Uzbekistan Expands Afghan Rail Line To Boost Trade

Noorullah Noori made the remarks on Thursday, April 23, during a gathering in Badakhshan titled “Defending and Supporting the Islamic System”, though he did not name specific countries.

He said the Taliban administration seeks relations with all countries but will not allow any interference on Afghan soil.

Noori had earlier said during a visit to Takhar that Pakistan does not want a stable government in Afghanistan and is trying to have the Durand Line recognised as an official border.

He also claimed that the activities of the National Resistance Front and ISIS in Afghanistan are largely for propaganda purposes, arguing such announcements aim to attract foreign support.

The minister has recently visited several northern provinces.

He described the Afghanistan-Pakistan border as a “imaginary line” and said it cannot be accepted as an official boundary, calling the Durand Line a “national issue”.

Noori added that opposing the Taliban administration would be futile, while saying the door to dialogue with opponents remains open.

Sources told Afghanistan International the protests began after attempts to issue national ID cards to families reportedly not listed in official records of the National Statistics and Information Authority.

They said these individuals are not registered in the district’s civil registration system and issuing IDs to them violates legal procedures.

Videos of the protest have been obtained by Afghanistan International.

According to sources, the head of the civil registration office in Qaramqol was detained after refusing to issue IDs, reportedly on the orders of Abdul Ahad Fazli.

Sources added that some nomadic (Kuchi) families are attempting to obtain new ID cards from the district.

Protesters gathered outside the district office, calling for the process to be halted and investigated by authorities.

In a statement on Thursday, April 23, the UN mission said educating women and girls is essential for innovation, employment and a sustainable future in Afghanistan.

UNAMA said 1,675 days have passed since education beyond sixth grade was banned, noting that over this period a generation of Afghan girls has been deprived of the right to education.

Since returning to power, the Taliban have barred girls from attending secondary schools, universities and other higher education institutions.

Afghan citizens, international organisations, Islamic countries and the wider global community have repeatedly condemned the restrictions and called for their reversal.

The Taliban, however, describe the issue as an internal matter and have urged foreign actors not to interfere in Afghanistan’s domestic affairs.

Afghanistan remains the only country in the world where girls are prohibited from education beyond the sixth grade.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of an international traditional wrestling tournament in Kabul on Thursday, Muttaqi referred to the situation in Iran and said he hoped peace talks would continue, the ceasefire would hold and stability would return to the region.

The tournament, which opened on April 23, brought together athletes from six regional countries.

Muttaqi said the presence of foreign athletes in Afghanistan reflected what he described as improving ties between the Taliban administration and countries in the region. He added that Afghanistan has co-operation with regional countries in political, trade and other fields.

He also expressed regret over the ongoing conflict involving Iran and called for continued negotiations and the preservation of a ceasefire, saying he hoped countries in the region would be able to live in peace.

Since the start of US and Israeli strikes on Iran and the subsequent escalation, the Taliban have voiced support for Tehran and condemned the attacks.

Juan Vargas, US Congressman, described the move as “horrific and disgraceful”, saying it treats people who risked their lives for the United States in an inhumane way.

Representative Ami Bera also condemned the plan as a “cruel betrayal” of Afghan interpreters, partners and their families, arguing they now face an “impossible choice” between returning to Taliban-ruled Afghanistan or being sent to a country facing a severe humanitarian crisis.

Bera urged the Trump administration to honour its commitments to these individuals.

According to The New York Times, Donald Trump is considering relocating around 1,100 Afghan refugees, including 400 children, from Al Sayliyah camp in Qatar to Congo. These individuals were transferred there after the fall of Kabul and had been promised visas and resettlement in the United States.

Nearly five years after the US withdrawal from Afghanistan, thousands of Afghan refugees remain in limbo across the region. Since returning to the White House, Trump has halted relocation efforts for former Afghan partners.