China, Pakistan To Hold Trilateral Talks With Taliban In Kabul

The team will now be eligible to compete in FIFA-sanctioned competitions.

The Afghanistan Women’s Refugee Team (AWRT) will initially operate on a one-year pilot basis, designed to assess the long-term viability of the initiative and lay the groundwork for the potential formation of similar teams representing refugees of other nationalities in future.

Under the terms of the plan, the team will be permitted to participate in officially recognised friendly matches and tournaments overseen by FIFA. On Friday, FIFA confirmed that a safe and secure environment will be provided to protect the health and well-being of the players.

The move signifies the official recognition of a national-level team comprised of Afghan women footballers who were forced to flee the country and seek asylum abroad following the return to power of the Taliban.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino hailed the decision as a “historic milestone”, reaffirming FIFA’s commitment to ensuring that every girl around the world has the opportunity to play football.

According to FIFA regulations, national teams must operate under the auspices of a recognised national football federation. However, the Afghanistan Football Federation, now under Taliban control, does not recognise women’s teams, and all women’s sporting activities in the country remain banned.

The Afghanistan women’s national football team has not participated in any official matches since 2018 and has since been removed from FIFA’s global ranking of 196 teams.

As a result, Afghanistan was excluded from the draw for the AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026 qualifiers, which also serve as the preliminary stage for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil.

In response, players and supporters of the exiled team renewed calls for FIFA to formally recognise them and allow them to represent their homeland on the international stage.

FIFA also announced a series of measures aimed at the future expansion of the FIFA Women’s World Cup and renewed its commitment to combating racism in football. The Women’s World Cup will be expanded to include 48 teams across 12 groups, with the number of matches rising from 64 to 106. The tournament will also be extended by one week.

Afghan women footballers, displaced by the Taliban’s return to power, have campaigned for years to have their team officially recognised and to secure the right to participate in international competition.

The travellers, who also shared video footage, said that the crossing is now shut for pedestrian traffic on both sides of the border.

So far, no official explanation has been provided, and neither the Taliban nor Pakistani authorities have commented on the closure.

The video footage shows large groups of travellers, patients, and migrants gathered near the border gate. Many expressed uncertainty about when the crossing will reopen.

Torkham is one of the most important border crossings between Afghanistan and Pakistan, and it has been closed multiple times in recent months.

The crossing was previously shut for nearly a month to both travellers and freight traffic, from 21 February until 19 March.

The 12th edition of the awards ceremony took place on Thursday, 8 May, in Washington, where Iran International was recognised for its efforts in amplifying the voices of the Iranian people and maintaining integrity in its news coverage.

The award is part of American Abroad Media (AAM) initiatives that recognises individuals and organisations contributing to education, empowerment, and the enhancement of the media's role in providing effective public information. The event also promotes dialogue, press freedom, and responsible journalism, attracting politicians, diplomats, and cultural figures from around the world.

Mehdi Parpanchi, Executive Editor of Iran International’s Washington office, accepted the award on behalf of the network’s audience, highlighting that much of its content is based on stories and reports sent from across Iran.

“Today, Iran International is the most-watched news channel inside the country and across the diaspora. We are the only 24/7 newsroom fully dedicated to Iranian news, and that is not just a technical setup, it is a line of communication in the dark,” said Parpanchi during his acceptance speech.

In May 2024, Iran International also received the 2024 Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy’s “Courage Award.” This recognition highlighted the threats and pressures faced by the network’s journalists and praised their bravery, noting that the Islamic Republic’s Ministry of Intelligence has labelled the network a “terrorist organisation” due to its reporting.

Aliasghar Ramezanpour, Executive News Editor of Iran International, said in a related interview that the outlet considers itself part of the broader family of Iranian journalists, many of whom have faced repression over the past four decades. He emphasised that the regime’s anger towards Iran International stems from its fear of those very journalists.

The two leaders underscored the importance of regional platforms in facilitating a political resolution to the Afghan crisis.

The Moscow Format and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation are key platforms through which Russia and China engage on Afghanistan-related issues. The statement highlighted both countries’ intent to deepen cooperation, both bilaterally and through multilateral avenues, to support a peaceful Afghanistan free from terrorism and drug trafficking, and one that lives in harmony with its neighbours.

Xi Jinping arrived in Moscow on Thursday and attended Russia’s Victory Parade on Friday, which marked the 80th anniversary of the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany in World War II. The two presidents held a bilateral meeting on Thursday evening, during which they issued the joint statement.

Although neither Russia nor China officially recognises the Taliban, similar to most other countries, they maintain close diplomatic and economic relations with the group.

On 17 April, Russia’s Supreme Court approved a request from the Prosecutor General to suspend the Taliban’s designation as a terrorist organisation. Oleg Nefedov, a judge at the Supreme Court, confirmed that the decision to lift the ban on the Taliban’s activities is effective immediately.

According to the commission, 2627 Afghans were deported from Pakistan and 1508 from Iran. The returnees entered Afghanistan through the Torkham, Spin Boldak, Islam Qala, and Pul-e-Abrisham border crossings.

In an update issued on Friday, 9 May, the commission stated that 745 of the returnees had been transferred from Kabul to various provinces, including Ghazni, Logar, Khost, Paktia, Paktika, Baghlan, Takhar, Balkh, Jowzjan, and Kunduz.

Just one day earlier, on Wednesday, 4978 Afghan migrants were also deported from Iran and Pakistan, reflecting a continuing wave of forced returns.