Measles cases halt US-bound flights of Afghan evacuees

US halted US-bound flights of Afghan evacuees, pulling some off planes, after discovering a few cases of measles among new arrivals in the United States. White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said the halt stemmed from discovery of measles among four Afghans who had arrived in the United States. Customs and Border Protection spokes people did not immediately respond to questions, including how long the halt would last. Meanwhile, US Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad took to Twitter to say, "Over the last three days, over 250 foreign nationals, including dozens of US citizens and permanent residents, departed Kabul unhindered on Qatari flights. This is positive." He thanked Qatar for its help and welcomed the Taliban's cooperation in these efforts.

1/3 Over the last three days, over 250 foreign nationals, including dozens of U.S. citizens and permanent residents, departed Kabul unhindered on Qatari flights. This is positive.

— U.S. Special Representative Zalmay Khalilzad (@US4AfghanPeace) September 10, 2021

Pakistan hopes the new interim government in Afghanistan led by the Taliban will bring “peace, security and stability” to the war-torn country and work towards taking care of humanitarian and development needs of the Afghan people, foreign office spokesperson Asim Iftikhar Ahmed said on Friday.