Pakistan Strike On Kabul Hospital Must Be Investigated, Says UN Rapporteur

The Taliban Ministry of Public Works also announced on Friday that the Salang Pass highway had been temporarily closed to all traffic due to heavy rainfall and flooding in the northern Salang area.

The ministry urged travellers and drivers not to use the route until further notice.

The spokesman for the Taliban disaster management authority said on Thursday that at least six people had been killed and 11 others injured over the past 24 hours due to lightning, storms and floods in the provinces of Kandahar Province, Herat Province, Ghor Province and Takhar Province.

Afghanistan’s meteorological department has forecast relatively heavy rainfall, thunderstorms and possible flooding in 18 provinces on May 22 and 23.

The Taliban disaster management authority said the affected areas could include Kapisa, Panjshir,Parwan, Bamyan, Maidan Wardak, Balkh, Samangan, Sar-e Pol, Jowzjan, Faryab, Kunduz, Baghlan, Takhar, Badakhshan, Nangarhar, Laghman, Kunar and Nuristan provinces.

The authority urged residents to avoid rivers and flood-prone areas and to follow safety advice carefully.

She said members of the European Parliament oppose any normalisation of relations with the Taliban.

The warning came after the European Commission recently invited Taliban officials for talks on the return of Afghan refugees, a move criticised by several European politicians and human rights organisations.

Earlier, Hannah Neumann, a member of the European Parliament, reacted to reports of a possible Taliban visit to Brussels in the coming weeks by saying there could be no legitimacy and no deals for the Taliban.

In a critical remark, she said: “EU officials rolling out the red carpet for the Taliban in Brussels.”

The European Commission, however, insisted that the contacts do not amount to formal recognition of the Taliban and are being conducted only at a technical and operational level.

The commission also stated that no senior Taliban leaders would take part in the discussions.

Nevertheless, Picierno said on Thursday in a post on X that she had submitted a written question to the European Commission seeking clarification about the invitation extended to Taliban officials.

She asked how the commission could justify such a move while the United Nations considers the forced return of Afghan refugees contrary to international law and the Court of Justice of the European Union has rejected the deportation of Afghan women.

The vice-president of the European Parliament also referred to the parliament’s recently adopted resolution on Afghanistan, saying lawmakers had condemned widespread violations of women’s rights in the country and opposed any normalisation of relations with the Taliban.

She added that the European Parliament’s message was clear and that the institution stands alongside the democratic opposition in exile.

The organisation said the harsh realities of environmental crises in Afghanistan show that women face significantly higher vulnerability than men during natural disasters.

In a post on X on Thursday, the World Health Organization wrote: “Natural disasters do not affect everyone equally.”

According to the organisation’s findings, around 70 to 80 percent of people who urgently require emergency and humanitarian assistance after natural disasters are women and children.

The organisation said pregnant and breastfeeding women face additional health risks during floods and in the aftermath of such disasters.

The World Health Organization stressed the importance of preparedness, protection and recovery efforts, urging international aid agencies to give special attention to the health and livelihoods of women and children in affected areas.

Speaking at the inauguration ceremony of the fifth section of the Hairatan–Mazar-i-Sharif railway line, Baradar said the Taliban attach special importance to expanding relations with Uzbekistan.

He stressed that the Taliban seek to broaden engagement and cooperation with neighbouring countries on the basis of goodwill.

The Taliban deputy prime minister also said a special committee, headed by the Taliban governor of Balkh Province, had been formed to examine and resolve potential issues in relations between Afghanistan and Uzbekistan in order to facilitate greater cooperation and interaction.

Call For Investment

Baradar urged Afghan traders and investors living abroad to return to Afghanistan.

He said Afghans outside the country should be encouraged to come back and invest.

The Taliban deputy prime minister added that the administration guarantees investors can safely invest in any sector they choose.

The fifth section of the Mazar-i-Sharif–Hairatan railway line was inaugurated by the Taliban Ministry of Public Works in the presence of the deputy prime minister for economic affairs, the Taliban public works minister, Uzbek officials, local authorities and residents of Balkh province.

Officials from the Taliban Public Works Directorate in Balkh said the project, including rail and non-rail sections, buildings, lines and infrastructure, cost 6.3 million dollars under a contract with Uzbekistan.

According to the officials, the entire cost of the project is being funded through the budget of the Taliban Ministry of Public Works.

In a statement released on Thursday, the group said the attack was precise and coordinated and caused a major fire at the site of the explosions.

Taliban authorities have not commented on the incident, and the Afghanistan Freedom Front said it does not yet have exact figures on Taliban casualties or the extent of the damage.

The group also released a video which it said showed the attack.

The Afghanistan Freedom Front added that none of its fighters were harmed during the operation and described the assault as part of its broader operations across different parts of Afghanistan.

The group had also previously claimed responsibility for a rocket attack on the military section of Kabul airport last year, alleging that Taliban forces suffered heavy casualties.