It was 20 years ago when the jihadi, a defence ministry official in the Taliban’s first government, fled Afghanistan as U.S. troops swept into the country. He settled in southwestern Pakistan with other Afghans, bought a house and became a baker.

Then, after Kabul fell to the Taliban in August, Khyal Mohammad Ghayoor received a call from a stranger who identified himself only by the dual honorifics, Hajji Sahib, which roughly translates to a distinguished man who has made a pilgrimage to Mecca. The man told Ghayoor he was needed back in Afghanistan, not as a baker but as a police chief.

Now, Ghayoor oversees 1,450 people as the head of Kabul’s traffic police.

“I am very excited to be back in a free and liberated Afghanistan,” he said.

Five months after their takeover of Afghanistan, the Taliban are grappling with the challenges of governance. Leaders promised to retain civil servants and prioritize ethnic diversity for top government roles, but instead have filled positions at all management levels with soldiers and theologians. Other government employees have fled or refused to work, leaving widespread vacancies in the fragile state.

To help fill the gaps, Taliban officials are reaching into Pakistan. For years, Pakistan officially denied the existence of Ghayoor and thousands of other ex-Taliban fighters quietly living within its borders. Now, the Taliban are privately recruiting them to return and work in the new government.

It is unclear how many former fighters have returned from Pakistan, but there have already been several high-profile appointments, including Ghayoor.

Arsala Kharoti, who had been working as a community organizer at a refugee camp in Pakistan, is now the deputy minister of refugees. Mawlawi Saeedullah, a preacher at a mosque in a Karachi slum, was appointed to a district judge position in Afghanistan’s eastern province of Paktika, resuming a job he gave up in 2001.

The new hires are walking into a mounting catastrophe. Hunger is rampant. Many teachers and other public sector employees have not been paid in months. The millions of dollars in aid that helped prop up the previous government have vanished, billions in state assets are frozen and economic sanctions have led to a near collapse of the country’s banking system.

“Running insurgency and state are two different things,” said Noor Khan, 40, an accountant who fled Kabul for Islamabad in early September, among hundreds of other Afghan professionals hoping for asylum in Europe.

In the first weeks of the Taliban’s takeover, roughly 120,000 people — including civil servants, bankers, academics and doctors — fled through airlifts organized by the United States and other foreign countries. Zabihullah Mujahid, Taliban spokesman, recognizing the personnel challenges the new government would face, tried to convince the United States to suspend its evacuation process in August.

“Afghanistan needs the expertise of its skilled people,” he said. “They should not be taken to other countries.”

A similar mass exodus of Afghanistan’s professional class occurred in the 1980s and 1990s, when the Soviets withdrew and the Taliban wrested control from the warlords who filled the leadership vacuum.

Then as now, the Taliban preferred filling the government ranks with jihadis and loyalists. But this time, some civil servants have also stopped showing up for work, several of them said in interviews, either because they are not being paid, or because they do not want to taint their pending asylum cases in the United States or Europe by working for the Taliban.

With any new regime comes new appointees, but the difference in Afghanistan is that the new government had operated as a hard-line Islamic insurgency for two decades, so the cadre of people they are plucking leaders from are soldiers and religious scholars, rather than political allies or technocrats.

Many of the selected theologians are graduates of Darul Uloom Haqqania madrassa, one of Pakistan’s oldest and largest Islamic seminaries.

Sirajuddin Haqqani, head of the militant Haqqani network and labelled a terrorist by the FBI, was appointed acting minister of the interior, overseeing police, intelligence and other security forces.

The new head of administrative affairs at the Education Ministry, also a mullah, wore a cartridge belt to his appointment ceremony in December.

Gaps in governance have started to show, including at Salaam, a state-run telecommunications company that, before the takeover, the Taliban routinely threatened and accused of providing intelligence about them to the former government.

“They have no experience to run the departments,” said Basir Jan, a company employee. “They sit in the offices with guns and abuse the employees in the departments by calling them ‘corrupt’ and ‘facilitators of the invaders.’”

Enayat Alokozai, a spokesman for the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, denied these accusation and said Salaam’s service had improved under the Taliban. “All technical staff are in place and they do their routine duties,” he said.

Taliban leaders blame the United States for the collapsing economy. But some analysts say that even if the United States unfreezes Afghanistan’s state assets and lifts sanctions, the Finance Ministry does not have the technical know-how to revive the country’s broken banking system.

“Their response to the catastrophic economic situation is ‘It’s not our fault, the internationals are holding the money back.’ But the reality is that they don’t have the capacity for this kind of day-to-day technical operation,” said Vanda Felbab-Brown, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution.

“One motivation to bring the people back from Pakistan is to offset the image of a brain drain,” she said.

Wahidullah Hashimi, a senior member of the Taliban’s council for training and educating soldiers, said that staffing problems stemmed from corruption within the last administration, and a foreign conspiracy to starve Afghanistan of talent — rather than the Taliban’s own dearth of it.

“Foreigners intentionally evacuated Afghans, most importantly, the educated and professional ones, to weaken the Islamic Emirates and undermine our administration,” Hashimi said.

“We are in touch with some Afghans in different parts of the world and are encouraging them to return to Afghanistan because we desperately need their help and expertise to help their people and government,” he said.

Former government employees say they worry that conditions in Afghanistan, already dire, could become catastrophic. Some of the Taliban returnees share this concern: As many as several dozen new government officials are keeping their families and properties in Karachi, according to Afghan refugee community leaders in the city.

Saeedullah, 45, did not fully pull up stakes when he returned to Afghanistan. Only half his family came along, according to Matiullah, a relative who stayed behind in Karachi and goes by only one name.

“The situation is still uncertain in Afghanistan and therefore we advised Saeedullah not to sell his properties in Pakistan,” he said. “Saeedullah’s two sons have been living with their families and running clothes shops in an upscale market in Karachi.” Saeedullah could not be reached for comment.

Abubakar Siddique, a journalist and author, said the Taliban remain dependent on Pakistan, despite their new grip on power in Afghanistan.

“They still consider it a safe haven to retreat to if things go sour in Afghanistan,” Siddique said. “Obviously, the Taliban leaders and mid-ranking functionaries do not want to risk all by bringing their families into a country that many Afghans are eager to leave.”

Ghayoor, the baker turned police chief, said that Kabul changed markedly in the two decades that he was away. As part of his duties, he tries to instill order at a busy produce market in Kabul as vendors tout fruit and vegetables, and taxi drivers call out stops, looking for fares.

“There is so much traffic, so many street vendors, and the drivers don’t even listen to me when I ask them to move,” he said, exasperated. “When I ask a street vendor to leave this spot and move on, he tells me, ‘What should we eat?’ I asked them, ‘What did you do with all the dollars the Americans were pouring into this country?’”

Ghayoor said in December that neither he nor any other member of the Kabul police force had been paid in months. Nevertheless, he said he decided to sell his bakery in Quetta, a city in southwestern Pakistan, and move his extended family, including nine children, to Kabul.

“The international community used to say it would be impossible for the Taliban to fight these strong forces, let alone taking over the government,” Ghayoor said, adding, “Yet, our operation is going pretty smooth.”

It was 20 years ago when the jihadi, a defence ministry official in the Taliban’s first government, fled Afghanistan as U.S. troops swept into the country. He settled in southwestern Pakistan with other Afghans, bought a house and became a baker.

It was 20 years ago when the jihadi, a defence ministry official in the Taliban’s first government, fled Afghanistan as U.S. troops swept into the country. He settled in southwestern Pakistan with other Afghans, bought a house and became a baker. Then, after Kabul fell to the Taliban in August, Khyal Mohammad Ghayoor received a call from a stranger who identified himself only by the dual honorifics, Hajji Sahib, which roughly translates to a distinguished man who has made a pilgrimage to Mecca. The man told Ghayoor he was needed back in Afghanistan, not as a baker but as a police chief. Now, Ghayoor oversees 1,450 people as the head of Kabul’s traffic police. “I am very excited to be back in a free and liberated Afghanistan,” he said. Five months after their takeover of Afghanistan, the Taliban are grappling with the challenges of governance. Leaders promised to retain civil servants and prioritize ethnic diversity for top government roles, but instead have filled positions at all management levels with soldiers and theologians. Other government employees have fled or refused to work, leaving widespread vacancies in the fragile state. To help fill the gaps, Taliban officials are reaching into Pakistan. For years, Pakistan officially denied the existence of Ghayoor and thousands of other ex-Taliban fighters quietly living within its borders. Now, the Taliban are privately recruiting them to return and work in the new government. It is unclear how many former fighters have returned from Pakistan, but there have already been several high-profile appointments, including Ghayoor. Arsala Kharoti, who had been working as a community organizer at a refugee camp in Pakistan, is now the deputy minister of refugees. Mawlawi Saeedullah, a preacher at a mosque in a Karachi slum, was appointed to a district judge position in Afghanistan’s eastern province of Paktika, resuming a job he gave up in 2001. The new hires are walking into a mounting catastrophe. Hunger is rampant. Many teachers and other public sector employees have not been paid in months. The millions of dollars in aid that helped prop up the previous government have vanished, billions in state assets are frozen and economic sanctions have led to a near collapse of the country’s banking system. “Running insurgency and state are two different things,” said Noor Khan, 40, an accountant who fled Kabul for Islamabad in early September, among hundreds of other Afghan professionals hoping for asylum in Europe. In the first weeks of the Taliban’s takeover, roughly 120,000 people — including civil servants, bankers, academics and doctors — fled through airlifts organized by the United States and other foreign countries. Zabihullah Mujahid, Taliban spokesman, recognizing the personnel challenges the new government would face, tried to convince the United States to suspend its evacuation process in August. “Afghanistan needs the expertise of its skilled people,” he said. “They should not be taken to other countries.” A similar mass exodus of Afghanistan’s professional class occurred in the 1980s and 1990s, when the Soviets withdrew and the Taliban wrested control from the warlords who filled the leadership vacuum. Then as now, the Taliban preferred filling the government ranks with jihadis and loyalists. But this time, some civil servants have also stopped showing up for work, several of them said in interviews, either because they are not being paid, or because they do not want to taint their pending asylum cases in the United States or Europe by working for the Taliban. With any new regime comes new appointees, but the difference in Afghanistan is that the new government had operated as a hard-line Islamic insurgency for two decades, so the cadre of people they are plucking leaders from are soldiers and religious scholars, rather than political allies or technocrats. Many of the selected theologians are graduates of Darul Uloom Haqqania madrassa, one of Pakistan’s oldest and largest Islamic seminaries. Sirajuddin Haqqani, head of the militant Haqqani network and labelled a terrorist by the FBI, was appointed acting minister of the interior, overseeing police, intelligence and other security forces. The new head of administrative affairs at the Education Ministry, also a mullah, wore a cartridge belt to his appointment ceremony in December. Gaps in governance have started to show, including at Salaam, a state-run telecommunications company that, before the takeover, the Taliban routinely threatened and accused of providing intelligence about them to the former government. “They have no experience to run the departments,” said Basir Jan, a company employee. “They sit in the offices with guns and abuse the employees in the departments by calling them ‘corrupt’ and ‘facilitators of the invaders.’” Enayat Alokozai, a spokesman for the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, denied these accusation and said Salaam’s service had improved under the Taliban. “All technical staff are in place and they do their routine duties,” he said. Taliban leaders blame the United States for the collapsing economy. But some analysts say that even if the United States unfreezes Afghanistan’s state assets and lifts sanctions, the Finance Ministry does not have the technical know-how to revive the country’s broken banking system. “Their response to the catastrophic economic situation is ‘It’s not our fault, the internationals are holding the money back.’ But the reality is that they don’t have the capacity for this kind of day-to-day technical operation,” said Vanda Felbab-Brown, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution. “One motivation to bring the people back from Pakistan is to offset the image of a brain drain,” she said. Wahidullah Hashimi, a senior member of the Taliban’s council for training and educating soldiers, said that staffing problems stemmed from corruption within the last administration, and a foreign conspiracy to starve Afghanistan of talent — rather than the Taliban’s own dearth of it. “Foreigners intentionally evacuated Afghans, most importantly, the educated and professional ones, to weaken the Islamic Emirates and undermine our administration,” Hashimi said. “We are in touch with some Afghans in different parts of the world and are encouraging them to return to Afghanistan because we desperately need their help and expertise to help their people and government,” he said. Former government employees say they worry that conditions in Afghanistan, already dire, could become catastrophic. Some of the Taliban returnees share this concern: As many as several dozen new government officials are keeping their families and properties in Karachi, according to Afghan refugee community leaders in the city. Saeedullah, 45, did not fully pull up stakes when he returned to Afghanistan. Only half his family came along, according to Matiullah, a relative who stayed behind in Karachi and goes by only one name. “The situation is still uncertain in Afghanistan and therefore we advised Saeedullah not to sell his properties in Pakistan,” he said. “Saeedullah’s two sons have been living with their families and running clothes shops in an upscale market in Karachi.” Saeedullah could not be reached for comment. Abubakar Siddique, a journalist and author, said the Taliban remain dependent on Pakistan, despite their new grip on power in Afghanistan. “They still consider it a safe haven to retreat to if things go sour in Afghanistan,” Siddique said. “Obviously, the Taliban leaders and mid-ranking functionaries do not want to risk all by bringing their families into a country that many Afghans are eager to leave.” Ghayoor, the baker turned police chief, said that Kabul changed markedly in the two decades that he was away. As part of his duties, he tries to instill order at a busy produce market in Kabul as vendors tout fruit and vegetables, and taxi drivers call out stops, looking for fares. “There is so much traffic, so many street vendors, and the drivers don’t even listen to me when I ask them to move,” he said, exasperated. “When I ask a street vendor to leave this spot and move on, he tells me, ‘What should we eat?’ I asked them, ‘What did you do with all the dollars the Americans were pouring into this country?’” Ghayoor said in December that neither he nor any other member of the Kabul police force had been paid in months. Nevertheless, he said he decided to sell his bakery in Quetta, a city in southwestern Pakistan, and move his extended family, including nine children, to Kabul. “The international community used to say it would be impossible for the Taliban to fight these strong forces, let alone taking over the government,” Ghayoor said, adding, “Yet, our operation is going pretty smooth.”

The Taliban have staffing issues. They are looking for help in Pakistan

Jacinda Adern-led government in New Zealand is facing heat for resettling Afghanistan’s former vice president and his 13 family members in the country while hundreds of Afghans who helped New Zealand forces remain trapped abroad and in fear for their lives.

According to NZ-based news website Stuff, Sarwar Danish– the second vice president of Afghanistan– flew into Auckland around Christmas with his wife, two sons and three daughters.

Associate immigration minister Phil Twyford confirmed that “Sarwar Danish and his family have been given safe haven in New Zealand”.

Danish, a member of Afghanistan’s ethnic Hazara minority, fled Kabul for Turkey along with other senior officials on August 16, shortly after the Taliban took control of the capital.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/afghan-ex-president-ashraf-ghani-is-in-uae-406635">Afghan ex-president Ashraf Ghani is in UAE</a>

New Zealand has granted 1,400 visas to Afghans after the Taliban took over Afghanistan in mid-August, the Guardian reported.

Out of those, only 800 were resettled in New Zealand, in part because New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) evacuation efforts from Kabul were halted after a suicide bomber attacked the Kabul airport in late August.

Also read |<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/i-have-been-made-a-scapegoat-ashraf-ghani-recalls-the-day-he-fled-afghanistan-denies-taking-money-441143">&nbsp;</a><a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/i-have-been-made-a-scapegoat-ashraf-ghani-recalls-the-day-he-fled-afghanistan-denies-taking-money-441143">'I have been made a scapegoat': Ashraf Ghani recalls the day he fled Afghanistan, denies taking money</a>

An Afghan member who was associated with the NZDF in Kabul from 2009-2012 told Stuff that the government should have prioritized those Afghans who worked the forces and “not people like Danish who shared responsibility for the collapse of Afghanistan’s government”.

“It’s very frustrating that someone from the corrupt leadership of Afghanistan – with zero connection to New Zealand – has been resettled in this country, when people who directly supported the New Zealand SAS have been left behind,” he said.

“He was already safe in Turkey, so it would be hard to understand if Kiwi taxpayers are paying for Danish and his family to start a new life in New Zealand,” he added.

(With inputs from agencies)

Jacinda Adern-led government in New Zealand is facing heat for resettling Afghanistan’s former vice president and his 13 family members in the country while hundreds of Afghans who helped New Zealand forces remain trapped abroad and in fear for their lives.

Jacinda Adern-led government in New Zealand is facing heat for resettling Afghanistan’s former vice president and his 13 family members in the country while hundreds of Afghans who helped New Zealand forces remain trapped abroad and in fear for their lives. According to NZ-based news website Stuff, Sarwar Danish– the second vice president of Afghanistan– flew into Auckland around Christmas with his wife, two sons and three daughters. Associate immigration minister Phil Twyford confirmed that “Sarwar Danish and his family have been given safe haven in New Zealand”. Danish, a member of Afghanistan’s ethnic Hazara minority, fled Kabul for Turkey along with other senior officials on August 16, shortly after the Taliban took control of the capital. Also read | Afghan ex-president Ashraf Ghani is in UAE New Zealand has granted 1,400 visas to Afghans after the Taliban took over Afghanistan in mid-August, the Guardian reported. Out of those, only 800 were resettled in New Zealand, in part because New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) evacuation efforts from Kabul were halted after a suicide bomber attacked the Kabul airport in late August. Also read | 'I have been made a scapegoat': Ashraf Ghani recalls the day he fled Afghanistan, denies taking money An Afghan member who was associated with the NZDF in Kabul from 2009-2012 told Stuff that the government should have prioritized those Afghans who worked the forces and “not people like Danish who shared responsibility for the collapse of Afghanistan’s government”. “It’s very frustrating that someone from the corrupt leadership of Afghanistan – with zero connection to New Zealand – has been resettled in this country, when people who directly supported the New Zealand SAS have been left behind,” he said. “He was already safe in Turkey, so it would be hard to understand if Kiwi taxpayers are paying for Danish and his family to start a new life in New Zealand,” he added. (With inputs from agencies)

NZ govt slammed for prioritising resettlement of Afghan ex-VP over others

The United States on Tuesday promised more than $308 million in an initial aid package for Afghanistan this year.

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) said in a statement that it will provide for food and nutrition for vulnerable people, health care facilities, winterisation programmes and logistics support.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/afghanistan-taliban-claims-to-have-met-national-resistance-front-leaders-443795/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

It comes after an appeal by the United Nations for funds to avert a humanitarian catastrophe and offer the ravaged country a future after 40 years of suffering.

''A full-blown humanitarian catastrophe looms. My message is urgent: don't shut the door on the people of Afghanistan," said UN aid chief Martin Griffiths.

"Help us scale up and stave off wide-spread hunger, disease, malnutrition and ultimately death."

Also see |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/afghan-women-protest-against-killing-of-former-troops-demand-equal-rights-440708" hreflang="en">Afghan women protest against killing of former troops, demand equal rights</a>

The United Nations says nearly 23 million people, about 55% of the population, are facing extreme levels of hunger, with nearly 9 million at risk of famine as winter takes hold.

Afghanistan's economic crisis accelerated after the Taliban seized power in August, as the former Western-backed government collapsed and the last US troops withdrew.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/from-narco-terrorism-to-informal-economy-the-state-crime-nexus-of-afghanistans-opium-dilemma-407432" hreflang="en">From narco-terrorism to informal economy: The state-crime nexus of Afghanistan’s opium dilemma</a>

"The banks are not working properly so there is also a need to control the inflation and that can be controlled when dollars ... hard currency come to Afghanistan," senior Taliban leader and the group's designated UN representative, Suhail Shaheen said.

Washington has frozen billions of dollars of the country's assets, while aid supplies have been heavily disrupted.

Last month, the United States formally exempted US and UN officials doing permitted business with the Taliban from US sanctions to try to maintain the flow of aid to Afghanistan as it sinks deeper into a humanitarian crisis.

(With inputs from agencies)

The United States on Tuesday promised more than $308 million in an initial aid package for Afghanistan this year. The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) said in a statement that it will provide for food and nutrition for vulnerable people, health care facilities, winterisation programmes and logistics support.

The United States on Tuesday promised more than $308 million in an initial aid package for Afghanistan this year. The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) said in a statement that it will provide for food and nutrition for vulnerable people, health care facilities, winterisation programmes and logistics support. It comes after an appeal by the United Nations for funds to avert a humanitarian catastrophe and offer the ravaged country a future after 40 years of suffering. ''A full-blown humanitarian catastrophe looms. My message is urgent: don't shut the door on the people of Afghanistan," said UN aid chief Martin Griffiths. "Help us scale up and stave off wide-spread hunger, disease, malnutrition and ultimately death." Also see | Afghan women protest against killing of former troops, demand equal rights The United Nations says nearly 23 million people, about 55% of the population, are facing extreme levels of hunger, with nearly 9 million at risk of famine as winter takes hold. Afghanistan's economic crisis accelerated after the Taliban seized power in August, as the former Western-backed government collapsed and the last US troops withdrew. Also read | From narco-terrorism to informal economy: The state-crime nexus of Afghanistan’s opium dilemma "The banks are not working properly so there is also a need to control the inflation and that can be controlled when dollars ... hard currency come to Afghanistan," senior Taliban leader and the group's designated UN representative, Suhail Shaheen said. Washington has frozen billions of dollars of the country's assets, while aid supplies have been heavily disrupted. Last month, the United States formally exempted US and UN officials doing permitted business with the Taliban from US sanctions to try to maintain the flow of aid to Afghanistan as it sinks deeper into a humanitarian crisis. (With inputs from agencies)

United States pledges over $300 million in aid for Afghanistan

Taliban spokesperson has claimed to meet Afghanistan's National Resistance Front leaders Ahmad Massoud in Iran which the NRF has reportedly denied and has said that no such meeting was held. Now, the development comes just days after clashes were reported in the Panjshir valley, the NRF was leading the resistance movement since Afghanistan's Taliban takeover in August.

Afghanistan Resistance Chief Ahmad Massoud in talks with Taliban? | World English News

In Afghanistan, since the Taliban has taken, over the charge of the country back in August, the media houses have started disappearing or they simply have not been allowed to function as media houses. An export gets you all the details

Afghanistan: 231 media outlets have shut down since August

In Afghanistan patriarchal traditions, poverty and, lack of education have stifled women's rights for decades. Here's a heart-wrenching ordeal of a 22-year-old woman married off as a mere child. She is now living in one of the few shelters for battered women that still exists in Afghanistan under the Taliban's rule. This is her story of abuse, torture, and sorrow.

Poverty, lack of education hampers women's rights in Afghanistan

Afghanistan: Taliban claims it met with Resistance leader Ahmad Massoud, NRF denies | World News

Iran will be assisting India in providing aid to Afghanistan which has been hit by a humanitarian crisis. Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian made this offer during a telephonic conversation with the Indian with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.&nbsp;

Amir-Abdollahian, during the coversation, said, "Regarding Afghanistan, Amir Abdollahian stressed the need to form an inclusive government in the country. He also referred to India’s humanitarian aid to Afghanistan, announcing measures and cooperation by the Islamic Republic of Iran to transfer this aid in the form of wheat, medicine and Covid-19 vaccine to the country."

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
A wide ranging conversation with my Iranian colleague, FM <a href="https://twitter.com/Amirabdolahian?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Amirabdolahian</a> . 
 
Discussed the difficulties of Covid, challenges in Afghanistan, prospects of Chabahar and complexities of the Iranian nuclear issue.
— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) <a href="https://twitter.com/DrSJaishankar/status/1479827448963293186?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 8, 2022</a></blockquote>
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India has recently committed to providing the Afghan people with 50,000 MT of wheat,&nbsp;medications, and Covid vaccines as the nation continue to battle an economic crisis since the Taliban takeover.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-to-send-wheat-to-afghanistan-in-coming-weeks-mea-441673">Also read |&nbsp;India to send wheat to Afghanistan in coming weeks: MEA</a>

The ministry of external affairs in a release said, "The government of India has committed to providing humanitarian assistance to the Afghan people consisting of food grains, one million doses of the COVID vaccine and essential life-saving drugs."

Since the Taliban took over, the humanitarian crisis is worsening in the country. This is leading to an impending danger for women and minority groups, in addition to other locals. There is another "looming crisis" that has been caused by the suspension of funds that used to come in from international groups and other countries.

Last month, India sent 1.6 metric tonnes of medicine to Afghanistan via Kam airway. Taliban welcomed the supplies as Abdul Qahar Balkhi, spokesperson of the Taliban foreign ministry, said, "We appreciate the arrival of two tonnes of Indian-assisted medicine to Indira Gandhi Children's Hospital in Kabul."

(With inputs from agencies)

Iran will be assisting India in providing aid to Afghanistan which has been hit by a humanitarian crisis. Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian made this offer during a telephonic conversation with the Indian with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.

Iran will be assisting India in providing aid to Afghanistan which has been hit by a humanitarian crisis. Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian made this offer during a telephonic conversation with the Indian with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar. Amir-Abdollahian, during the coversation, said, "Regarding Afghanistan, Amir Abdollahian stressed the need to form an inclusive government in the country. He also referred to India’s humanitarian aid to Afghanistan, announcing measures and cooperation by the Islamic Republic of Iran to transfer this aid in the form of wheat, medicine and Covid-19 vaccine to the country." A wide ranging conversation with my Iranian colleague, FM @Amirabdolahian . Discussed the difficulties of Covid, challenges in Afghanistan, prospects of Chabahar and complexities of the Iranian nuclear issue. — Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) January 8, 2022 × India has recently committed to providing the Afghan people with 50,000 MT of wheat, medications, and Covid vaccines as the nation continue to battle an economic crisis since the Taliban takeover. Also read | India to send wheat to Afghanistan in coming weeks: MEA The ministry of external affairs in a release said, "The government of India has committed to providing humanitarian assistance to the Afghan people consisting of food grains, one million doses of the COVID vaccine and essential life-saving drugs." Since the Taliban took over, the humanitarian crisis is worsening in the country. This is leading to an impending danger for women and minority groups, in addition to other locals. There is another "looming crisis" that has been caused by the suspension of funds that used to come in from international groups and other countries. Last month, India sent 1.6 metric tonnes of medicine to Afghanistan via Kam airway. Taliban welcomed the supplies as Abdul Qahar Balkhi, spokesperson of the Taliban foreign ministry, said, "We appreciate the arrival of two tonnes of Indian-assisted medicine to Indira Gandhi Children's Hospital in Kabul." (With inputs from agencies)

Iran to assist India in transporting aid to poverty-stricken Afghanistan

The Taliban have arrested a prominent Afghan scholar who has openly criticised&nbsp;the group's hardline regime, said a government spokesman. Faizullah Jalal, the professor, has in past made several appearances on TV since the Taliban took power in August 2021. He has fiercely criticised the regime even on social media and has held the Taliban responsible for the economic crisis in the country.

Since returning to power, the Taliban have cracked down on dissent, forcefully dispersing women's rights protests and briefly detaining several Afghan journalists.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid tweeted that Jalal had been detained Saturday over statements he made on social media in which he was "trying to instigate people against the system and was playing with the dignity of the people".

"He has been arrested so that others don't make similar senseless comments in the name of being a professor or scholar that harm the dignity of others," he added.

Mujahid shared screenshots of tweets he claimed had been posted by Jalal, which said the Taliban intelligence chief was a stooge of Pakistan, and that the new government considers Afghans as "donkeys".

In one television appearance, Jalal called Taliban spokesman Mohammad Naeem -- who was also participating -- a "calf", a grave insult in Afghanistan. 
Clips of his passionate criticism went viral on social media, sparking concern he risked Taliban retribution.&nbsp;

Jalal's wife Massouda, who once stood as Afghanistan's first woman candidate for the presidency, posted on Facebook that her husband had been arrested by Taliban forces and detained in an unknown location.

"Dr. Jalal has fought and spoken out for justice and the national interest in all his activities pertaining to human rights," she said, as quoted by AFP.

A long-time professor of law and political science at Kabul University, Jalal has long had a reputation as a critic of Afghanistan's leaders.

On Twitter, rights group Amnesty International condemned the arrest of the lecturer "for exercising his freedom of expression and criticising the Taliban", calling for his immediate and unconditional release.

(With inputs from agencies)

The Taliban have arrested a prominent Afghan scholar who has openly criticised the group's hardline regime, said a government spokesman. Faizullah Jalal, the professor, has in past made several appearances on TV since the Taliban took power in August 2021.

The Taliban have arrested a prominent Afghan scholar who has openly criticised the group's hardline regime, said a government spokesman. Faizullah Jalal, the professor, has in past made several appearances on TV since the Taliban took power in August 2021. He has fiercely criticised the regime even on social media and has held the Taliban responsible for the economic crisis in the country. Since returning to power, the Taliban have cracked down on dissent, forcefully dispersing women's rights protests and briefly detaining several Afghan journalists. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid tweeted that Jalal had been detained Saturday over statements he made on social media in which he was "trying to instigate people against the system and was playing with the dignity of the people". "He has been arrested so that others don't make similar senseless comments in the name of being a professor or scholar that harm the dignity of others," he added. Mujahid shared screenshots of tweets he claimed had been posted by Jalal, which said the Taliban intelligence chief was a stooge of Pakistan, and that the new government considers Afghans as "donkeys". In one television appearance, Jalal called Taliban spokesman Mohammad Naeem -- who was also participating -- a "calf", a grave insult in Afghanistan. Clips of his passionate criticism went viral on social media, sparking concern he risked Taliban retribution. Jalal's wife Massouda, who once stood as Afghanistan's first woman candidate for the presidency, posted on Facebook that her husband had been arrested by Taliban forces and detained in an unknown location. "Dr. Jalal has fought and spoken out for justice and the national interest in all his activities pertaining to human rights," she said, as quoted by AFP. A long-time professor of law and political science at Kabul University, Jalal has long had a reputation as a critic of Afghanistan's leaders. On Twitter, rights group Amnesty International condemned the arrest of the lecturer "for exercising his freedom of expression and criticising the Taliban", calling for his immediate and unconditional release. (With inputs from agencies)

Taliban arrest professor after his fierce criticism of hardline regime 

Iran has offered to transfer Indian wheat to Afghanistan. The proposal was made by Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian during his telephonic conversation with India's Minister of External Affairs S Jaishankar. The conversation took place on Saturday (January 8) and came as India sent 3rd humanitarian support to Afghanistan after Taliban captured power in August 2021.

Afghanistan was the key focus during the talks, both Indian and Iranian readouts confirmed. Iranian readout said that Iran foreign minister "stressed the need to form an inclusive government in the country" and while referring to India's humanitarian aid to Afghanistan, announced "measures and cooperation by Iran to transfer this aid in the form of wheat, medicine... to the country".

Last week, India sent 2 batches of humanitarian aid to the country.&nbsp;First one was sent on&nbsp;January 1st and the second was sent on January 7th. The aid consisted of medical assistance. November 2021 saw India delivering 1.6 tons of medical assistance to Afghanistan through World Health Organization (WHO).

Tweet by EAM Jaishankar on the talks said, "discussed the difficulties of Covid, challenges in Afghanistan, prospects of Chabahar and complexities of the Iranian nuclear issue."

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A wide ranging conversation with my Iranian colleague, FM <a href="https://twitter.com/Amirabdolahian?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Amirabdolahian</a> . 
 
Discussed the difficulties of Covid, challenges in Afghanistan, prospects of Chabahar and complexities of the Iranian nuclear issue.
— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) <a href="https://twitter.com/DrSJaishankar/status/1479827448963293186?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 8, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Future supplies to Afghanistan will be made via Chabahar port. The port has huge Indian investment. It was on December 24, 2018 that Indian company, India Ports Global Limited, a subsidiary of India Ports Global Chabahar Free Zone (IPGCFZ) took over operations of the Chabahar port. Since December 2018 the port has handled 160 vessels, 14,420 TEUs (Twenty-foot Equivalent Units) and 3.2 million tons of bulk and general cargo. Before the fall of Kabul, India has been sending relief to Afghanistan on a regular basis via the Chabahar port.

India has committed to providing 50,000 MT of wheat, essential lifesaving medicines and Covid Vaccines to Afghan people. One of the proposals to send the supplies had been via Pakistan. While Islamabad has publicly stated it will allow movement of supplies, no transfer has started even as New Delhi and Islamabad continue to discuss the modalities of transfer.

Iran has offered to transfer Indian wheat to Afghanistan. The proposal was made by Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian during his telephonic conversation with India's Minister of External Affairs S Jaishankar.

Iran has offered to transfer Indian wheat to Afghanistan. The proposal was made by Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian during his telephonic conversation with India's Minister of External Affairs S Jaishankar. The conversation took place on Saturday (January 8) and came as India sent 3rd humanitarian support to Afghanistan after Taliban captured power in August 2021. Afghanistan was the key focus during the talks, both Indian and Iranian readouts confirmed. Iranian readout said that Iran foreign minister "stressed the need to form an inclusive government in the country" and while referring to India's humanitarian aid to Afghanistan, announced "measures and cooperation by Iran to transfer this aid in the form of wheat, medicine... to the country". Last week, India sent 2 batches of humanitarian aid to the country. First one was sent on January 1st and the second was sent on January 7th. The aid consisted of medical assistance. November 2021 saw India delivering 1.6 tons of medical assistance to Afghanistan through World Health Organization (WHO). Tweet by EAM Jaishankar on the talks said, "discussed the difficulties of Covid, challenges in Afghanistan, prospects of Chabahar and complexities of the Iranian nuclear issue." A wide ranging conversation with my Iranian colleague, FM @Amirabdolahian . Discussed the difficulties of Covid, challenges in Afghanistan, prospects of Chabahar and complexities of the Iranian nuclear issue. — Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) January 8, 2022 × Future supplies to Afghanistan will be made via Chabahar port. The port has huge Indian investment. It was on December 24, 2018 that Indian company, India Ports Global Limited, a subsidiary of India Ports Global Chabahar Free Zone (IPGCFZ) took over operations of the Chabahar port. Since December 2018 the port has handled 160 vessels, 14,420 TEUs (Twenty-foot Equivalent Units) and 3.2 million tons of bulk and general cargo. Before the fall of Kabul, India has been sending relief to Afghanistan on a regular basis via the Chabahar port. India has committed to providing 50,000 MT of wheat, essential lifesaving medicines and Covid Vaccines to Afghan people. One of the proposals to send the supplies had been via Pakistan. While Islamabad has publicly stated it will allow movement of supplies, no transfer has started even as New Delhi and Islamabad continue to discuss the modalities of transfer.

Iran offers to transfer Indian wheat to Afghanistan

In a latest video posted on social media, armed Taliban men are seen forcefully pushing three handcuffed men in car trunks.

Video posted on social media exposes Taliban's oppression

After sparring over Durand line Pakistan and Afghanistan have another issue of contention. Drugs in a latest crackdown Pakistan's customs intercepted two hundred and twenty five kilograms of heroin which were hidden in vehicles from Afghanistan at the tor--kham border.

Pakistan's customs intercepts two hundred and twenty five kilograms of heroin

After sparring over the Durand line, Pakistan and Afghanistan have another issue of contention drugs. In the latest crackdown, Pakistan's customs intercepted 225 kilograms of heroin which were hidden in vehicles from Afghanistan at the border.

Pakistan officials destroy 22 tonnes of drugs

Taliban issue posters ordering women to cover up: 'Encouragement for Muslim women to follow Sharia law'

Amid escalating tensions on the Durand Line over border fencing, Pakistan’s National Security Advisor Moeed Yusuf will be visiting Kabul later this month in a bid to ease the simmering tensions between the two nations over the contentious issue.

A high-level meeting of the Afghanistan Inter-Ministerial Coordination Cell was convened on Thursday in Islamabad where it was decided to send Yusuf to Kabul, according to Dawn newspaper.

“A senior delegation of Pakistani officials, headed by the NSA, is scheduled to visit Afghanistan soon for further engagement with the Afghan government on all assistance-related prospects,” the report said, quoting the statement from the meeting.

Even though the date for the NSA’s visit is yet to be finalised, Dawn, quoting sources, reported that&nbsp;the visit could probably take place on January 17-18.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/taliban-tear-down-barbed-wire-fence-put-up-by-pak-forces-as-durand-line-border-tension-brews-438954">Taliban tear down barbed wire fence put up by Pak forces as Durand Line border tension brews</a>

The development comes after Mawllawi Sanaullah Sangin, Commander of Taliban had warned that it would not allow fencing by Pakistan in any form along the Durand Line.

“We (Taliban) will not allow the fencing anytime, in any form. Whatever they (Pakistan) did before, they did, but we will not allow it anymore. There will be no fencing anymore,” Sangin had told Tolo News on Wednesday.

Sangin’s reaction came following Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi’s comments earlier this week, when he said this issue would be resolved peacefully, through diplomatic channels.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pakistan-and-taliban-forces-clash-at-durand-line-again-over-border-fencing-issue-441432">Pakistan and Taliban forces clash at Durand Line again over border fencing issue</a>

“Certain miscreants are raising the issue unnecessarily, but we are looking into it. We are in contact with the Afghan government. Hopefully, we would be able to resolve the issue diplomatically,” Qureshi had said during a press conference in Islamabad on Monday.

The Durand Line is the 2,670-km international border between Afghanistan and Pakistan. In December, Pakistan and the Taliban forces clashed twice over the border fencing issue.

Pakistan has reportedly completed almost 90 per cent fencing work along the border despite resistance from Kabul, who contested the century-old British-era boundary demarcation that splits families on either side.

(With inputs from agencies)

Amid escalating tensions on the Durand Line over border fencing, Pakistan’s National Security Advisor Moeed Yusuf will be visiting Kabul later this month in a bid to ease the simmering tensions between the two nations over the contentious issue.

Amid escalating tensions on the Durand Line over border fencing, Pakistan’s National Security Advisor Moeed Yusuf will be visiting Kabul later this month in a bid to ease the simmering tensions between the two nations over the contentious issue. A high-level meeting of the Afghanistan Inter-Ministerial Coordination Cell was convened on Thursday in Islamabad where it was decided to send Yusuf to Kabul, according to Dawn newspaper. “A senior delegation of Pakistani officials, headed by the NSA, is scheduled to visit Afghanistan soon for further engagement with the Afghan government on all assistance-related prospects,” the report said, quoting the statement from the meeting. Even though the date for the NSA’s visit is yet to be finalised, Dawn, quoting sources, reported that the visit could probably take place on January 17-18. Also read | Taliban tear down barbed wire fence put up by Pak forces as Durand Line border tension brews The development comes after Mawllawi Sanaullah Sangin, Commander of Taliban had warned that it would not allow fencing by Pakistan in any form along the Durand Line. “We (Taliban) will not allow the fencing anytime, in any form. Whatever they (Pakistan) did before, they did, but we will not allow it anymore. There will be no fencing anymore,” Sangin had told Tolo News on Wednesday. Sangin’s reaction came following Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi’s comments earlier this week, when he said this issue would be resolved peacefully, through diplomatic channels. Also read | Pakistan and Taliban forces clash at Durand Line again over border fencing issue “Certain miscreants are raising the issue unnecessarily, but we are looking into it. We are in contact with the Afghan government. Hopefully, we would be able to resolve the issue diplomatically,” Qureshi had said during a press conference in Islamabad on Monday. The Durand Line is the 2,670-km international border between Afghanistan and Pakistan. In December, Pakistan and the Taliban forces clashed twice over the border fencing issue. Pakistan has reportedly completed almost 90 per cent fencing work along the border despite resistance from Kabul, who contested the century-old British-era boundary demarcation that splits families on either side. (With inputs from agencies)

Pakistan’s NSA to visit Kabul amid simmering tensions on Durand Line over border fencing

The Taliban have reportedly deployed suicide squads at the border with China and Tajikistan. Afghan youth are also being recruited for a special suicide battalion in the Afghan army.

Report: Suicide battalion to be part of Taliban Army in Afghanistan

The deep blue mountain lakes in the central Bamiyan province of Afghanistan have been a major hub of tourism, but with the return of the Taliban, few people are now mastering the courage to visit these sites of spectacular beauty.

The tourism industry hard hit in the central Bamiyan province of Afghanistan

The deep blue mountain lakes in the central Bamyan province of Afghanistan have been a major hub of tourism. But with the return of the Taliban, there are very few people who are now able to muster the courage to visit these sites of spectacular natural beauty.

Afghanistan: No tourists venture into Taliban country

Citing a breach of Sharia law, Taliban has decided to behead 'mannequins' used in clothing stores in Herat province of war-torn Afghanistan, reported Sputnik, citing Afghan media. &nbsp;

Even as the country has been facing numerous issues already, Taliban has been on a crackdown spree. &nbsp;&nbsp;

In this recent development, Taliban is saying that use of "mannequins" is a breach of the Shariah law. &nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pakistan-and-taliban-forces-clash-at-durand-line-again-over-border-fencing-issue-441432" hreflang="en">Pakistan and Taliban forces clash at Durand Line again over border fencing</a>

Initially, Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice had ordered all the shops in Herat to get rid of the mannequins. But after shopkeepers complained of heavy losses due to the ruling in the already troubled times for business, it altered its order and told to behead them instead. &nbsp;

Watch | Afghanistan: Taliban orders 'beheading of female mannequins' citing Sharia Law

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The Islamist officials have ruled that these statues were 'idols'. &nbsp;

Sheikh Aziz-u-Rahman, head of the ministry, had made the announcement. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/i-have-been-made-a-scapegoat-ashraf-ghani-recalls-the-day-he-fled-afghanistan-denies-taking-money-441143" hreflang="en">'I have been made a scapegoat': Ghani recalls the day he fled Afghanistan</a>

The ministry is responsible for ensuring the Taliban's strict interpretation of Islam is levied in the country. &nbsp;

According to the business owners, hacking the heads of the mannequins still represent a significant financial loss. &nbsp;

"The heads of the mannequins should be covered, not removed. Each mannequin costs $100, or $80 or $70, and beheading them will be a huge financial loss," Abdul Wadood Faiz Zada told Italian newspaper Repubblica. &nbsp;&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

Citing a breach of Sharia law, Taliban has decided to behead 'mannequins' used in clothing stores in Herat province of war-torn Afghanistan, reported Sputnik, citing Afghan media.

Citing a breach of Sharia law, Taliban has decided to behead 'mannequins' used in clothing stores in Herat province of war-torn Afghanistan, reported Sputnik, citing Afghan media. Even as the country has been facing numerous issues already, Taliban has been on a crackdown spree. In this recent development, Taliban is saying that use of "mannequins" is a breach of the Shariah law. Also Read: Pakistan and Taliban forces clash at Durand Line again over border fencing Initially, Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice had ordered all the shops in Herat to get rid of the mannequins. But after shopkeepers complained of heavy losses due to the ruling in the already troubled times for business, it altered its order and told to behead them instead. Watch | Afghanistan: Taliban orders 'beheading of female mannequins' citing Sharia Law × The Islamist officials have ruled that these statues were 'idols'. Sheikh Aziz-u-Rahman, head of the ministry, had made the announcement. Also Read: 'I have been made a scapegoat': Ghani recalls the day he fled Afghanistan The ministry is responsible for ensuring the Taliban's strict interpretation of Islam is levied in the country. According to the business owners, hacking the heads of the mannequins still represent a significant financial loss. "The heads of the mannequins should be covered, not removed. Each mannequin costs $100, or $80 or $70, and beheading them will be a huge financial loss," Abdul Wadood Faiz Zada told Italian newspaper Repubblica. (With inputs from agencies)

Calling breach of Sharia law, Taliban to behead 'mannequins' in Afghanistan

In Afghanistan, patriarchal traditions, poverty and lack of education have stifled women's rights for decades. Now here's a heart ranging ordeal of 22 year old woman married off as a mere child she is now living in one of the few shelters for battered women that still exists in Afghanistan under the Taliban rule, this is her story of abuse torture and sorrow take a look.

Humanitarian Crisis | 87% of Afghan women face domestic violence

The Pakistani army clashed with the Taliban at the Durand Line for the third time in the previous 10 days over fencing.

According to reports, Pakistani personnel were attempting to erect barbed wire barriers.&nbsp;

In the Dak area of Nimroz province's Charborjak district, Afghan troops stopped Pakistani soldiers from erecting a barbed wire barrier.

According to Shamshad News, Pakistan has covered roughly 10 kilometres of Afghan territory in the Charborjak district's Dak area, which was previously barred by Taliban forces.&nbsp;

Last week, the Pakistani military attempted to extend walls 10 kilometres into Afghan territory.

Talibs replied by ripping the barbed wires down.

Both parties had previously battled on December 22 in the eastern Nangarhar province over a similar issue.

According to Afghanistan's Khama Press, the barbed wire was dismantled and brought to Afghanistan by Talibs.&nbsp;

The Durand Line, the 2,600-km international border between Afghanistan and Pakistan, often witnesses periodic skirmishes between the two forces.

Previous Afghan governments and the new Taliban regime have often objected to Pakistan fencing its border, saying that they have never approved of its legitimacy.

In September, this was asserted by the Chief Spokesperson of the Taliban, Zabiullah Mujahid &nbsp;after the formation of the Taliban’s caretaker government.&nbsp;

The border is named after British civil servant Sir Henry Mortimer Durand, who signed an agreement with Amir Abdur Rahman, then the Afghan ruler, on November 12, 1893, to establish an international border between British India and Afghanistan.

(With inputs from agencies)

The Pakistani army clashed with the Taliban at the Durand Line for the third time in the previous 10 days over fencing. According to reports, Pakistani personnel were attempting to erect barbed wire barriers.

The Pakistani army clashed with the Taliban at the Durand Line for the third time in the previous 10 days over fencing. According to reports, Pakistani personnel were attempting to erect barbed wire barriers. In the Dak area of Nimroz province's Charborjak district, Afghan troops stopped Pakistani soldiers from erecting a barbed wire barrier. According to Shamshad News, Pakistan has covered roughly 10 kilometres of Afghan territory in the Charborjak district's Dak area, which was previously barred by Taliban forces. Last week, the Pakistani military attempted to extend walls 10 kilometres into Afghan territory. Talibs replied by ripping the barbed wires down. Both parties had previously battled on December 22 in the eastern Nangarhar province over a similar issue. According to Afghanistan's Khama Press, the barbed wire was dismantled and brought to Afghanistan by Talibs. The Durand Line, the 2,600-km international border between Afghanistan and Pakistan, often witnesses periodic skirmishes between the two forces. Previous Afghan governments and the new Taliban regime have often objected to Pakistan fencing its border, saying that they have never approved of its legitimacy. In September, this was asserted by the Chief Spokesperson of the Taliban, Zabiullah Mujahid after the formation of the Taliban’s caretaker government. The border is named after British civil servant Sir Henry Mortimer Durand, who signed an agreement with Amir Abdur Rahman, then the Afghan ruler, on November 12, 1893, to establish an international border between British India and Afghanistan. (With inputs from agencies)

Watch: Pakistani forces and Taliban clash again over border fencing issue

Tensions are escalating between the Taliban and the Pakistan security forces over border fencing at the Durand line. In recent weeks, there have been a number of clashes along the Durand line when the two sides exchanged fire.

Taliban forces uproot the fencing as tensions between Taliban & Pakistan escalate over Durand line

In a video released by General Directorate of Intelligence of Afghanistan government, Taliban’s intelligence agents can be seen pouring around 3,000 litres of liquor into a canal in Kabul.

It's 'liquor' time? Now, Taliban cracks down on alcohol, pours 3,000 litres into canal

The Taliban has ordered clothes shop mannequins to be beheaded because they are “idols” as the brutes continue to wage war on women’s freedoms.

Afghanistan: Taliban orders 'beheading of female mannequins' citing Sharia Law

In Afghanistan, patriarchal tradition, poverty and lack of education has stifled women's rights for decades. Take a look at the abuse story of a 22-year-old woman married of as a mere child.

Patriarchal tradition, poverty & lack of education stifles women's rights in Afghanistan

Afghanistan seems to be slipping back to 90s under Taliban rule. The Taliban has passed a ruling ordering clothing shops in Herat province to behead female mannequins.

Afghanistan: Taliban passes ruling ordering clothing shops to behead female mannequins

A study by Pakistani thinktank has stated that the rise in militancy in the country coincided with the Taliban’s increasing offensive in Afghanistan that started in May and achieved its ultimate peak when the radical organisation took over Afghanistan in mid-August.

The study conducted by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Study (PICSS) noted that the highest number of attacks in a single month in 2021 was recorded in August when 45 attacks were carried out by militants.

The average number of militant attacks in Pakistan saw a 36 per cent jump. In 2020, 16 attacks were recorded while in 2021, it soared to 25, which was the highest after 2017, the report stated.

Also read |&nbsp;90% of terrorists operating in Afghanistan targeting CPEC projects: Pak’s counter-terrorism wing chief

According to PICSS data, Balochistan was the most affected district, recording a 110 per cent rise in militancy attacks, followed by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa tribal districts with 27 per cent in 2021.

Balochistan province also recorded the most deaths (170) in 103 attacks. The highest number of injured were also reported from this region where more than 50 per cent of the total injured (331) were recorded.

The tribal districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were the second most affected region of the country which though witnessed a similar number of attacks as Balochistan (103), but saw lesser deaths (117).

In Sindh, 15 militant attacks were reported in which 23 people were killed and 29 injured. In Punjab, militants carried out 10 attacks in which 10 people were killed and 87 injured.

The militant attacks went up in 2021 in almost all administrative regions of the country except Sindh and Gilgit-Baltistan.

(With inputs from agencies)

A study by Pakistani thinktank has stated that the rise in militancy in the country coincided with the Taliban’s increasing offensive in Afghanistan that started in May and achieved its ultimate peak when the radical organisation took over Afghanistan in mid-August.

A study by Pakistani thinktank has stated that the rise in militancy in the country coincided with the Taliban’s increasing offensive in Afghanistan that started in May and achieved its ultimate peak when the radical organisation took over Afghanistan in mid-August. The study conducted by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Study (PICSS) noted that the highest number of attacks in a single month in 2021 was recorded in August when 45 attacks were carried out by militants. The average number of militant attacks in Pakistan saw a 36 per cent jump. In 2020, 16 attacks were recorded while in 2021, it soared to 25, which was the highest after 2017, the report stated. Also read | 90% of terrorists operating in Afghanistan targeting CPEC projects: Pak’s counter-terrorism wing chief According to PICSS data, Balochistan was the most affected district, recording a 110 per cent rise in militancy attacks, followed by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa tribal districts with 27 per cent in 2021. Balochistan province also recorded the most deaths (170) in 103 attacks. The highest number of injured were also reported from this region where more than 50 per cent of the total injured (331) were recorded. The tribal districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were the second most affected region of the country which though witnessed a similar number of attacks as Balochistan (103), but saw lesser deaths (117). In Sindh, 15 militant attacks were reported in which 23 people were killed and 29 injured. In Punjab, militants carried out 10 attacks in which 10 people were killed and 87 injured. The militant attacks went up in 2021 in almost all administrative regions of the country except Sindh and Gilgit-Baltistan. (With inputs from agencies)

Militancy soared in Pakistan after Taliban offensive in Afghanistan: Report

A Russian news agency has reported that there are 3.5 million drug addicts in Afghanistan, which means 9% of the country's population are addicted to drugs.

Taliban: 9% of Afghanistan's population are addicted to drugs

Earlier in 2021, when Afghanistan braced itself for chaos & conflict, amid the withdrawal of US forces, WION witnessed the conundrum first hand. From America's war on terror to Taliban's quest for legitimacy, we bring you a ground report of WION's '100 Days in Afghanistan'.

The Afghanistan Conundrum: 100 days of reportage

After vaccines were delivered on the first day of the New Year 2022, India's Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) announced that wheat would be provided to Afghanistan in the "coming weeks."

The MEA, in a statement, said, "In coming weeks, we will be undertaking the supply of wheat and the remaining medical assistance. In this regard, we are in touch with UN agencies and others to finalise the modalities for transportation. "

India has committed to providing the Afghan people with 50,000 MT of wheat, life-saving medications, and COVID vaccines.

Overland Pakistan was one of the options for delivering the supplies.

Despite the fact that Islamabad has publicly announced that it will facilitate supply flow, no transfer has yet taken place, even as New Delhi and Islamabad continue to debate the logistics of the transfer.

Meanwhile, India has been sending humanitarian aid to Afghanistan via Iran's Mahan air as commercial cargo since the Taliban took control in August of last year.

The second batch of 500,000 doses of COVID vaccination (COVAXIN) was shipped from New Delhi to Afghanistan and was handed over to the Indira Gandhi Hospital in Kabul.

In the next few weeks, another batch of 500,000 pills will be delivered.

The ministry of external affairs in a release said, "The government of India has committed to providing humanitarian assistance to the Afghan people consisting of food grains, one million doses of the COVID vaccine and essential life-saving drugs."

Last month, India sent 1.6 metric tonnes of medicine to Afghanistan via Kam airway, the first such consignment under the Taliban regime. The support comes even as India and Afghanistan's Taliban government have no formal ties, but New Delhi has publicly accepted that it has held talks with the group--one in Doha and another in Moscow. The Taliban has also admitted to having discussions with the Indian government.

When the first supplies came, the Taliban welcomed them. Abdul Qahar Balkhi, spokesperson of the Taliban foreign ministry, said, "We appreciate the arrival of two&nbsp;tonnes of Indian-assisted medicine to Indira Gandhi Children's Hospital in Kabul."

The same flight saw many Afghan Hindus and Sikhs coming to India, while 85 Afghan nationals stuck in India were reaching back to their homeland.

After vaccines were delivered on the first day of the New Year 2022, India's Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) announced that wheat would be provided to Afghanistan in the "coming weeks.

After vaccines were delivered on the first day of the New Year 2022, India's Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) announced that wheat would be provided to Afghanistan in the "coming weeks." The MEA, in a statement, said, "In coming weeks, we will be undertaking the supply of wheat and the remaining medical assistance. In this regard, we are in touch with UN agencies and others to finalise the modalities for transportation. " India has committed to providing the Afghan people with 50,000 MT of wheat, life-saving medications, and COVID vaccines. Overland Pakistan was one of the options for delivering the supplies. Despite the fact that Islamabad has publicly announced that it will facilitate supply flow, no transfer has yet taken place, even as New Delhi and Islamabad continue to debate the logistics of the transfer. Meanwhile, India has been sending humanitarian aid to Afghanistan via Iran's Mahan air as commercial cargo since the Taliban took control in August of last year. The second batch of 500,000 doses of COVID vaccination (COVAXIN) was shipped from New Delhi to Afghanistan and was handed over to the Indira Gandhi Hospital in Kabul. In the next few weeks, another batch of 500,000 pills will be delivered. The ministry of external affairs in a release said, "The government of India has committed to providing humanitarian assistance to the Afghan people consisting of food grains, one million doses of the COVID vaccine and essential life-saving drugs." Last month, India sent 1.6 metric tonnes of medicine to Afghanistan via Kam airway, the first such consignment under the Taliban regime. The support comes even as India and Afghanistan's Taliban government have no formal ties, but New Delhi has publicly accepted that it has held talks with the group--one in Doha and another in Moscow. The Taliban has also admitted to having discussions with the Indian government. When the first supplies came, the Taliban welcomed them. Abdul Qahar Balkhi, spokesperson of the Taliban foreign ministry, said, "We appreciate the arrival of two tonnes of Indian-assisted medicine to Indira Gandhi Children's Hospital in Kabul." The same flight saw many Afghan Hindus and Sikhs coming to India, while 85 Afghan nationals stuck in India were reaching back to their homeland.

India to send wheat to Afghanistan in coming weeks: MEA

A new meeting of the United States, Russia, China and Pakistan under Extended Troika format is scheduled for January next year in Kabul. The date for talks is yet to be decided.

Extended Troika talks to be held in last week of January, date yet to be fixed

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