Tag - Taliban

FM Bilawal cautions world against isolating Taliban

Washington: Pakistan's foreign minister warned the world of dangerous consequences if Afghanistan's rulers were again isolated. In an interview, FM Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari cautioned against creating "parallel governance" after the United States put Afghanistan's frozen assets in a professional fund in Switzerland. "We've learned from the past that when we wash our hands and turn our backs, we end up creating unintended consequences and more problems for ourselves," he added.

US national freed in exchange for key ally: Taliban

An American navy veteran detained in Afghanistan since 2020 was released by the Taliban on Monday in exchange for an ally who spent 17 years in a US jail for heroin smuggling, Afghanistan’s foreign minister said. “After long negotiations, US citizen Mark Frerichs was handed over to an American delegation, and that delegation handed over (Bashar Noorzai) to us today at Kabul airport,” Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi said at a press conference.

Taliban deny Maulana Masood Azhar’s presence in state

Kabul: The Taliban government on Wednesday denied the presence of Maulana Masood Azhar, the head of the banned Jaish-e-Mohammed, in Afghanistan. A day earlier, Pakistan formally wrote a letter to Kabul, asking to locate, report and arrest the JeM chief as it believed that he was hiding somewhere in Afghanistan. Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said that the JeM chief was not in Afghanistan but in Pakistan.

”Zawahiri’s body not found”: Taliban

On Thursday, the group spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said that the Taliban had not found the body of Ayman al-Zawahiri amidst continuous investigations. The United States killed Zawahiri with a missile fired from a drone while he stood on a balcony at his hideout in July, US officials said. This is the biggest blow to al Qaeda since US Navy SEALS shot dead Osama bin Laden more than a decade ago.

‘No information’ about Al Qaeda Chief: Taliban

On Thursday, the Taliban said that they had no knowledge of Ayman al-Zawahiri’s presence in Afghanistan. Zawahiri’s assassination is the biggest blow to Al Qaeda since US special forces killed Osama bin Laden in 2011 and called into question the Taliban’s pledge not to harbour militant groups. “The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan has no information about Ayman al-Zawahiri’s arrival and stay in Kabul,” said an official statement.

Taliban ‘grossly’ violated Doha agreement: Blinken

On Tuesday, the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that the Taliban "grossly" violated the Doha Agreement by hosting and sheltering al Qaeda's top leader Ayman al-Zawahiri. "In the face of the Taliban’s unwillingness or inability to abide by their commitments, we will continue to support the Afghan people with robust humanitarian assistance and to advocate for the protection of their human rights, especially of women and girls," Blinken said in a statement.

Taliban to sign pact with UAE on running Afghan airports

It emerged on Tuesday that the Taliban would sign an agreement with the United Arab Emirates on operating airports in Afghanistan. The group's acting deputy prime minister Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar said on Tuesday that the decision was made after months of talks with the UAE, Turkey, and Qatar. He made the announcement in a tweet and later told reporters in Kabul that his government was reviving an airport ground handling agreement with the UAE.

Parents of Indian journalist killed in Afghanistan start legal action against Taliban

New Delhi: On March 22, it was reported that the parents of Indian journalist Danish Siddiqui, who was killed in a Taliban attack in Afghanistan last year, began legal action at the International Criminal Court (ICC) against the Islamist group. Siddiqui was embedded with Afghan special forces when killed on July 16 during a failed attempt by government troops to retake Spin Boldak. His lawyer, Avi Singh, told that Siddiqui's parents were seeking legal action against six leaders, and other unidentified commanders of the Taliban, for being a photojournalist and an Indian national.

OIC session to be held for Taliban, not Pakistan: Bilawal Bhutto Zardari

Islamabad: On Sunday, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said that the OIC CFM session would be held for the Taliban, not Pakistan. He expressed his views at a press conference in Islamabad. Bilawal said, "participants coming to Islamabad to attend the OIC CFM session are our guests, but the session is not being held for Pakistan, but the Taliban". He also alleged that PM Imran Khan had dented the country’s foreign policy and disturbed the ties with the Muslim world. “Imran Khan, you are acting like an Afghanistan FM,” Bilawal was quoted as saying.

WHO Chief, Taliban discuss Afghan health crisis

On Wednesday, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, head of the World Health Organisation (WHO) laid bare that he had met with the Taliban's health minister Qalander Ebad. The meeting emphasized the “dire” health and humanitarian disaster in Afghanistan. Ebad, part of a Taliban delegation, is visiting Geneva for a week of talks with institutions and non-governmental agencies on humanitarian access and human rights.

Taliban urges Muslim countries to recognize IEA

On Wednesday, the Taliban encouraged Muslim countries to recognise the government of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA). The Taliban has urged Muslim countries to accept the Afghan government's Islamic Emirate. According to Baaghi TV., Taliban acting Prime Minister Mullah Muhammad Hassan Akhund called on Islamic countries to be the first to recognise the IEA.  

Concerns communicated to Afghan Taliban on enclosed incidents

Pakistan has expressed its deep worry to the interim Afghan Taliban administration over multiple events in which local Taliban soldiers attempted to destroy border barriers. A senior Pakistani official told The Express Tribune here on Sunday that the Afghan Taliban leadership had been informed that Pakistan was exercising "maximum restraint" to prevent escalating tensions. Because of the sensitivity of the situation, the official spoke on the condition of anonymity. According to official sources, Pakistan is anticipated to publish a formal comment on the matter within 24 hours.  

Border spat with Taliban resolved

According to a senior official, Pakistani and Afghan Taliban officials have resolved their recent disagreement over border fencing by agreeing that future construction will be done through consensus. The official, who spoke to a group of journalists in the background, said: “It has been decided at a senior level that fencing-related issues would in future be dealt with through mutual agreement.”  

Suicide bomber shot dead in Kabul

On Thursday, a would-be suicide bomber was killed outside Kabul's main passport office, police reported. The incident took place as hundreds of Taliban fighters lined up for travel documents on a day dedicated solely for their applications. “He was identified and killed at a checkpoint at the entrance,” Mobin Khan, spokesman for Kabul police, stated. About 200 Taliban fighters were at the passport office from dawn as the authorities announced that Thursdays would be set aside only for them to apply for passports.

Afghans cry out against freezing of country’s assets

On Dec 21, almost 200 Afghans protested in Kabul to demand the clearance of billions of dollars of assets frozen by the international community. This was an unusual demonstration the Taliban allowed as the state is on the verge of a major economic crisis. The march was organized by a little-known group called the Afghan People's Movement and no women participated.

Karzai invites Taliban into Kabul to protect his people

According to the man who apparently gave the invitation, the Taliban chose not to take the Afghan capital; rather, they were welcomed. Former Afghan president Hamid Karzai gave an interview in which he revealed some of the first details about Afghan President Ashraf Ghani's secret and unexpected departure, as well as how he came to invite the Taliban into the city to protect the population and prevent the country from devolving into chaos.  

Doha talks will open new chapter, says Taliban

As the talks between the United States and the Taliban in Doha are approaching, the Taliban said on Wednesday that these would open a “new chapter” in political relations. “A new phase of negotiations will begin next week between Afghanistan and America in Qatar,” the Taliban wrote on their official Arabic Twitter account. The US State Department announced that the two weeks of negotiations will address several issues including combatting the threat of the hostile IS and Al-Qaeda groups and humanitarian aid.

No TTP prisoners acquitted so far: Sources

It emerged on Tuesday that both security officials, as well as the proscribed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), had refuted the erroneous reports that more than 100 TTP prisoners had been released amid peace talks between the two sides. The remarks came after the media reports that the government had released over 100 TTP prisoners as a cordial gesture after the ceasefire announced by the militant group. TTP spokesperson Mohammad Khorasani disclosed, “Media reports about the release of 100 TTP’s prisoners are not true. However, the TTP fully honours the ceasefire agreement”.

Taliban reveal new rules banning women in TV dramas

Afghanistan's Taliban leadership has set new laws prohibiting women from acting in television shows. Female journalists and presenters are likewise required to wear headscarves when on camera, albeit the standards do not specify which sort of covering should be worn. Some of the guidelines, according to reporters, are ambiguous and open to interpretation. In mid-August, the Taliban took power in Afghanistan, and many believe that they are gradually imposing harsh restrictions.  

Taliban seek release of Afghan funds: Open letter to US Congress

The Taliban demanded on Wednesday that members of the US Congress release Afghan assets that had been blocked since the Taliban took control of the nation, saying that economic turmoil at home may lead to trouble abroad. Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi wrote in an open letter that the main difficulty confronting Afghanistan was financial insecurity, "and the origins of this concern can be traced back to the American government's freezing of our people's assets." The Afghan central bank's assets have been seized by Washington for over $9.5 billion, and the aid-dependent economy has practically failed, with civil servants unpaid for months and the treasury unable to pay for imports.  

Taliban arrest man trading women

The officials reported on Tuesday that the Taliban nabbed a man for allegedly trading dozens of women in northern Afghanistan after misleading them into thinking they would be marrying into a fortune. The man, Damullah Seraj, was arrested on late Monday from the northern Jawzjan province, the Taliban provincial police chief disclosed

Taliban vows to work with regional powers over IS threats

The Taliban pledged Wednesday to collaborate on regional security with Russia, China, and Iran after the Kremlin warned of rising Islamic State and drug-trafficking dangers in the aftermath of the hardline group's control of Afghanistan. Ten participating countries also called for "urgent" humanitarian aid for Afghans and said countries that recently withdrew troops from Afghanistan should fund reconstruction efforts during talks in the Russian capital, the Taliban's latest high-profile international appearance since they took power in August.

Russia presses Taliban to form inclusive govt

Moscow: On Wednesday, it emerged that Russia, at the Moscow meeting, had increased pressure on the Taliban to establish an inclusive regime. Pakistan, China, Iran, India, and former Soviet Central Asian states were with Taliban ministers at the meeting while the US cited technical reasons. Moscow called for international support for Kabul to encourage regional stability.

Russia to host international talks with Taliban

Since the re-establishment of Taliban control in Afghanistan, Moscow has faced a difficult decision: how to regain its regional influence following the U.S. military withdrawal while keeping a safe distance from internal Afghan disputes. According to Andrei Serenko, the head of Moscow-based center of Contemporary Afghan Studies, "Afghanistan itself is not of interest to Russia," he added, "Russia wants to use Afghanistan without getting involved in Afghanistan."  

UN: Taliban to set forth plans for girls’ education soon

After four weeks of Afghan boys receiving secondary education but not girls, the Taliban will establish a framework that allows girls to attend school in Afghanistan "soon," according to a top UN official. Unicef deputy executive director Omar Abdi stated at UN "The de facto minister of education told us that they are working on a framework, which they will announce soon, that will allow all girls to go to secondary school, and we are expecting that to happen very soon"

PIA suspends flights to Kabul

It emerged on Thursday that Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has halted flights to Kabul, citing overbearing interference at the hands of Taliban authorities. The decision was taken immediately as the Taliban authority ordered PIA to cut ticket prices to the minimum level. Lately, there has been an inappropriate attitude demonstrated by the Taliban towards national airlines, quoted PIA spokesman.

Scholars in Kunar declare their support for the Islamic Emirate

In a meeting with religious scholars, Kunar Governor Maulvi Mohammad Qasim stated that religious scholars have many duties in society and are the spiritual doctors of the country. It should be noted that governors' meetings in several provinces of Afghanistan, including Kabul, Nangarhar, and Kunar, have been conducted for many days, and a considerable number of religious scholars and other officials have proclaimed their support for the Islamic Emirate. It's worth noting that a suicide attack in Kunduz on Friday killed up to eight Shiites and injured many more; the ISIS Khurasan group claimed credit for the attack.

Taliban operation on banned BLA base leads to arrest

After the formation of the Taliban’s interim government in Afghanistan, the Taliban made it clear that Afghan soil would not be used against any country. Taliban operations against terrorist elements continue, operation against banned ISIS is also underway in Afghanistan, during the same operation Taliban police arrested more than 80 BLA terrorists during a raid on a house. Explosives, weapons recovered from terrorists’ possession, after the Taliban conducted the operation in a house.  

Afghanistan to follow “Monarchy Constitution”

On Tuesday, the Taliban spokesperson stated that they would adopt a monarchy constitution that allowed women to vote and was according to the Taliban's mindset. The Constitution of 1964, by former king Mohammad Zahir Shah, would be followed with some amendments according to the Taliban's choice.