UN praises resilience of Afghans, raises concerns over restrictions on women and girls

Hamdullah Fitrat, Deputy Spokesperson for the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, has strongly rejected the repeated allegations by Pakistani officials that Afghanistan is involved in insecurity in Pakistan, saying that creating or supporting insecurity in Pakistan is not in Afghanistan’s interests.

In a statement published on his account, Fitrat said that whenever Pakistani officials are unable to ensure security in their own country, they blame Afghanistan for incidents in an attempt to mislead public opinion.

According to Fitrat, Afghanistan neither has the necessary means to create insecurity in other countries nor would it benefit from such actions, as insecurity in Pakistan also harms Afghanistan economically, socially and in humanitarian terms.

The deputy spokesperson added that instead of focusing on their own security responsibilities, Pakistani officials wrongly blame Afghanistan and spend resources on plans aimed at destabilizing the country.

Fitrat described this approach as a way of evading core responsibilities, destabilizing the region and wasting economic resources. He further said that this misguided stance has distracted Pakistan’s security forces from their primary duties.

Zalmay Khalilzad, the former U.S. special representative for Afghanistan, has warned that relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan could deteriorate further amid reports of alleged Pakistani recruitment and arming of Afghans.

In a statement, Khalilzad said there had been numerous reports alleging that Pakistan was arming Afghans to fight the Taliban in Afghanistan. He added that new reports suggested the Pakistani military was recruiting Afghans to fight anti-Pakistan insurgents.

He cautioned that, given the current situation, ties between Kabul and Islamabad were likely to worsen significantly.

Khalilzad’s remarks come amid ongoing tensions between the two neighboring countries.

UNICEF Afghanistan has highlighted the importance of continued national efforts to eradicate polio and vaccinate every child, as the country marks World Polio Day on October 24.

In a message posted on X, UNICEF Afghanistan said the day provides an opportunity to highlight national efforts towards a polio-free Afghanistan and honour frontline workers who work tirelessly to end the disease and ensure every child is vaccinated.

Meanwhile, Afghanistan’s Polio-Free initiative warned on Thursday, October 22, that the presence of the poliovirus in any area could threaten the health of children across the country. The initiative urged the public to cooperate with vaccination campaigns and ensure that no child is left without the vaccine.

The warning comes as polio remains a public health concern in Afghanistan, with the United Nations reporting multiple cases of the disease. According to the World Health Organization, 42 cases of wild poliovirus type 1 have been recorded in Afghanistan this year, while six cases have been reported in neighbouring Pakistan.