
Taliban to send envoys to Germany to work on deportations
The flight on Friday was the second from Germany since expulsions to Afghanistan were resumed last year.
Germany does not recognise the Taliban authorities in Afghanistan but does have 'technical contacts' on the deportations, which have been facilitated by Qatar.
Government spokesman Stefan Kornelius said that during the exchanges 'it has been agreed that two representatives of the Afghan administration will be incorporated' into Afghanistan's missions in Germany.
Germany must honour visa obligations to Afghan refugees, rules court
According to the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ) daily, the two envoys will work at the Afghan embassy in Berlin and at the country's consulate in the western city of Bonn.
The Taliban authorities demanded this step in return for making last Friday's flight possible, the paper reported.
The FAZ said that the names of the envoys had been sent to Berlin and that they had already worked in consular services and were not considered extremists.
Germany stopped deportations to Afghanistan and closed its embassy in Kabul following the Taliban movement's return to power in 2021.
However last year the last German government resumed expulsions with a flight in August carrying 28 Afghans.
Current chancellor Friedrich Merz has vowed to continue deportations, having made a tougher line on immigration a key campaign theme in February's general election.
Kornelius said that further flights were in the offing.
'The government has committed to systematic expulsions of those convicted of crimes and this will not be accomplished with just one flight,' he said.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Business Recorder
10 hours ago
- Business Recorder
Pakistan, Afghanistan all set to sign PTA
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Afghanistan are all set to sign the long-awaited Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA) to be operational from August 1, 2025 which will include bilateral duty-free export and import of some fruits and dry fruits, well informed sources in Commerce Ministry told Business Recorder. Both countries are holding talks in Islamabad to finalise the pact which remained inconclusive due to influence of Indian Consultants during the regimes of former President Hamid Karzai and Ashraf Ghani. The key demand of the previous Afghan government was to allow import of Indian goods via Pakistan to Afghanistan which was never accepted by Islamabad. Afghan Deputy Minister for Commerce and Industry Ahmadullah Zahid, along with senior technical experts, arrived in Pakistan Monday night for talks with officials of Ministry of Commerce on bilateral Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA). Afghan Deputy Minister arrives According to proposed draft PTA, recognising the importance of facilitating bilateral trade between the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan and the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, Afghanistan (MoIC) and the Ministry of Commerce, Pakistan (MoC) agree to implement an Early Harvest Programme (EHP) to enhance trade flows and economic cooperation between the two countries. Article 1: Preferential Tariff Treatment: (i) the Contracting Parties — the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan ('Afghanistan') and the Government of Pakistan ('Pakistan'), hereinafter collectively referred to as the 'Contracting Parties' and individually as a 'Contracting Party' — agree to provide Preferential Tariff Concessions on a selected list of agricultural goods under the Early Harvest Program; and (ii) the concessions shall be implemented by reducing tariffs and duties on the following products originating in the respective territories and destined for the other: Afghanistan exports: tomatoes, grapes, apples, and pomegranates while Pakistan will export potatoes, kinnows, bananas and mangoes Article 2: Development of Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA): The Contracting Parties agree to initiate negotiations for a comprehensive Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA) based on the performance of the Early Harvest Program and mutual satisfaction of both sides. Article 3: Rules of Origin: The agricultural products listed above must be: (i) harvested, picked, or gathered in the exporting country; (ii) wholly obtained, and (iii) accompanied by a Certificate of Origin issued by the designated authority of each country to qualify for preferential treatment. Article 4: Certification; (i) for Pakistan, the Certificate of Origin shall be issued by the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP); and (ii) for Afghanistan, the Certificate of Origin shall be issued by the Ministry of Industry and Commerce (MoIC). Article 5: Implementation Date: The Early Harvest Program shall be implemented starting 1st August 2025. Article 6: Duration and Reciprocity: (i) the tariff concessions shall be granted for a period of one year, from 1st August 2025 to 31st July 2026 ;(ii) the program may be extended upon mutual agreement; and (iii) all concessions are to be based on reciprocity and parity. Article 7: PTA Implementation Committee: a PTA Implementation Committee shall be formed to oversee the Early Harvest Program. It shall: (i) be led by MoIC (Afghanistan) and MoC (Pakistan); (ii) include representatives from Customs and Agriculture Ministries of both countries ;(iii) meet on a monthly basis, and ;(iv) be responsible for monitoring, evaluation, and recommending improvements to the programme. 'It is G2G arrangement between Pakistan and Afghanistan, hence private sector has not been involved in these talks,' said Junaid Makda and Zia ul Haq Sarhadi while talking to Business Recorder. According to sources, the draft agreement has already been cleared at the level of SIFC. In this regard a high-level meeting was held in PMO to finalise the draft of the pact. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025


Business Recorder
a day ago
- Business Recorder
Afghan acting FM to visit Pakistan for high-level talks next month
ISLAMABAD: The Acting Foreign Minister of Afghanistan, Amir Khan Muttaqi, is expected to visit Pakistan early next month along with a delegation for high-level talks for expansion of bilateral economic, trade and political cooperation and reduction of bilateral tension, reliable sources in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) revealed on Monday. This would be Muttaqi's first visit to Pakistan in two years, highlighting the uptick in high-level exchanges between the two neighbouring countries during recent months. Sources said that the final dates for the visit are currently being worked out by Islamabad and Kabul. The visit follows an invitation extended by Deputy Foreign Minister and Foreign Minister, Senator Ishaq Dar, during his visit to Afghanistan on April 19. Muttaqi's visit will help further promote and strengthen bilateral relations. The ties between Islamabad and Kabul remain tense due to surge in terrorism from across the border. Pakistan had repeatedly urged Afghanistan to stop use of its soil against Pakistan and dismantle Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) hideouts. It is worth mentioning here that the two leaders have met several times during last couple of months, including in Beijing, where China hosted an informal trilateral meeting aimed at strengthening Pakistan-Afghanistan ties and promoting regional connectivity. They also held discussions in Istanbul on the sidelines of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) meeting late last month. In a substantial diplomatic development, Pakistan and Afghanistan have agreed to elevate their Charge d'affaires to the level of ambassadors. Pakistan has upgraded Ubaidullah Nizamani to the rank of full Ambassador, while Sardar Shakeeb has been elevated to Ambassador in Islamabad in a tit-for-tat move. Pakistani Foreign Minister Dar also paid an important one-day visit to Kabul last week, accompanied by a high-level Pakistani delegation. During the visit, he held extensive talks with top Afghan leadership on the sidelines of the Uzbekistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan (UAP) Railway Framework Agreement discussions. Leadership of Pakistan and Afghanistan has agreed to elevate the relationships to new heights. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025


Business Recorder
a day ago
- Business Recorder
Afghan Deputy Minister arrives
ISLAMABAD: Afghan Deputy Minister for Commerce and Industry Ahmadullah Zahid, along with senior technical experts, has arrived in Pakistan for talks with officials of Ministry of Commerce on bilateral Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA). Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) and Pakistan Special Representative on Afghanistan, Ambassador Mohammad Sadiq announced this on Monday. He has termed the visit and signing of expected PTA, as an important step towards normalisation and strengthening relations between the two neighbouring countries. According to statement issued by Afghan Commerce Ministry, a delegation led by Ahmadullah Zahid, Deputy Minister of Industry and Commerce of the Ministry of Industry and Commerce of Afghanistan, began its official visit to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan from July 21 (Monday). The purpose of this visit is to discuss the transit, between the two countries. There will be discussions and exchanges on important issues related to trade and preferential tariffs, the statement said, adding, it is expected that an agreement on preferential tariffs will be signed during this visit, to further strengthen economic and trade relations between the two countries. The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan is committed to continuing to grow the country's trade, transit, and industry and to taking advantage of all available opportunities to strengthen the national economy, it further added. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025