led to the Soviet invasion, igniting years of resistance from Islamist political groups.

Ultimately, on 28 April 1992, the Soviet-backed government collapsed, and the Mujahideen assumed control of Afghanistan.

Marking the two anniversaries, the Taliban emphasised the necessity of “strongly protecting the Sharia system” in the country.

In a message sent to Afghanistan International, the retirees emphasised that they are not asking for charity, but demanding the rightful payment of their salaries.

In a video message, one retiree said that Kabul’s retired employees have been gathering daily for the past four years outside the pension office to demand their payments. He noted that the Taliban had made repeated promises but had failed to fulfil them.

He stressed that pension payments are a basic right, deducted from their wages during their years of service.

Since the Taliban’s return to power, the payment of pensions to retired government employees has been suspended and has yet to be resumed.

Hibatullah Akhundzada, the Taliban’s supreme leader, issued a decree in late December 2024 ordering the establishment of special courts to address pension cases and calling for the payments to be made. However, four months after the decree, the issue remains unresolved.

The retirees accuse the Taliban of dishonesty and breaking their promises, saying that if the group had genuinely intended to pay the pensions, they would have taken action in the nearly four years since their takeover.

The aid cuts have also halted access for 700,000 Afghans to healthcare, vaccinations, malnutrition treatment, clean water, and protection services.

In a report published on Saturday, the IRC stated that the decrease in US assistance has severely impacted the organisation’s critical programmes for Afghan citizens. Among the disruptions, the treatment of 15,000 children suffering from malnutrition has been interrupted.

Thousands of vulnerable Afghans have been cut off from essential services following the suspension of IRC programmes due to funding reductions.

The decline in US aid has led to the shutdown of numerous humanitarian initiatives across Afghanistan, significantly worsening the country’s humanitarian crisis.

The IRC emphasised that Afghanistan is facing a severe humanitarian emergency, with more than 22.9 million people urgently needing assistance. It warned that the prolonged economic collapse and ongoing environmental challenges have plunged millions into poverty and hardship.

The aid agency further warned that US funding cuts have had devastating effects on vulnerable groups, particularly the three million children and 1.2 million pregnant or breastfeeding women suffering from acute malnutrition.

The Taliban’s restrictions on women and girls have eliminated the income of many female-headed households, greatly increasing the risk of hunger and malnutrition.

According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), nearly 23 million Afghans are currently in need of humanitarian aid. Meanwhile, the World Food Programme (WFP) reports that around 15 million Afghans are unsure where their next meal will come from.