POLITICS — April 30, 2026

Deputy Administrative Chief Visits Eastern Provinces to Assess Returnee Settlement Conditions

Mawlawi Abdul Salam Hanafi led a government delegation to eastern Afghanistan to evaluate settlement conditions for returnees and direct ministries to improve housing, water access, and infrastructure. The assessment covers Nangarhar, Kunar, and Nuristan provinces.

The Ehtebar Desk — originates with Omid Radio — corroborated by RTA and Hurriyat2 min read

Deputy Administrative Chief Visits Eastern Provinces to Assess Returnee Settlement Conditions
Image courtesy Omid Radio

Mawlawi Abdul Salam Hanafi, Deputy Administrative Chief of the Prime Ministry, led a high-level delegation to Nangarhar province to evaluate living conditions and permanent settlement arrangements for returning Afghans. The visit focused on assessing local governance structures and the current state of public services across the eastern region.

During the inspection, Hanafi issued directives to the Ministries of Urban Development and Housing, Public Works, and Rural Rehabilitation and Development. He instructed officials to accelerate the allocation of residential plots, expedite road construction projects, and increase the drilling of drinking water wells. Hanafi stressed that timely service delivery, enhanced security, and respectful treatment of citizens must remain fundamental priorities for all administrative bodies.

The assessment and infrastructure improvement plans explicitly cover Nangarhar, Kunar, and Nuristan provinces. The delegation was accompanied by Minister of Urban Development and Housing Mawlawi Najibullah Haqqani and Nangarhar Governor Mawlawi Mohammad Naeem Akhund, who participated in the on-site evaluations.

The visit coincides with reports of an accelerated return of Afghans from Pakistan, driven in part by seasonal weather changes. Islamic Emirate officials stated that ensuring adequate housing, reliable infrastructure, and clean water access for displaced and returning populations is a central focus of their current administrative agenda.

Read the original reporting at Omid Radio

Reliability assessment

Three independent outlets corroborate the core event: a high-level official delegation led by Mawlawi Abdul Salam Hanafi visited Nangarhar to assess returnee conditions and issue infrastructure directives. The reporting features direct, on-record attribution from a named senior official with concrete, checkable details (specific ministries, locations, and policy directives). Minor discrepancies regarding accompanying officials, provincial scope, and contextual triggers are normal multi-source variations and do not undermine the verification of the event itself.

The source language reads straight.

Across the newsrooms

Where reports agree

  • Mawlawi Abdul Salam Hanafi led a government delegation to Nangarhar province.
  • The primary purpose of the visit was to assess the living conditions and permanent settlement of returnees/displaced persons in the eastern region.
  • Hanafi issued directives to relevant ministries to improve essential services, specifically focusing on clean drinking water, residential plot distribution, and infrastructure development.
  • The official emphasized security, timely service delivery, and respectful treatment of the public as fundamental priorities for government institutions.
  • The visit took place in late April 2026, with official statements attributed to the Arg/Deputy Spokesperson.

Where reports differ

  • Geographic scope: Hurriyat limits the focus to Nangarhar/eastern zone, while Omid Radio and RTA explicitly extend the assessment and directives to Kunar and Nuristan provinces.
  • Contextual trigger: Only Hurriyat explicitly connects the visit to a recent seasonal acceleration of returnees from Pakistan; the other sources omit this context.
  • Delegation composition: Omid Radio and RTA name specific accompanying officials (Minister Najibullah Haqqani, Governor Mohammad Naeem Akhund), whereas Hurriyat does not list them.
  • Terminology variation: Sources use different terms for the affected population ('returnees', 'displaced persons', 'migrants'), reflecting translation nuances rather than factual conflict.

Filed by 3 outlets

Filed under

PoliticsAbdul Salam Hanafi, Nangarhar, Returnees, Afghan Government, Displacement

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