Latest news with #AmirKhanMuttaqi
Al Arabiya
a day ago
- Health
- Al Arabiya
Taliban Say Efforts to Release a British Couple From Afghan Prison Not Yet Complete
The Taliban said Wednesday that efforts to free a British couple from an Afghan prison are not yet complete and denied that their rights were being violated despite concerns from their families and UN officials. Peter and Barbie Reynolds, who are in their 70s, were arrested in early February after being taken from their home in central Bamiyan province to the capital Kabul. The husband and wife run an organization that provides education and training programs. Family members in the UK have said they are being mistreated and held on undisclosed charges. UN human rights experts on Monday called for the couples' release, warning their physical and mental health was deteriorating rapidly and that they were at risk of irreparable harm or even death. The Taliban's Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi rejected concerns about rights violations. 'They are in constant contact with their families,' Muttaqi told reporters at a media briefing in Kabul. '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.' He did not say what steps were being taken to secure their release. According to the UN experts, the couples' spell in detention included time in a maximum-security facility and later in underground cells without sunlight before being moved to above-ground cells at the General Directorate of Intelligence in Kabul. Peter needs heart medication, and during his detention has had two eye infections and intermittent tremors in his head and down his left arm. He recently collapsed, the experts added, while Barbie suffers from anemia and remains weak. Officials from the UK Foreign Ministry visited the couple on July 17, family members said. 'Peter and Barbie have no bed or furniture and sleep on a mattress on the floor,' the family said in a statement Sunday. 'Peter's face is red, peeling, and bleeding, likely due to the return of skin cancer that urgently needs removing. 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 added.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Taliban say efforts to release a British couple from Afghan prison not yet complete
ISLAMABAD (AP) — The Taliban said Wednesday that efforts to free a British couple from an Afghan prison are not yet complete and denied that their rights were being violated despite concerns from their families and U.N. officials. Peter and Barbie Reynolds, who are in their 70s, were arrested in early February after being taken from their home in central Bamiyan province to the capital, Kabul. The husband and wife run an organization that provides education and training programs. Family members in the U.K. have said they are being mistreated and held on undisclosed charges. U.N. human rights experts on Monday called for the couple's release, warning their physical and mental health was deteriorating rapidly and that they were at risk of irreparable harm or even death. The Taliban's Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi rejected concerns about rights violations. 'They are in constant contact with their families,' Muttaqi told reporters at a media briefing in Kabul. '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.' He did not say what steps were being taken to secure their release. According to the U.N. experts, the couple's spell in detention included time in a maximum-security facility and later in underground cells, without sunlight, before being moved to above-ground cells at the General Directorate of Intelligence in Kabul. Peter needs heart medication and, during his detention, has had two eye infections and intermittent tremors in his head and down his left arm. He recently collapsed, the experts added, while Barbie suffers from anaemia and remains weak. Officials from the U.K. Foreign Ministry visited the couple on July 17, family members said. Peter and Barbie have no bed or furniture and sleep on a mattress on the floor, the family said in a statement Sunday. Peter's face is red, peeling and bleeding, likely due to the return of skin cancer that urgently needs removing. '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 added.
Business Recorder
2 days ago
- Business
- 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
Express Tribune
6 days ago
- Business
- Express Tribune
Pakistan, Afghanistan, Uzbekistan ink rail project deal
Pakistan, Afghanistan and Uzbekistan ministers show a trilateral agreement on a key rail project at the signing ceremony in Kabul. Photo: Express Listen to article Pakistan, Afghanistan and Uzbekistan on Thursday signed a trilateral agreement involving a key rail project that is aimed at connecting the three countries. The framework agreement on the joint feasibility study for the Uzbekistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan (UAP) Railway Project was signed in Kabul. The agreement was signed between Afghanistan's Ministry of Public Works, Uzbekistan's Ministry of Transport, and Pakistan's Ministry of Railways. Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Afghanistan's acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, and their Uzbek counterpart Baxtiyor Saidov witnessed the signing ceremony. The UAP Railway Project aims to build a rail link to connect Uzbekistan with Pakistan via Afghanistan and facilitate access to Pakistani seaports for Central Asian States, read a statement issued here by the Foreign office. "By facilitating regional trade and transit, the project is expected to promote regional stability, growth and development," it added. The statement said Dar's visit underscored the importance Pakistan attached to the successful realization of the UAP Railway Project. The signing of the Framework Agreement on Joint Feasibility Study between the three participating countries in Kabul was an important step towards its implementation. The proposed 640-km (398 miles) railway line aims to link the Uzbek border town of Termez with Hairatan on the Afghan side, extending to the eastern city of Logar via Kabul, before entering Pakistan's border district of Kurram via Kharlachi. Earlier, Dar attended a trilateral meeting in Kabul ahead of the signing of the Framework Agreement on the Joint Feasibility Study for Uzbek-Afghan-Pak (UAP) Railway project. The meeting reaffirmed strong ties and a shared commitment to peace, connectivity, trade, and regional development. The three sides emphasized the importance of sustained cooperation to unlock the region's economic potential and ensure long-term prosperity for their peoples. On the sidelines, Dar held a series of meetings with the Afghan Taliban leadership including Interim Afghan Prime Minister Mullah Hassan Akhund, Acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi and Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani. This was Dar's second visit to Kabul in three months, highlighting increased exchanges between the two countries. During the meeting with Afghan interim Prime Minister, Dar exchanged views on issues of mutual interest, including peace and security, trade and transit cooperation and regional connectivity. Recalling their earlier meeting on 19 April 2025, they reaffirmed the commitment to continued engagement and agreed to maintain high-level contacts to promote bilateral relations. The foreign minister also met Sirajuddin Haqqani, Acting Interior Minister of Afghanistan and held in-depth discussions on security matters and reaffirmed the importance of eradicating the threats to regional countries. Dar underlined the importance of addressing all issues of concern, in particular security and border management, to harness the full potential of economic cooperation and regional connectivity.
Arab News
7 days ago
- Business
- Arab News
Pakistan's Dar meets Afghan top leaders during Kabul visit to sign railway pact
ISLAMABAD: Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar met Afghanistan's prime minister and foreign minister on Thursday to discuss bilateral trade, peace and security, as he arrived in Kabul to sign a framework agreement to conduct a joint feasibility study for the Uzbekistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan (UAP) Railway Project. Dar, who is also Pakistan's foreign minister, met huis Afghan counterpart Amir Khan Muttaqi earlier on Thursday to discuss bilateral relations and trade cooperation, Pakistan's foreign office said. Talks between the two countries' officials took place amid a tentative thaw in Pakistan-Afghanistan relations, which have been strained in recent years due to a surge in militancy in Pakistan that Islamabad blames on Afghan-based insurgent groups. Kabul denies the allegations. 'On the sidelines of the signing ceremony for the Framework Agreement on Joint Feasibility Study of the UAP Railway Corridor, DPM/FM, Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar called on the Afghan Prime Minister, Mullah Muhammad Hassan Akhund,' the foreign office said. The two reaffirmed their commitment to continue bilateral engagement and agreed to maintain high-level contacts to promote bilateral relations, the statement said. 'The two leaders exchanged views on issues of mutual interest, including peace and security, trade and transit cooperation and regional connectivity,' Pakistan's foreign office said. The UAP Railway Project aims to establish a vital trade and transit corridor linking Uzbekistan with Pakistan via Afghanistan, offering the Central Asian republics direct access to Pakistani seaports. The rail link is expected to significantly boost regional connectivity, facilitate trade and contribute to long-term economic integration and political stability in the broader region. For Pakistan, which seeks to position itself as a regional connectivity hub, the UAP railway is also strategically important in strengthening economic ties with Central Asia and securing stable transit through Afghanistan, a country whose internal security dynamics continue to impact broader regional development goals. 'The signing of the Framework Agreement on Joint Feasibility Study between the three participating countries in Kabul will be an important step toward its implementation,' the foreign office said in an earlier statement. Uzbekistan and Afghanistan signed an agreement in 2017 to extend a railroad connecting the two countries that would eventually give Uzbekistan a direct link to seaports. Landlocked Uzbekistan's access to marine shipping is very limited. Efforts to repair the fractured ties between Islamabad and Kabul gained momentum during a China-hosted trilateral dialogue in Beijing in May between the foreign ministers of Pakistan, Afghanistan and China. Islamabad and Kabul agreed in principle to send ambassadors to each other's countries as soon as possible, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi had announced after the summit. The upcoming signing of the UAP railway pact, a long-discussed infrastructure project championed by all three governments, is also being seen as one of the first tangible outcomes of renewed engagement between Islamabad and Kabul.
