Latest news with #Afghanistan


Free Malaysia Today
3 hours ago
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
Taliban says detained British couple receiving medical care
Taliban officials have refused to detail the reasons for the couple's arrest. (AP pic) KABUL : An elderly British couple detained for months in Afghanistan are receiving medical care, the Taliban government's top diplomat said today, after UN experts warned they were at risk of dying. Peter and Barbie Reynolds, 80-years-old and 75-years-old, had lived in Afghanistan for 18 years when they were arrested in February along with Chinese-American friend Faye Hall, who has since been released, and an Afghan translator. 'All their human rights are being respected,' Afghan foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi told a news conference in the capital Kabul. 'They are being provided with medical care. They are in occasional contact with their families.' Muttaqi said 'efforts are underway to secure their release, but the process is not complete', echoing similar comments by the government in April. Independent United Nations experts warned on Monday of the 'rapid deterioration' of their physical and mental health, stating that they 'risk irreparable harm or even death'. The couple, against whom no charges have been brought, were held 'in a high-security facility for several months, then in underground cells, without daylight, before being transferred last week' to the intelligence services in Kabul, according to the UN. The experts said Peter Reynolds requires heart medication following a stroke in 2023. Since his detention, he has suffered two eye infections and intermittent tremors in his head and left arm. His wife, who is anaemic, is 'weak and fragile' and has reported numbness in her feet, the experts said. The couple, who married in Kabul in 1970, had been running education programmes in Afghanistan and held Afghan passports. Taliban officials have refused to detail the reasons for their arrest but a source familiar with the case told AFP in April that the couple were in possession of several non-Islamic books.


Arab News
3 hours ago
- Business
- Arab News
Afghanistan to send 700 workers to Qatar in first labor deal under Taliban
KABUL: Afghanistan is set to send 700 workers to Qatar under a new agreement marking the first formal deployment abroad since the Taliban takeover in 2021. The Afghan Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs said on Monday that the agreement was reached between a joint public-sector company from Qatar and private employment firms in Afghanistan and the placement process will be supervised by the Afghan government. 'Based on this agreement, an initial 700 job opportunities have been allocated for Afghan workers,' it said. 'The core objective is the legal, safe, and dignified deployment of Afghan workers abroad, with the necessary future support to uphold their rights.' Samiullah Ebrahimi, the ministry's spokesman, told Arab News on Wednesday that the 'registration process will start very soon' and that the government 'will identify in which sectors Qatar needs laborers.' As Afghanistan faces very high unemployment, with many daily wage earners struggling to find work or earn a living inside the country, sending labor abroad could provide immediate economic relief. 'This agreement will bring continued and sustainable income to Afghan families. A major factor is that our economy is currently based on remittance. With more labor going abroad, the volume of remittance gets increased, helping the economy stabilize,' Abdul Hameed Jalili, former refugee affairs attache to Pakistan, told Arab News. The new agreement will not only provide jobs but also help elevate Afghanistan's standing in the international labor market, potentially opening doors for more Afghan workers abroad. 'Afghanistan is home to a skilled and talented workforce and enabling these individuals to work overseas can showcase the strength and professionalism of our labor force. This, in turn, could enhance the country's reputation and encourage other nations to consider recruiting Afghan workers,' Jalili said. Remittances have played a vital role in supporting both Afghan households and the national economy and used to contribute 4 percent to GDP, according to data from the Assessment Capacities Project, a non-governmental organization hosted by the Norwegian Refugee Council, which provides humanitarian analysis. They dropped in 2021, when Afghanistan was hit with sanctions after US-led forces left the country and its Western-backed administration collapsed as the Taliban took control. While since 2022 they have been on the rise, they are still below the pre-2021 level, according to ACAPS, also due to the reliance on unofficial hawala transfers, which are difficult to track. Many households are reliant on these transfers as job opportunities in Afghanistan have shrunk. It is unclear how high the unemployment rate currently is, but various reports suggest it has skyrocketed over the past four years with the withdrawal of foreign projects and aid. The UN Development Program warned in May that 75 percent of the Afghan population was subsistence-insecure, lacking access to adequate housing, health care, and essential goods. With no job prospects at home and no labor deals between the Taliban administration and foreign governments, many Afghans have illegally traveled abroad in search of employment, often taking dangerous routes. According to the International Organization for Migration, over 1.6 million Afghans left the country between 2021 and 2023. Agreements like the one signed with Qatar could pave the way for essential protections of those working abroad. 'Expanding official labor agreements with additional countries could help slow the migration trend that followed the collapse of the former government by offering safe and legal pathways for work abroad,' Jalili said. 'This would also reduce the risks associated with human trafficking and irregular migration, allowing Afghans to pursue opportunities overseas through regulated and secure channels.'


Arab News
3 hours ago
- Politics
- Arab News
UK data leak highlights West's flawed Afghanistan project
The reverberations of the Western forces' withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021 keep on being felt in many nations, years after Taliban turned the page on 20 years of failed attempts by the US, UK, NATO and others to democratize the country. The recently exposed leak of data about thousands of Afghans who had worked with British forces presents several unanswered questions, as well as billions of pounds in costs. Then there is the vetting process that remains less than comprehensive, to say the least, and open to abuse, especially as the Taliban have repeatedly claimed that they have not pursued or targeted those who cooperated with the pro-Western regime in Kabul or its many Western allies. So, is it possible that the Afghans have been overexaggerating the level of threat to their safety for other reasons? Or has the West again been a victim of its oversensitivity to the protection of human rights, freedom of expression and women and other minorities from potential abuse by regimes such as the Taliban? In less than a month's time, on Aug. 15, it will be four years since Kabul fell back into the hands of the Taliban. The US-led Western troops' pullout, negotiated by the first Trump administration and executed by the Biden administration, ended up being one of the most chaotic and humiliating withdrawals since American troops pulled out of Vietnam. Whatever the reasons behind the speedy collapse of the pro-Western government in Kabul, it showed once more that the Western efforts to supplant democracy and nation-building were flawed from the beginning. The story for the UK of repatriating Afghans who had worked with its forces began then and continued under different Conservative governments. But the 2022 data leak did not come to public attention until a high court judge this month lifted a gagging order that was put in place in 2023, when the breach first came to light. In brief, the story goes back to February 2022, when the personal data related to nearly 19,000 Afghans who had applied to be repatriated to the UK after the Taliban seized power was leaked. The Conservative government under Rishi Sunak first learned of the breach in August 2023, when some of the details appeared on Facebook. A special resettlement scheme was set up at speed and more than 4,500 Afghans have since arrived in the UK. But the existence of the leak and subsequent relocations were kept secret after the government obtained a superinjunction banning their disclosure. This was because the data contained the names, contact details and family information of people who had cooperated with the UK and could potentially be at risk of reprisals from the Taliban. The secret scheme, known as the Afghan Response Route, has already cost the UK £400 million ($541 million). And it is expected to cost a similar amount again, if not more, if the UK is to honor its pledge that 600 more Afghan soldiers and 1,800 of their relatives who are still in Afghanistan will be moved to Britain. More dangerously, the leak also revealed the details of more than 100 British officials, including members of the special forces and the intelligence services. The data leak was a catastrophe and it exposed vulnerable Afghans, adding to the risk they faced. The government's decision to try to protect them was right. But it is also fair to question how those risks were assessed and whether the secrecy and lack of public scrutiny improved the situation for those involved. The Taliban's swift takeover of the country surprised the Western powers for sure, but it did not come as a total surprise for a majority of Afghans. Throughout their country's history, they have been capable of sensing the winds of change and maneuvering themselves to lean as necessary. Amid the hasty evacuation of tens of thousands of Afghans who had worked for the Western powers, not all of them were necessarily in imminent danger, but many also saw an opportunity to live outside Afghanistan. The existence of the leak was kept secret after the government obtained a superinjunction banning its disclosure. Mohamed Chebaro The question that has remained unanswered since 2021 is whether there was a genuine case for repatriation or if it was pure opportunism and freeloading. And though human rights groups routinely speak of threats to some people who dwelled in the public sphere, from security to education and women's rights, the dangers faced by those asking for asylum and evacuation remain unclear. Afghanistan is no different to any other nation that has frequently suffered internal strife and wars between its various ethnic and religious constituents. The rush to leave the country as the Western troops withdrew was a natural reflex for humans fearing the worst or sensing an opportune moment to change their lives. As a reporter who covered various parts of the Afghan story, it was possible to notice a trait of Afghans holding the stick from the middle and never burning their bridges with any clan that could be a foe. If anything, the UK data leak highlighted how a poorly-thought-out intervention and poorly executed state-building project, followed by a poorly orchestrated withdrawal, caused damage to the West's standing and reputation. Such poor efforts at the craft of state-building were especially likely to fail in a uniquely tribal and linguistically and ethnically diverse country such as Afghanistan.


Arab News
3 hours ago
- Business
- Arab News
Afghanistan and Pakistan sign preferential trade deal to slash tariffs on key fruits, vegetables
ISLAMABAD: Afghanistan and Pakistan have signed a Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA) to reduce tariffs on eight agricultural products, the Afghan embassy in Islamabad announced on Wednesday, in a rare move of economic cooperation between the two neighbors with often-tense ties. The agreement, signed by senior commerce officials from both countries, will reduce customs duties on four Afghan exports to Pakistan — grapes, pomegranates, apples, and tomatoes — and four Pakistani exports to Afghanistan — mangoes, kinnows, bananas, and potatoes. Tariff rates on these items, which previously exceeded 60%, will now be capped at 27%. 'This agreement will be effective for a period of one year, commencing on August 1, 2025,' the Afghan embassy said on X. 'It is renewable and also allows for the inclusion of additional items in the future.' The deal was signed by Mullah Ahmadullah Zahid, Deputy Minister at Afghanistan's Ministry of Industry and Commerce, and Jawad Paul, Pakistan's Deputy Commerce Minister. The agreement comes at a time of strained political and security relations between Kabul and Islamabad, marked by border closures, mutual accusations over cross-border militant activity, and reduced formal trade volumes since the Taliban returned to power in 2021. Still, both countries remain heavily reliant on overland trade routes, and fruit exports have long played a vital role in seasonal cross-border commerce. In the first half of 2025, Pakistan and Afghanistan's bilateral trade reached nearly $1 billion, with Afghan exports to Pakistan totaling $277 million and Pakistan's exports to Afghanistan reaching $712 million. This growth is partly attributed to increased Pakistani exports, including medical supplies, parboiled rice, and sugar. However, trade volume is still below potential, with estimates suggesting it could reach $8 to $10 billion annually if obstacles are overcome. Obstacles to trade between Pakistan and Afghanistan include border closures, security concerns, and issues with trade facilitation. Specifically, frequent closures of border crossing points like Torkham and Spin Boldak, triggered by political tensions or security incidents, disrupt trade flows and cause financial losses for businesses. Additionally, challenges related to trade facilitation, customs procedures, and transit infrastructure further hinder the smooth movement of goods.


The Independent
3 hours ago
- Health
- The Independent
Taliban denies mistreatment of British couple in Afghan prison
The Taliban has denied that the rights of a British couple being held in a prison in Afghanistan are being violated. This comes after claims from the couple's family and the UN that they are in desperate need of healthcare and were 'chained to murderers' in maximum-security facilities. Peter and Barbie Reynolds, both in their 70s, were arrested in early February and taken from their home in central Bamiyan to Kabul, the Afghan capital. The couple run a group that provides education and training programmes. They have been held without charge, their family said. On Monday, human rights experts from the UN called for the couple's release, warning that their health was quickly deteriorating. The experts said the pair were at risk of irreversible harm or death. On Wednesday, at a media briefing in Kabul, the Taliban 's Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi rejected those allegations. 'They are in constant contact with their families,' he said. 'Consular services are available. Efforts are underway to secure their release. These steps have not yet been completed. 'Their human rights are being respected. They are being given full access to treatment, contact and accommodation.' Mr Muttaqi did not say what steps were being taken to secure the Reynolds' release. The couple's time in detention has included time in a maximum-security facility and later in underground cells, without sunlight, according to the UN experts. They were then moved to above-ground cells at the General Directorate of Intelligence in Kabul. Peter needs heart medication and, during his detention, he has had two eye infections and intermittent tremors in his head and down his left arm. He also recently collapsed, the experts said. Barbie, meanwhile, suffers from anaemia and remains weak. Officials from the UK Foreign Ministry visited the couple on 17 July, family members said. Peter and Barbie sleep on a mattress on the floor, while Peter's face is red, peeling and bleeding, likely due to the return of skin cancer that urgently needs removing, they said in a statement. 'We, their four adult children, have written privately to the Taliban leadership twice, pleading for them to uphold their beliefs of compassion, mercy, fairness, and human dignity," the children said.