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QUETTA: Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Establishment Mohammad Shehzad Arbab said on Thursday that steps were being taking to increase trade with Afghanistan and improve facilities at the Pak-Afghan border.

He stated this during a visit of a parliamentary delegation to the border town Chaman. The members of the delegation include Special Representative of the Prime Minister on Afghanistan Affairs M. Sadiq, Senator Shandana Gulzar and MNA Salahuddin Ayubi.

Additional Chief Secretary Home Hafiz Abdul Basit, Chief Collector Customs, Balochistan, Gul Rehman, Collectors Preventive Irfan Javed and Waheed Marwat, FC Commandant Colonel Rashid and other senior officers of the ministries of commerce, interior, Railways, Nadra, FC and NLC also accompanied the delegation.

The delegation visited FC Fort, Chaman Border Crossing Point and the Chaman Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

During a meeting, the delegation members were briefed on various initiatives. These initiatives included: keeping the border open seven days a week, restoring railway connectivity, reducing the number of security check-posts, facilitating the local population and promoting bilateral trade.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr Arbab said that bilateral trade ties and better people-to-people contacts between the two countries were very important for both the countries. Therefore, he said, Pakistan would take all necessary steps to remove hurdles in the smooth flow of trade between the two countries.

The delegation members said that the Pakistans new visa policy for Afghanistan had facilitated Afghan citizens, businessmen, students and patients and it would help improve long-term relations between the two countries.

Published in Dawn, January 8th, 2021

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Steps being taken to increase trade with Afghanistan: PM aide - DAWN.com

News

Afghanistan Cricket Board had considered moving the series to Oman

Afghanistan's ODI squad will arrive in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday after a delay in the arrival of their visas had threatened to bring about a late shift in venue for their upcoming series against Ireland.

The UAE temporarily suspended visas for nationals of 13 countries in November for Covid-related reasons, leading the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) to make contingency plans to stage the three-match, World Cup Super League series in Oman instead.

Afghanistan have played the majority of their home fixtures in India in recent years, but are currently exploring alternative venues. Oman's main home venue in Al Almerat recently received ICC accreditation, and the ACB had suggested staging the series there. Zimbabwe's planned tour next month is also likely to be held in Oman.

But with Ireland already in Abu Dhabi, having scheduled a four-match ODI series against the UAE to help them acclimatise before the Afghanistan fixtures, Cricket Ireland maintained that the series should be played at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium if possible.

The two boards met virtually on Monday, with Cricket Ireland outlining their concerns over the possible switch in venues. Ireland's A team, the Wolves, are planning a tour of Bangladesh in February and March, immediately after the series, with some overlap in squad members and support staff, while they had also hoped to minimise travel in order to mitigate the risks of Covid-19 transmission.

And after Afghanistan's visas for the UAE finally came through, the ACB confirmed in a press release on Tuesday morning that the series would be staged in Abu Dhabi as initially intended, with fixtures due to be played on January 18, 21 and 23. However, the ACB's release left open the possibility of a change in dates, saying: "the hurdles may result in the series being postponed by three to four days than originally scheduled".

Afghanistan named their squad for the series last week, with the majority of players due to travel to the UAE on Tuesday. There was no place in the 16-man group for Hazratullah Zazai, who has struggled for form since his 162* in a T20I against Ireland in February 2019, or for the veteran allrounder Samiullah Shinwari, while Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Azmatullah Omarzai could make their ODI debuts.

Three players - Rashid Khan, Mohammad Nabi and Mujeeb Ur Rahman - are currently involved in the Big Bash League, and are set to miss the end of the group stage and the play-offs as a result of their inclusion. An ACB spokesperson told ESPNcricinfo that their arrival date was unclear at this stage, with Melbourne Renegades coach Michael Klinger suggesting on Tuesday that Nabi is likely to be available for his side's fixture against Adelaide Strikers on January 8.

Afghanistan squad: Asghar Afghan (captain), Azmatullah Omarzai, Gulbadin Naib, Hashmatullah Shahidi, Javed Ahmadi, Mohammad Nabi, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Najibullah Zadran, Naveen-ul-Haq, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Rahmat Shah, Rashid Khan, Sayed Shirzad, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Usman Ghadi, Yamin Ahmadzai

Afghanistan vs Ireland, World Cup Super League fixtures:

1st ODI - January 182nd ODI - January 213rd ODI - January 23All games start 9.30am local time at Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi

Matt Roller is an assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo. He tweets at @mroller98

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Afghanistan-Ireland series to be held in the UAE after visas come through - ESPNcricinfo

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

| Updated: Friday, January 8, 2021, 17:32 [IST]

New Delhi, Jan 08: Afghanistan's National Directorate of Security which had busted a Chinese spy ring last month has for the first time confirmed that the security agency detained a Chinese national for espionage.

Wolesi Jirga, the Afghan House of Representatives demanded answers from Ahmad Zia Saraj, the chief of the national Directorate of Security. Saraj confirmed that a group of Chinese nationals had been arrested on charges of espionage in Kabul. The NDS chief according to private news channel Ariana News said that a group of Chinese nationals had been arrested, but as it was a sensitive issue, he could not share more details.

Afghanistan had let go of the 10 spies who were arrested. They were allowed to return to China on a chartered flight.

Chinese spies caught in Afghanistan espionage racket, return to Beijing on chartered flight

It may be recalled that in December, the agencies in Afghanistan busted a major Chinese spying racket and have arrested 10 spies. While the details of the terms of release is not known, Amrullah Saleh, the first vide president had said that no foreign national citizen has been arrested in an effort operation in the Khairkhaneh area. The arrested are palmadis that under the scope. A number of them have been arrested on the suspicion of being involved in assassination and kidnapping, he said.

During the meeting of Saleh and Chinese envoy Wang Yu, the former had offered to release the 10 spies after Beijing submits a formal apology for betraying Kabul's trust. However Yu had insisted that the detentions are not declared by Kabul said a report in the Hindustan Times.

It had been found that both China and Pakistan had been working closely to undertake espionage activities in Kabul.

The Afghan National Directorate of Security recently discovered a dense network of Chinese spies, who were trying to influence the geopolitical dynamics in the region. The NDS had on December 10 cracked down on the network and arrested a Chinese intelligence operative Li Yangyang. He had been operating in the country since July. He was arrested from his Kabul residence and the NDS recovered arms, ammunition and explosives including Ketamine powder.

On the same day, the NDS arrested another Chinese spy Sha Hung from her Shirpur residence in Kabul. The NDS recovered explosives and highly objectionable material from here residence.

Both were kingpins of the espionage network and they were meeting with members of the Haqqani Network that is backed by the ISI. Officials tell OneIndia that both China and Pakistan are working to disrupt the Afghan peace talks. Both are trying to establish themselves as dominant forces in the region and influence the Taliban and Al-Qaeda once the US security forces withdraw.

Big Chinese spy racket linked to Pakistans ISI busted in Afghanistan

Covid-19: Union Health Minister says 'Indians to get vaccine in the next few days' | Oneindia News

The two arrested spies were also in touch with some Taliban leaders and were also tracking the moment of the Uighur activists who had fled to Afghanistan. They were focusing on the patches of Badakhshan and Kumar provinces. It was also found that they were in touch with the Haqqani Network.

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Yes they were arrested: Afghanistans first confirmation on arresting Chinese nationals for espionage - Oneindia

Ireland opener Paul Stirling plays a cut shot against Afghanistan

Ireland vice-captain Paul Stirling is relishing the seven ODIs against United Arab Emirates and Afghanistan in Abu Dhabi this month.

Four games against hosts UAE are followed by the Afghanistan series, which is part of the World Cup Super League.

"The Afghanistan series is key - they are World Cup qualifying games so are really important," said the opener.

"We would really need to be targeting a 2-1 victory, if not a 3-0 win."

He added: "We've always had good games against Afghanistan - we've beaten them in their own conditions, which we are in here, a number of times but we know we've really got to be at our best."

Ireland arrived in Abu Dhabi last weekend and are preparing for Friday's opener. They also face UAE on 10, 12 and 14 January at the Zayed Cricket Stadium before taking on Afghanistan on 18, 21 and 23 January.

It's a youthful Irish squad on tour and the UAE series provides the perfect stage for a few to shine.

"It's always nice to play teams like UAE because we've been missing that calibre of games in the last number of years since our move up in status and we're always playing the big teams - you get carried away in trying to topple the giants," said the big-hitting former Middlesex and Northamptonshire batsman.

"So it's nice come back to that Associate level - it gives great opportunities to the young lads here to go and win games for Ireland.

"The youngsters coming through are hugely exciting. It's just nice to see that energy, the youngsters really want to learn - they're practising all day and you can see how keen they are to perform.

"The opportunities they have are fantastic in the first four months of this year with the seven Abu Dhabi games and we're hoping to have a tour of Zimbabwe confirmed. Hopefully by the end of that period we will see more matchwinners for Ireland."

Ireland will be in competitive action for the first time since their shock win over England in August, with all squad training and travel since then carried out within strict Covid-19 guidelines.

"We just have to get on with it - we're so lucky to play this game, we're thankful we can actually put sport on and people can watch it." said the 30-year-old left-hander.

"We know we've got great support back home. It's great just to be able to get out there and play cricket again and hopefully put a smile on a few people's faces.

"For us it keeps the mind fresh and we can do what we love doing - when it's taken away you really miss it."

Link:
Paul Stirling: Ireland vice-captain describes ODIs against UAE and Afghanistan as 'critical' - BBC Sport

Days after Afghanistans NDA detained10 Chinese spies on charges of espionage and operating a terror cell in the capital city of Kabul, the government has released them secretly and allowed them to fly back home in a chartered flight. According to reports, the Chinese nationals flew out of Afghanistan in a plane arranged by Beijing on Saturday.Set free after 23 days in detention, the 10 Chinese nationals had not been formally charged.

It is pertinent to note that the terms of the arrangement between Kabul and Beijing to secure the release of the 10 Chinese spiesremains unclear. Interestingly, soon after the arrest, Kabuls First Vice President had indicated that the Afghan government could consider a pardon for the Chinese spies if Beijing submits a formal apologythat admits to the violation of international norms and a betrayal of Kabuls trust. Otherwise, the Afghan government would go ahead with criminal proceedings against the 10 Chinese spies, he had said.

It was on December 10, 2020, that Afghanistans NDS started the crackdown. This was the first time in years that Chinese nationals had been caught spying in Afghanistan. The NDS had not only recovered explosives and other highly objectionable materials from these Chinese nationals but had also found proves which suggested that the kingpins of this espionage network had been meeting commanders of the Taliban-backed terror group Haqqani Network (HQN).

It was believed that Pakistans ISI has been acting as a mediator between Haqqani Network and these Chinese Intelligence agents.

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After asking China to apologise, Afghanistan quietly sends the 10 arrested Chinese spies back home in a chartered flight - OpIndia