India Reaffirms Commitment To Peace & Development In Afghanistan

The incident occurred on the evening of Monday, 23 June, when a 31-year-old Belarusian man reportedly picked up the child, who had fled conflict in Iran with his pregnant mother, and slammed him violently onto the floor of the airport terminal.

According to Russian media, the child sustained severe head injuries and remains in a coma. Authorities have arrested the suspect and launched an investigation into attempted murder.

In a statement shared by the Afghan Embassy in Australia on Thursday, 25 June, the council described the assault as a “brutal and inhumane act” and a clear violation of human dignity. It urged Russian officials to uncover the full circumstances of the attack and ensure justice is served.

“It is imperative to uncover the truth, establish the motives behind this crime, and ensure that the perpetrator is held accountable under the rule of law,” the council said.

The statement stressed that the incident highlights the vulnerability of Afghan refugees and the need for greater international attention to their safety and dignity, particularly that of children and other at-risk groups.

“We urge the Russian authorities to act with the necessary transparency and decisiveness to deliver justice in this case,” the council added.

The motive behind the Belarusian man’s actions remains unclear. Reports suggest the suspect had recently travelled from Kabul to Moscow and was exhibiting erratic behaviour at the time of the incident.

The child was reportedly alone in the terminal when the attack occurred, as his mother had stepped away briefly to collect their luggage. The family had recently arrived in Moscow after fleeing the war in Iran.

The announcement was made during a ceremony at the Afghan embassy in Ankara, where Muttaqi stated that diplomatic ties between the Taliban and Türkiye had been upgraded to ambassadorial level. He described the move as a reflection of “good cooperation and positive relations” and expressed hope that it would help further strengthen bilateral engagement.

Muttaqi also claimed that relations between the Taliban government and Türkiye are now “almost normalised.” He added that Turkish citizens were travelling to Afghanistan “for investment and tourism,” and cited an economic growth rate of “2.7 percent” under Taliban rule.

According to the UN Comtrade database, Türkiye’s exports to Afghanistan in 2024 totalled approximately $210 million.

Farahmand, the new ambassador, holds the religious title of “Sheikh al-Hadith,” signifying his expertise in Islamic traditions. His public social media presence suggests he has primarily been involved in teaching Tajwid (rules of Qur’anic recitation), Qur’anic studies, and Hadith, particularly those of Imam Bukhari.

Despite not formally recognising the Taliban government, Türkiye has maintained a diplomatic presence in Kabul since the fall of the previous administration. The appointment of Farahmand is part of the Taliban’s broader pattern of assigning religious scholars to key government and diplomatic positions.

Ahmadullah Muttaqi, head of the Taliban’s Directorate of Information and Culture in Herat, said that around 600 passenger buses transported the migrants to the Islam Qala border crossing. Posting on the social media platform X, he noted that the return of Afghan migrants from Iran would continue in the coming days, with hundreds more buses expected to arrive at the border.

Muttaqi described Wednesday’s influx as unusually large, even as the number of returnees had been rising in recent weeks.

Taliban authorities said they had distributed water and food to returnees at the border and were working overnight to transfer them to their respective provinces.

The surge in returns follows Iran’s reported intensification of pressure on Afghan migrants, particularly after its military confrontation with Israel. Earlier this week, the governor of Tehran announced that increased security checkpoints had led to a three- to fourfold rise in the arrest and deportation of undocumented migrants.

Iran hosts one of the world’s largest populations of Afghan refugees, many of whom fled decades of conflict and instability. Rights groups have criticised Iran’s recent mass deportations, citing concerns over the treatment of returnees under Taliban rule.

Ahmadullah Muttaqi, the Taliban’s Director of Information and Culture in Herat, said that prior to the outbreak of hostilities, approximately 3,000 Afghan nationals were being forcibly deported each day via the Islam Qala border crossing. That figure has now surged to around 10,000 per day since the conflict ended, he said.

Muttaqi noted that, in addition to those forcibly removed, another 1,000 people had been voluntarily returning daily before the war. In the days following the ceasefire, he claimed, voluntary returns have increased to about 4,000 daily.

“Combined, we are now seeing roughly 13,000 people returning from Iran each day, and this could soon rise to between 15,000 and 20,000,” Muttaqi said during a public event.

Despite these claims, Iran’s ambassador to Afghanistan, Alireza Bikdeli, said on Monday that Tehran is not applying “pressure, unjust or illegal actions” against Afghan nationals. He stated that the plan to regulate and repatriate undocumented Afghan migrants began a year ago in consultation with Taliban officials and continues as scheduled.

Reports of detentions of Afghan migrants in Iran during the Iran-Israel conflict have added to concerns over their treatment. Rights groups and Afghan officials have previously criticised Iran’s handling of Afghan refugees, particularly in the wake of increased regional instability.

According to a report published by The Nation on Wednesday, 25 June, Kamal made the announcement during a high-level meeting convened to review ongoing challenges related to the polio virus. He reaffirmed Pakistan’s “strong political and operational commitment” to eliminating polio, calling the effort not just a public health initiative but “a national mission.”

Kamal added that vaccination campaigns remain among the government’s top health priorities and noted that targeted efforts are under way, particularly in southern areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, which remain vulnerable to outbreaks.

He praised Afghanistan’s recent progress in tackling polio, stating that it may reach eradication ahead of Pakistan.

According to official figures, at least 11 new polio cases have been recorded in Pakistan and two in Afghanistan since the beginning of 2025. Last year, Pakistan reported 74 cases, while Afghanistan recorded 25.

Pakistan and Afghanistan are the only two countries in the world where wild poliovirus remains endemic.