Taliban flogged 14 people including three women at a football stadium. According to Taliban, these people were thrashed as they were guilty of theft and moral crimes. The Taliban-led Supreme Court released a statement on Twitter adding that two other people were also lashed in eastern Afghanistan.

Afghanistan: Taliban lashes 14 people for theft, moral crimes; SC takes to Twitter to confirm

In what may be the first official confirmation of&nbsp;Taliban&nbsp;enforcing their strict interpretation of the Islamic law in Afghanistan, the ruling group’s supreme court, on Monday, said that 19 people were publicly&nbsp;lashed for crimes including theft, running away from home, adultery and so on. &nbsp;

The punishment took place in northeastern Afghanistan this month, after “consideration” and a “strict sharia investigation” each of those convicted received 39 lashes, said the supreme court spokesperson, Mawlawi Enayatullah. He added, that at least nine out of the 19 people lashed were women, reported Reuters.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/public-executions-stonings-and-more-taliban-order-full-implementation-of-islamic-law-534047">Public executions, stonings, and more: Taliban order full implementation of Islamic law</a>

According to the court spokesperson, the punishments took place on November 11 in the country’s northeastern province of Takhar following the prayers on Friday. Furthermore, the sentence was given by the provincial courts, he added. The cases were reportedly assessed by two courts before they were convicted, said a supreme court statement. There is also no clarity on what happened to the 19 people who received the punishment.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Notably, the incident took place days before the Taliban's chief spokesperson, Zabihullah Mujahid, who earlier this month in a statement, said that Afghanistan's supreme leader, Hibatullah Akhundzada, had ordered all the judges to fully implement the Islamic law aspects which include public executions, stonings and floggings, and the amputation of limbs for thieves.&nbsp;

ALSO WATCH:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-plus-the-sharia-law-409052">Gravitas Plus | The Sharia Law</a>

The Taliban took over Afghanistan in August last year and&nbsp;had vowed to be more moderate and lenient towards women and minority rights. During their previous regime back in the late 1990s the group had carried out public lashings, floggings, and public executions by stoning those convicted. However, these punishments had later become rare and were later condemned by Afghanistan’s foreign-backed governments that followed.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

WATCH WION LIVE HERE

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" loading="”lazy”" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe>

You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us <a href="https://www.wionews.com/content-contribution-registration-form">here</a>.

In what may be the first official confirmation of Taliban enforcing their strict interpretation of the Islamic law in Afghanistan, the ruling group’s supreme court, on Monday, said that 19 people were publicly lashed for crimes including theft, running away from home, adultery and so on.

In what may be the first official confirmation of Taliban enforcing their strict interpretation of the Islamic law in Afghanistan, the ruling group’s supreme court, on Monday, said that 19 people were publicly lashed for crimes including theft, running away from home, adultery and so on. The punishment took place in northeastern Afghanistan this month, after “consideration” and a “strict sharia investigation” each of those convicted received 39 lashes, said the supreme court spokesperson, Mawlawi Enayatullah. He added, that at least nine out of the 19 people lashed were women, reported Reuters. ALSO READ | Public executions, stonings, and more: Taliban order full implementation of Islamic law According to the court spokesperson, the punishments took place on November 11 in the country’s northeastern province of Takhar following the prayers on Friday. Furthermore, the sentence was given by the provincial courts, he added. The cases were reportedly assessed by two courts before they were convicted, said a supreme court statement. There is also no clarity on what happened to the 19 people who received the punishment. Notably, the incident took place days before the Taliban's chief spokesperson, Zabihullah Mujahid, who earlier this month in a statement, said that Afghanistan's supreme leader, Hibatullah Akhundzada, had ordered all the judges to fully implement the Islamic law aspects which include public executions, stonings and floggings, and the amputation of limbs for thieves. ALSO WATCH: Gravitas Plus | The Sharia Law The Taliban took over Afghanistan in August last year and had vowed to be more moderate and lenient towards women and minority rights. During their previous regime back in the late 1990s the group had carried out public lashings, floggings, and public executions by stoning those convicted. However, these punishments had later become rare and were later condemned by Afghanistan’s foreign-backed governments that followed. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Taliban official confirms 19 people charged with various crimes were lashed 39 times

A key border crossing between Afghanistan and Pakistan in the southwestern region was reopened for trade and pedestrian movements on Monday, after the Taliban handed over the Afghan assailant who killed a Pakistani soldier at the border.

The shooting took place on November 13 at the Chaman border terminal known as the Friendship Gate. It was reported that&nbsp; Bilal crossed over to the Pakistani side and opened fire on border forces there.

The shooting killed a member of the paramilitary Frontier Corps and injured two others.

But the Islamic extremist group rejected assertions that the assailant was one of their border guards, saying that they have launched an investigation to apprehend him.

A top official from the Chaman district administration, Abdul Hameed Zehri, told VoA News that Pakistan restored the cross-border movement after Taliban assured to “severely punish” the assailant.

<h2>Afghan-Pak border to reopen as Taliban hand&nbsp;over killer of Pak officer</h2>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/afghan-pak-border-to-reopen-as-taliban-hands-over-killer-of-pak-officer-535929/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

There are two main transit routes that serve as a key trade and transit movement for Afghanistan to Pakistan, the Chaman terminal and the northwestern Torkham border.

Also read |<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pakistan-taliban-clash-after-afghan-kills-guard-at-border-crossing-closed-for-trade-534366">&nbsp;Pakistan, Taliban clash after Afghan kills guard at border, crossing closed for trade</a>

Between those two, there are several other, smaller, terminals on the nearly 2,600-kilometer border separating the two nations.

After the key trading border was closed following the row, the freight movement between the two countries was severely impacted, with hundreds of trucks stranded on both sides.

The cash-strapped Afghan government has been looking to fill its depleting coffers ever since the West imposed sanctions and cut off aid after Taliban took over.

It has heavily relied on Pakistan to generate much-needed revenues. The Pakistani government had recently removed tariffs and eased visa rules in recent months to facilitate trade activities.

(With inputs from agencies)

WATCH WION LIVE HERE: 

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" loading="”lazy”" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe>

A key border crossing between Afghanistan and Pakistan in the southwestern region was reopened for trade and pedestrian movements on Monday, after the Taliban handed over the Afghan assailant who killed a Pakistani soldier at the border.

A key border crossing between Afghanistan and Pakistan in the southwestern region was reopened for trade and pedestrian movements on Monday, after the Taliban handed over the Afghan assailant who killed a Pakistani soldier at the border. The shooting took place on November 13 at the Chaman border terminal known as the Friendship Gate. It was reported that Bilal crossed over to the Pakistani side and opened fire on border forces there. The shooting killed a member of the paramilitary Frontier Corps and injured two others. But the Islamic extremist group rejected assertions that the assailant was one of their border guards, saying that they have launched an investigation to apprehend him. A top official from the Chaman district administration, Abdul Hameed Zehri, told VoA News that Pakistan restored the cross-border movement after Taliban assured to “severely punish” the assailant. Afghan-Pak border to reopen as Taliban hand over killer of Pak officer There are two main transit routes that serve as a key trade and transit movement for Afghanistan to Pakistan, the Chaman terminal and the northwestern Torkham border. Also read | Pakistan, Taliban clash after Afghan kills guard at border, crossing closed for trade Between those two, there are several other, smaller, terminals on the nearly 2,600-kilometer border separating the two nations. After the key trading border was closed following the row, the freight movement between the two countries was severely impacted, with hundreds of trucks stranded on both sides. The cash-strapped Afghan government has been looking to fill its depleting coffers ever since the West imposed sanctions and cut off aid after Taliban took over. It has heavily relied on Pakistan to generate much-needed revenues. The Pakistani government had recently removed tariffs and eased visa rules in recent months to facilitate trade activities. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

Afghanistan-Pakistan border reopened after Taliban hand over Pak soldier killer

Pakistani Taliban has killed 6 policemen in Pakistan. Meanwhile, the Afghan Taliban is engaged in a border scuffle with Pak authorities. Priyanka Sharma tells you how it's 'double trouble' for Islamabad.

Gravitas | TTP & Taliban: Pakistan's twin challenges

A major border crossing between Afghanistan and Pakistan has been closed for trade and transit. This happened after the clash between security forces from both the sides. The clash was reported between Taliban and Pakistani forces on November 13.

Taliban, Pakistan forces clash: Key Afghan borders remain closed, Pak says no plans to reopen border

It has been more than a year since Taliban takeover of war-torn Afghanistan. Now, Taliban forces full implementation of Sharia. Is Taliban 2.0 any different? Watch this report.

Is Taliban 2.0 any different? Taliban forces full implementation of Sharia

When the Taliban took control of Afghanistan, they promised women equal rights but more than a year later, the Taliban are escalating restrictions against women, stripping them off their basic rights and compelling them to lead a life like a second-class citizens.&nbsp;

In the latest diktat, the Taliban banned women from entering gyms and public parks, further squeezing women from public spaces.&nbsp;

Earlier the regime ruled that women should cover their faces in public spaces and instructed them to get out of their homes only in cases of necessity. Women are barred from most jobs outside the home. According to one of the restrictions imposed, only women whose jobs could not be done by men were allowed to come to work. According to a similar announcement, the only job that women could do for the Taliban regime was to clean female bathrooms in public buildings.&nbsp;

The regime has also abolished the ministry for women’s affairs and has ultimately removed women from any kind of political participation.&nbsp;

And that’s not all, women are banned from travelling long distances without a male relative and in cases where women are not accompanied by a close male relative, they are then denied access to essential services.&nbsp;

Women in Afghanistan are living under a constant threat of violence, deprived of basic rights, these Afghan women and girls are relentlessly carrying on with their lives.&nbsp;

Various women activists in Afghanistan say that the Taliban’s newly intensified attacks and threats against women are partly in response to Afghan women’s sustained demands for equal rights.&nbsp;

The Taliban were previously forcing these restrictions on women through the morality police in the country but now countless Taliban men have taken the role of enforcers dictating terms to women in the country.&nbsp;

Taliban abuses and restrictions reported by women in recent weeks-

<ol>
	<li>Female students who earned high school diplomas before the Taliban took over have been prohibited from registering for further studies.</li>
	<li>A woman in Kabul reported that the Taliban members had entered the girls’ elementary schools to enforce the regime’s month-old order of covering the full face except for the eyes. During these recent raids, the Taliban enforcers beat the violators with electrical cable sticks. In one such case, they even harassed a five-year-old girl who did not cover her face.</li>
	<li>In some cases, the Taliban have even ordered principals of schools to examine the bodies of 10-11-year-old girls checking for signs of puberty and further expel girls from school who appear to be older.</li>
</ol>

For all the women in Afghanistan, life has taken a 180-degree turn. Around 14 million Afghan women and girls have lost their right to work, to go to school.

WATCH WION LIVE HERE

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" loading="”lazy”" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1  width=&quot;100%&quot;"></iframe>

You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us <a href="https://www.wionews.com/content-contribution-registration-form">here</a>.

When the Taliban took control of Afghanistan, they promised women equal rights but more than a year later, the Taliban are escalating restrictions against women, stripping them off their basic rights and compelling them to lead a life like a second-class citizens.

When the Taliban took control of Afghanistan, they promised women equal rights but more than a year later, the Taliban are escalating restrictions against women, stripping them off their basic rights and compelling them to lead a life like a second-class citizens. In the latest diktat, the Taliban banned women from entering gyms and public parks, further squeezing women from public spaces. Earlier the regime ruled that women should cover their faces in public spaces and instructed them to get out of their homes only in cases of necessity. Women are barred from most jobs outside the home. According to one of the restrictions imposed, only women whose jobs could not be done by men were allowed to come to work. According to a similar announcement, the only job that women could do for the Taliban regime was to clean female bathrooms in public buildings. The regime has also abolished the ministry for women’s affairs and has ultimately removed women from any kind of political participation. And that’s not all, women are banned from travelling long distances without a male relative and in cases where women are not accompanied by a close male relative, they are then denied access to essential services. Women in Afghanistan are living under a constant threat of violence, deprived of basic rights, these Afghan women and girls are relentlessly carrying on with their lives. Various women activists in Afghanistan say that the Taliban’s newly intensified attacks and threats against women are partly in response to Afghan women’s sustained demands for equal rights. The Taliban were previously forcing these restrictions on women through the morality police in the country but now countless Taliban men have taken the role of enforcers dictating terms to women in the country. Taliban abuses and restrictions reported by women in recent weeks- Female students who earned high school diplomas before the Taliban took over have been prohibited from registering for further studies. A woman in Kabul reported that the Taliban members had entered the girls’ elementary schools to enforce the regime’s month-old order of covering the full face except for the eyes. During these recent raids, the Taliban enforcers beat the violators with electrical cable sticks. In one such case, they even harassed a five-year-old girl who did not cover her face. In some cases, the Taliban have even ordered principals of schools to examine the bodies of 10-11-year-old girls checking for signs of puberty and further expel girls from school who appear to be older. For all the women in Afghanistan, life has taken a 180-degree turn. Around 14 million Afghan women and girls have lost their right to work, to go to school. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Life under the 'new Taliban'

A major clash erupted between the Taliban and Pakistani forces near a border at Afghanistan’s Spin Boldak district, which was later shut down for trading and transit.

Deputy Commissioner of Chahman town, which borders Spin Boldak, told Reuters news agency that firing took place between the security forces on Sunday due to some “misunderstanding”.

"Firing continued until late at night from both sides," Zehri said, adding that trade and border crossings between Pakistan and Afghanistan had been suspended at Chahman.

He said that the clashes started when a man coming from the Afghan side of the border crossing shot a Pakistani security force member and wounded others.

The total number of casualties on both sides was not immediately clear. Thousands of people travel through the crossing daily, making it the main trading point.&nbsp;

A spokesperson for the Taliban administration's interior ministry said that the incident was being investigated.

Confirming the incident, a spokesperson for the media wing of Pakistan's military said they were looking into the situation.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/public-executions-stonings-and-more-taliban-order-full-implementation-of-islamic-law-534047" hreflang="en">Public executions, stonings: Taliban order full implementation of Islamic law</a>

According to officials, hundreds of trucks containing goods were stuck waiting on both sides of the border.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/taliban-prohibit-afghan-women-from-using-gyms-and-public-baths-days-after-banning-them-from-parks-533774" hreflang="en">Taliban prohibit Afghan women from using gyms and public baths</a>

The scrimmage between the neighbouring nation’s border forces has become frequent ever since the Taliban took over Afghanistan in 2021. There have been several reports of clashes emanating primarily due to border disputes.

The Taliban has attempted to block Pakistan's plans to finish fencing the 2,600 km border, which was drawn by British colonial rulers with no consideration for the Pashtun tribes it divided.

(With inputs from agencies)

WATCH WION LIVE HERE: 

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" loading="”lazy”" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe>

A major clash erupted between the Taliban and Pakistani forces near a border at Afghanistan’s Spin Boldak district, which was later shut down for trading and transit.

A major clash erupted between the Taliban and Pakistani forces near a border at Afghanistan’s Spin Boldak district, which was later shut down for trading and transit. Deputy Commissioner of Chahman town, which borders Spin Boldak, told Reuters news agency that firing took place between the security forces on Sunday due to some “misunderstanding”. "Firing continued until late at night from both sides," Zehri said, adding that trade and border crossings between Pakistan and Afghanistan had been suspended at Chahman. He said that the clashes started when a man coming from the Afghan side of the border crossing shot a Pakistani security force member and wounded others. The total number of casualties on both sides was not immediately clear. Thousands of people travel through the crossing daily, making it the main trading point. A spokesperson for the Taliban administration's interior ministry said that the incident was being investigated. Confirming the incident, a spokesperson for the media wing of Pakistan's military said they were looking into the situation. Also read | Public executions, stonings: Taliban order full implementation of Islamic law According to officials, hundreds of trucks containing goods were stuck waiting on both sides of the border. Also read | Taliban prohibit Afghan women from using gyms and public baths The scrimmage between the neighbouring nation’s border forces has become frequent ever since the Taliban took over Afghanistan in 2021. There have been several reports of clashes emanating primarily due to border disputes. The Taliban has attempted to block Pakistan's plans to finish fencing the 2,600 km border, which was drawn by British colonial rulers with no consideration for the Pashtun tribes it divided. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

Pakistan, Taliban clash after Afghan kills guard at border, crossing closed for trade

The Spin Boldak-Chaman port, a major border crossing between Afghanistan and Pakistan has closed for trade and Transit. This happened after a clash between security force personnel from both sides.

Taliban, Pak forces clash: Key Afghan-Pak border closed after clash

Afghanistan's supreme leader has ordered judges to fully enforce aspects of Islamic law that include public executions, stonings and floggings, and the amputation of limbs for thieves, the Taliban's chief spokesman said.

Zabihullah Mujahid tweeted late Sunday that the "obligatory" command by Hibatullah Akhundzada came after the secretive leader met with a group of judges.

Akhundzada, who has not been filmed or photographed in public since the Taliban returned to power in August last year, rules by decree from Kandahar, the movement's birthplace and spiritual heartland.

The Taliban promised a softer version of the harsh rule that characterised their first stint in power, from 1996-2001, but have gradually clamped down on rights and freedoms.

"Carefully examine the files of thieves, kidnappers and seditionists," Mujahid quoted Akhundzada as saying.

"Those files in which all the sharia (Islamic law) conditions of hudud and qisas have been fulfilled, you are obliged to implement.

"This is the ruling of sharia, and my command, which is obligatory."

Mujahid was not available Monday to expand on his tweet.

Hudud refers to offences which, under Islamic law, certain types of punishment are mandated, while qisas translates as "retaliation in kind" -- effectively an eye for an eye.

Hudud crimes include adultery -- and falsely accusing someone of it -- drinking alcohol, theft, kidnapping and highway robbery, apostasy and rebellion.

Qisas covers murder and deliberate injury, among other things, but also allows for the families of victims to accept compensation in lieu of punishment.

Islamic scholars say crimes leading to hudud punishment require a very high degree of proof, including -- in the case of adultery -- confession, or being witnessed by four adult male Muslims.

Summary floggings

Social media has been awash for over a year -- and even recently -- with videos and pictures of Taliban fighters meting out summary floggings to people accused of various offences.

The Taliban have also several times displayed in public the bodies of kidnappers they said were killed in shootouts.

There have also been reports of adulterers being flogged in rural areas after Friday prayers, but independent verification is difficult to obtain.

Rahima Popalzai, a legal and political analyst, said the edict could be an attempt by the Taliban to harden a reputation they may feel has softened since they returned to power.

"If they really start to implement hudud and qisas, they will be aiming to create the fear society has gradually lost," she told AFP. 
She added the Taliban also wanted to burnish their Islamic credentials.

"As a theocratic setup, the Taliban want to strengthen their religious identity among Muslim countries."

Women in particular have seen hard-won rights evaporate in the past 15 months, and they are increasingly being squeezed out of public life.

Most female government workers have lost their jobs -- or are being paid a pittance to stay at home -- while women are also barred from travelling without a male relative and must cover up with a burqa or hijab when out of the home.

In the past week, the Taliban also banned women from entering parks, funfairs, gyms and public baths.

During their first rule, the Taliban regularly carried out punishments in public -- including floggings and executions at the national stadium.

You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us <a href="https://www.wionews.com/content-contribution-registration-form">here</a>.

WATCH WION LIVE HERE

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" loading="”lazy”" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

&nbsp;

Afghanistan's supreme leader has ordered judges to fully enforce aspects of Islamic law that include public executions, stonings and floggings, and the amputation of limbs for thieves, the Taliban's chief spokesman said.

Afghanistan's supreme leader has ordered judges to fully enforce aspects of Islamic law that include public executions, stonings and floggings, and the amputation of limbs for thieves, the Taliban's chief spokesman said. Zabihullah Mujahid tweeted late Sunday that the "obligatory" command by Hibatullah Akhundzada came after the secretive leader met with a group of judges. Akhundzada, who has not been filmed or photographed in public since the Taliban returned to power in August last year, rules by decree from Kandahar, the movement's birthplace and spiritual heartland. The Taliban promised a softer version of the harsh rule that characterised their first stint in power, from 1996-2001, but have gradually clamped down on rights and freedoms. "Carefully examine the files of thieves, kidnappers and seditionists," Mujahid quoted Akhundzada as saying. "Those files in which all the sharia (Islamic law) conditions of hudud and qisas have been fulfilled, you are obliged to implement. "This is the ruling of sharia, and my command, which is obligatory." Mujahid was not available Monday to expand on his tweet. Hudud refers to offences which, under Islamic law, certain types of punishment are mandated, while qisas translates as "retaliation in kind" -- effectively an eye for an eye. Hudud crimes include adultery -- and falsely accusing someone of it -- drinking alcohol, theft, kidnapping and highway robbery, apostasy and rebellion. Qisas covers murder and deliberate injury, among other things, but also allows for the families of victims to accept compensation in lieu of punishment. Islamic scholars say crimes leading to hudud punishment require a very high degree of proof, including -- in the case of adultery -- confession, or being witnessed by four adult male Muslims. Summary floggings Social media has been awash for over a year -- and even recently -- with videos and pictures of Taliban fighters meting out summary floggings to people accused of various offences. The Taliban have also several times displayed in public the bodies of kidnappers they said were killed in shootouts. There have also been reports of adulterers being flogged in rural areas after Friday prayers, but independent verification is difficult to obtain. Rahima Popalzai, a legal and political analyst, said the edict could be an attempt by the Taliban to harden a reputation they may feel has softened since they returned to power. "If they really start to implement hudud and qisas, they will be aiming to create the fear society has gradually lost," she told AFP. She added the Taliban also wanted to burnish their Islamic credentials. "As a theocratic setup, the Taliban want to strengthen their religious identity among Muslim countries." Women in particular have seen hard-won rights evaporate in the past 15 months, and they are increasingly being squeezed out of public life. Most female government workers have lost their jobs -- or are being paid a pittance to stay at home -- while women are also barred from travelling without a male relative and must cover up with a burqa or hijab when out of the home. In the past week, the Taliban also banned women from entering parks, funfairs, gyms and public baths. During their first rule, the Taliban regularly carried out punishments in public -- including floggings and executions at the national stadium. You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE ×

Afghan supreme leader orders full enforcement of Islamic law

The Taliban's chief spokesperson said on Sunday (November 23) that Afghanistan's supreme leader has ordered the judges to fully implement aspects of the Islamic law that include public executions, stonings and floggings, and the amputation of limbs for thieves.&nbsp;

In a tweet, Zabihullah Mujahid noted that Hibatullah Akhundzada gave the "obligatory" command, which was finalised after the secretive leader met with a group of judges.&nbsp;

Mujahid quoted Akhundzada as saying: "Carefully examine the files of thieves, kidnappers and seditionists. Those files in which all the sharia (Islamic law) conditions of hudud and qisas have been fulfilled, you are obliged to implement. This is the ruling of sharia, and my command, which is obligatory."&nbsp;

News agency AFP reported that Akhundzada rules by decree from Kandahar. Notably, Akhundzada has not been filmed or photographed in public since the Taliban returned to power in August last year.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/taliban-prohibit-afghan-women-from-using-gyms-and-public-baths-days-after-banning-them-from-parks-533774">Taliban prohibit Afghan women from using gyms and public baths, days after banning them from parks</a>&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
عالیقدر امیرالمؤمنین در یک نشست با قاضیان: 
ــ دوسیه های دزدان، اختطافچیان و فتنه گران را به گونه دقیق برسی نماید. 
ــ آن دوسیه ها که در آن تمام شرائط شرعی حد وقصاص تکمیل شده باشد، شما مکلف هستید که درآن حدود و قصاص را عملی نماید، 
زیرا این حکم شریعت و امر من می باشد که واجب است.
— Zabihullah (..ذبـــــیح الله م ) (@Zabehulah_M33) <a href="https://twitter.com/Zabehulah_M33/status/1591826650333065216?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 13, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/what-is-the-purpose-of-the-meeting-imran-questions-sharif-brothers-impromptu-meet-533684">Imran slams Sharif brothers: ‘It’s a spectacle. Pakistan army chief being selected in London’</a>&nbsp;

After the Taliban regained control of Kabul last year, the authorities said that they will rebrand themselves as a moderate political movement. The Taliban also tried to improve foreign relations and boost trade and the economy.&nbsp;

However, the so-called Taliban 2.0 remained more or less the same. Analysts have stated in the past that, the new version of the Taliban is not willing to make significant political concessions.&nbsp;

There are no indications that the militant group is looking forward to making drastic changes to its extremist ideology or changing its harsh social policies, especially regarding women's mobility, education, or right to work.&nbsp;

WATCH WION LIVE HERE

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" loading="”lazy”" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1  width=&quot;100%&quot;"></iframe>

You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us <a href="https://www.wionews.com/content-contribution-registration-form">here</a>.

The Taliban's chief spokesperson said on Sunday (November 23) that Afghanistan's supreme leader has ordered the judges to fully implement aspects of the Islamic law that include public executions, stonings and floggings, and the amputation of limbs for thieves.

The Taliban's chief spokesperson said on Sunday (November 23) that Afghanistan's supreme leader has ordered the judges to fully implement aspects of the Islamic law that include public executions, stonings and floggings, and the amputation of limbs for thieves. In a tweet, Zabihullah Mujahid noted that Hibatullah Akhundzada gave the "obligatory" command, which was finalised after the secretive leader met with a group of judges. Mujahid quoted Akhundzada as saying: "Carefully examine the files of thieves, kidnappers and seditionists. Those files in which all the sharia (Islamic law) conditions of hudud and qisas have been fulfilled, you are obliged to implement. This is the ruling of sharia, and my command, which is obligatory." News agency AFP reported that Akhundzada rules by decree from Kandahar. Notably, Akhundzada has not been filmed or photographed in public since the Taliban returned to power in August last year. ALSO READ | Taliban prohibit Afghan women from using gyms and public baths, days after banning them from parks عالیقدر امیرالمؤمنین در یک نشست با قاضیان: ــ دوسیه های دزدان، اختطافچیان و فتنه گران را به گونه دقیق برسی نماید. ــ آن دوسیه ها که در آن تمام شرائط شرعی حد وقصاص تکمیل شده باشد، شما مکلف هستید که درآن حدود و قصاص را عملی نماید، زیرا این حکم شریعت و امر من می باشد که واجب است. — Zabihullah (..ذبـــــیح الله م ) (@Zabehulah_M33) November 13, 2022 × ALSO READ | Imran slams Sharif brothers: ‘It’s a spectacle. Pakistan army chief being selected in London’ After the Taliban regained control of Kabul last year, the authorities said that they will rebrand themselves as a moderate political movement. The Taliban also tried to improve foreign relations and boost trade and the economy. However, the so-called Taliban 2.0 remained more or less the same. Analysts have stated in the past that, the new version of the Taliban is not willing to make significant political concessions. There are no indications that the militant group is looking forward to making drastic changes to its extremist ideology or changing its harsh social policies, especially regarding women's mobility, education, or right to work. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Public executions, stonings, and more: Taliban order full implementation of Islamic law

Days after banning Afghan women from parks and amusement centres, the Taliban announced on Sunday that women are&nbsp;now forbidden from using&nbsp;gyms and public baths.&nbsp;Despite&nbsp;promises from staunch Islamists that they would usher in a lighter version of the harsh rule that characterised their first period in power, which ended in 2001, women are progressively being excluded from public life since the Taliban's return in 2021.&nbsp;

In addition to being prohibited from travelling alone and required to wear a burqa or hijab when outside the home, the majority of female government workers have lost their jobs or are&nbsp;being paid a pittance.&nbsp;

Since the Taliban's return in August 2021, most of the country's schools for teenage girls have also been closed.

"Gyms are closed for women because their trainers were male and some of them were combined gyms," Mohammad Akif Sadeq Mohajir, spokesman for the Ministry for the Prevention of Vice and Promotion of Virtue, told AFP.

He said "hammams" -- traditional public bathing houses that have always been segregated by sex -- were now also off limits.

"Currently, every house has a bathroom in it, so it won't be any issue for the women," he said.

The heightened&nbsp;restrictions on women, according to activists, are an effort to prevent them from coming together to organise resistance to the Taliban's government. Small groups of women have frequently launched spontaneous demonstrations in Kabul and other large towns, incurring the anger of Taliban officials who have assaulted and imprisoned them.

(With inputs from agencies)

WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

<iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe>

Days after banning Afghan women from parks and amusement centres, the Taliban announced on Sunday that women are now forbidden from using gyms and public baths. Despite promises from staunch Islamists that they would usher in a lighter version of the harsh rule that characterised their first period in power, which ended in 2001, women are progressively being excluded from public life since the Taliban's return in 2021.

Days after banning Afghan women from parks and amusement centres, the Taliban announced on Sunday that women are now forbidden from using gyms and public baths. Despite promises from staunch Islamists that they would usher in a lighter version of the harsh rule that characterised their first period in power, which ended in 2001, women are progressively being excluded from public life since the Taliban's return in 2021. In addition to being prohibited from travelling alone and required to wear a burqa or hijab when outside the home, the majority of female government workers have lost their jobs or are being paid a pittance. Since the Taliban's return in August 2021, most of the country's schools for teenage girls have also been closed. "Gyms are closed for women because their trainers were male and some of them were combined gyms," Mohammad Akif Sadeq Mohajir, spokesman for the Ministry for the Prevention of Vice and Promotion of Virtue, told AFP. He said "hammams" -- traditional public bathing houses that have always been segregated by sex -- were now also off limits. "Currently, every house has a bathroom in it, so it won't be any issue for the women," he said. The heightened restrictions on women, according to activists, are an effort to prevent them from coming together to organise resistance to the Taliban's government. Small groups of women have frequently launched spontaneous demonstrations in Kabul and other large towns, incurring the anger of Taliban officials who have assaulted and imprisoned them. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

Taliban prohibit Afghan women from using gyms and public baths, days after banning them from parks

Zainab, a thirteen-year-old, was compelled to choose a wedding dress instead of&nbsp;a new school uniform as there is&nbsp;no chance of girls' schools reopening in Afghanistan.&nbsp;Many young girls have been married off since the Taliban took over Kabul and forbade them from attending school, many of them to considerably older men of their father's choosing.

"I cried a lot and kept telling my father that the Taliban would reopen girls' schools," Zainab said, as reported by AFP.

"But he said that's not going to happen, and it's better that I get married rather than sit idle at home."

Within hours of the prospective husband's arrival, Zainab's&nbsp;wedding date was set, along with his offer of a few sheep, goats, and four sacks of rice as bride price, which is a long-standing tradition in rural Afghanistan.&nbsp;

Zainab moved in with her new in-laws and her husband, who is 17 years older than her, as is customary.&nbsp;

The only place in the world where girls cannot attend secondary education is&nbsp;Afghanistan.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/earthquake-of-magnitude-71-strikes-tonga-tsunami-warning-issued-533304">Earthquake of magnitude 7.1 strikes Tonga, tsunami warning issued</a>

Many parents have accelerated the marriage of teenage daughters who have been largely sequestered in their homes since the Taliban stopped their schooling.

There was a fleeting optimism that, in contrast to their cruel, austere reign in the 1990s, the Taliban might grant more freedoms to women when they retook power in the nation in August of last year.&nbsp;

But the covert supreme leader Hibatullah Akhundzada cancelled the education ministry's plans to reopen girls' schools in March.

(with inputs from agencies)

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" loading="”lazy”" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1  width=&quot;100%&quot;"></iframe>

Zainab, a thirteen-year-old, was compelled to choose a wedding dress instead of a new school uniform as there is no chance of girls' schools reopening in Afghanistan.

Zainab, a thirteen-year-old, was compelled to choose a wedding dress instead of a new school uniform as there is no chance of girls' schools reopening in Afghanistan. Many young girls have been married off since the Taliban took over Kabul and forbade them from attending school, many of them to considerably older men of their father's choosing. "I cried a lot and kept telling my father that the Taliban would reopen girls' schools," Zainab said, as reported by AFP. "But he said that's not going to happen, and it's better that I get married rather than sit idle at home." Within hours of the prospective husband's arrival, Zainab's wedding date was set, along with his offer of a few sheep, goats, and four sacks of rice as bride price, which is a long-standing tradition in rural Afghanistan. Zainab moved in with her new in-laws and her husband, who is 17 years older than her, as is customary. The only place in the world where girls cannot attend secondary education is Afghanistan. Also Read: Earthquake of magnitude 7.1 strikes Tonga, tsunami warning issued Many parents have accelerated the marriage of teenage daughters who have been largely sequestered in their homes since the Taliban stopped their schooling. There was a fleeting optimism that, in contrast to their cruel, austere reign in the 1990s, the Taliban might grant more freedoms to women when they retook power in the nation in August of last year. But the covert supreme leader Hibatullah Akhundzada cancelled the education ministry's plans to reopen girls' schools in March. (with inputs from agencies)

'Idle' Afghan girls married off with no prospect of schools reopening

The Taliban have banned Afghan women from gyms and parks. The group says women were not wearing hijab and ignoring gender segregation. What happened to the Taliban's promise of giving women their rights?

Gravitas: The Taliban ban Afghan women from gyms

The Taliban-administered Afghanistan government plans to send 65,000 Afghans to work in West Asia. The Taliban Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs said that of the 65,000 Afghan individuals to be designated for work outside the country, 15,000 shepherds will be sent to work in Turkey, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia.

The Taliban Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs also announced that it plans to hire 20,000 people to work on the Mes Aynak copper mine project, located at the site of a former Buddhist settlement 40 km southeast of Kabul in Logar province. The arrangements to send Afghans outside for work as well as the work at the Mes Aynak copper mine project were made under Afghanistan's democratically-elected Ashraf Ghani government but got stalled following the Taliban's takeover of power.

WATCH |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/afghanistan-economic-and-humanitarian-crisis-in-taliban-led-country-410752">Afghanistan: Economic and humanitarian crisis in Taliban led country</a>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/afghanistan-economic-and-humanitarian-crisis-in-taliban-led-country-410752/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

An annual review of Taliban's rule in Afghanistan, published by London-based Chatham House, points out a 'catastrophic economic cost' of the extremist group's takeover of power in Afghanistan. "Mass unemployment, a collapse of the housing market, and increased rates of malnutrition are only some of the many tangible signs of an economic catastrophe," the review states.&nbsp;

"The civilian government institutions that were previously the country’s largest employer are now unable to pay salaries even to the reduced number of remaining personnel. To make matters worse, Afghanistan’s agriculture sector has been affected by drought and natural disasters, such as flash floods and the June 2022 earthquake," it adds.

According to estimates by the United Nations Development Agency, 700,000 jobs have been lost in Afghanistan in the past year, raising concerns about the country’s rising unemployment since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
WATCH WION LIVE HERE

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" loading="”lazy”" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1  width=&quot;100%&quot;"></iframe>

You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us <a href="https://www.wionews.com/content-contribution-registration-form">here</a>.
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

&nbsp;

The Taliban-administered Afghanistan government plans to send 65,000 Afghans to work in West Asia. The Taliban Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs said that of the 65,000 Afghan individuals to be designated for work outside the country, 15,000 shepherds will be sent to work in Turkey, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia.

The Taliban-administered Afghanistan government plans to send 65,000 Afghans to work in West Asia. The Taliban Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs said that of the 65,000 Afghan individuals to be designated for work outside the country, 15,000 shepherds will be sent to work in Turkey, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia. The Taliban Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs also announced that it plans to hire 20,000 people to work on the Mes Aynak copper mine project, located at the site of a former Buddhist settlement 40 km southeast of Kabul in Logar province. The arrangements to send Afghans outside for work as well as the work at the Mes Aynak copper mine project were made under Afghanistan's democratically-elected Ashraf Ghani government but got stalled following the Taliban's takeover of power. WATCH | Afghanistan: Economic and humanitarian crisis in Taliban led country × An annual review of Taliban's rule in Afghanistan, published by London-based Chatham House, points out a 'catastrophic economic cost' of the extremist group's takeover of power in Afghanistan. "Mass unemployment, a collapse of the housing market, and increased rates of malnutrition are only some of the many tangible signs of an economic catastrophe," the review states. "The civilian government institutions that were previously the country’s largest employer are now unable to pay salaries even to the reduced number of remaining personnel. To make matters worse, Afghanistan’s agriculture sector has been affected by drought and natural disasters, such as flash floods and the June 2022 earthquake," it adds. According to estimates by the United Nations Development Agency, 700,000 jobs have been lost in Afghanistan in the past year, raising concerns about the country’s rising unemployment since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. ×

Taliban to send 15,000 Afghans to shepherd livestock in West Asian nations

Women in Afghanistan will be denied entry to amusement parks in the country, the Taliban government's "morality police" ordered on Wednesday.

The ban adds to a series of gender-oppressive measures imposed by the Taliban-led government after it dethroned the democratically-elected Ashraf Ghani government in Kabul last August, followed by a chaotic exit of the last US forces stationed there in operative capacity since the aftermath of September 11, 2001 attacks.&nbsp;

What do we know so far?

A spokesperson for Afghanistan's Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice (MPVPV) said on Wednesday that women would not be allowed to enter amusement parks.&nbsp;

Two park operators were quoted as saying by the Reuters news agency that the Taliban had directed them not to allow women to enter their parks.

WATCH |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/afghanistan-women-stopped-from-entering-parks-in-kabul-as-taliban-issues-new-diktat-532788">Afghanistan: Women stopped from entering parks in Kabul as Taliban issues new diktat</a>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/afghanistan-women-stopped-from-entering-parks-in-kabul-as-taliban-issues-new-diktat-532788/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

Earlier, the Taliban-led administration had directed the amusement park businesses that their parks must be segregated according to gender, with some days reserved exclusively for women. This rule also ran its jurisdiction to all public parks, including open spaces, and public baths.&nbsp;

The Taliban government did not clarify how the restrictions would work alongside this previous order.&nbsp;

New rule part of curtailment of women's freedoms in Afghanistan

One of the first acts of Afghanistan's Taliban government, once the hardliner group became the undisputed leadership entity of Afghanistan, was to deprive girls of getting a secondary education.

The government also did not keep its promise of opening all girls' high schools in March.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/afghanistan-women-stopped-from-entering-parks-in-kabul-as-taliban-issues-new-diktat-532788">Woman in Afghanistan commits suicide before Taliban could stone her</a>

The Taliban government had also directed the women they must&nbsp;not leave their homes without a male relative and must cover their faces.&nbsp;

Women have been removed from public service positions except where they cannot be filled by men in education, health, and some elements of policing.&nbsp;

A United Nations report in August pointed out that "the increasingly dangerous and hopeless situation for women and girls has contributed to a reported increase of suicides among women."

(With inputs from agencies)

WATCH WION LIVE HERE

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" loading="”lazy”" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1  width=&quot;100%&quot;"></iframe>

You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us <a href="https://www.wionews.com/content-contribution-registration-form">here</a>.

Women in Afghanistan will be denied entry to amusement parks in the country, the Taliban government's "morality police" ordered on Wednesday. The ban adds to a series of gender-oppressive measures imposed by the Taliban-led government after it dethroned the democratically-elected Ashraf Ghani government in Kabul last August, followed by a chaotic exit of the last US forces stationed there in operative capacity since the aftermath of September 11, 2001 attacks.

Women in Afghanistan will be denied entry to amusement parks in the country, the Taliban government's "morality police" ordered on Wednesday. The ban adds to a series of gender-oppressive measures imposed by the Taliban-led government after it dethroned the democratically-elected Ashraf Ghani government in Kabul last August, followed by a chaotic exit of the last US forces stationed there in operative capacity since the aftermath of September 11, 2001 attacks. What do we know so far? A spokesperson for Afghanistan's Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice (MPVPV) said on Wednesday that women would not be allowed to enter amusement parks. Two park operators were quoted as saying by the Reuters news agency that the Taliban had directed them not to allow women to enter their parks. WATCH | Afghanistan: Women stopped from entering parks in Kabul as Taliban issues new diktat × Earlier, the Taliban-led administration had directed the amusement park businesses that their parks must be segregated according to gender, with some days reserved exclusively for women. This rule also ran its jurisdiction to all public parks, including open spaces, and public baths. The Taliban government did not clarify how the restrictions would work alongside this previous order. New rule part of curtailment of women's freedoms in Afghanistan One of the first acts of Afghanistan's Taliban government, once the hardliner group became the undisputed leadership entity of Afghanistan, was to deprive girls of getting a secondary education. The government also did not keep its promise of opening all girls' high schools in March. ALSO READ | Woman in Afghanistan commits suicide before Taliban could stone her The Taliban government had also directed the women they must not leave their homes without a male relative and must cover their faces. Women have been removed from public service positions except where they cannot be filled by men in education, health, and some elements of policing. A United Nations report in August pointed out that "the increasingly dangerous and hopeless situation for women and girls has contributed to a reported increase of suicides among women." (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Afghanistan: Taliban issue fresh order, now ban women's entry to amusement parks

Since the Taliban takeover, women in the country have been deprived of livelihood, identity and even equality. In a fresh dictator, the Taliban have announced that women in Kabul will not be allowed to access public parks.

Afghanistan: Women stopped from entering parks in Kabul as Taliban issues new diktat

Many Afghan schoolgirls are resorting to working in the country's saffron fields in the western province of Herat since the Taliban shut their schools for more than a year now.

South Asia Diary: Afghan school girls turn to saffron fields

It has been over one year since the Taliban's takeover. And once again, the old saying is proving true in Afghanistan - old wine in a new bottle. The group has clamped down on all forms of public entertainment, but cricket. Is it the last sign of social normalcy?

South Asia Diary: Afghans try to bring back normalcy

The air corridor between India and Afghanistan has been reopened and the trade between the countries would resume, officials in the Ministry of Industry and Commerce in Kabul said, according to Bakhtar News Agency.

The trade between Kabul and New Delhi was halted after the Taliban took over Afghanistan last year.

Afghanistan’s commerce ministry spokesperson Abdul Salam Jaweed said India and Afghanistan signed a trade agreement on Monday.

India has been a major importer of Afghani saffron, dry fruits, and asafoetida plant. The Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) hoped that trade of these goods would be conducted through the air corridor.

The resumption of the air corridor was welcomed by Afghan traders who are hopeful that India would be a good market for its products.

“We need to export some of the commodities via the air corridor. However, we currently export pine nuts to India and UAE through an air corridor,” The Tolo news quoted Mohammad Younus Momand, head of the ACCI, as saying.

Watch |&nbsp;UN condemns a year-long Taliban ban on Afghan girls' education

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/un-condemns-a-year-long-taliban-ban-on-afghan-girls-education-517958/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Another trader Mahbobullah Mohammadi opined, “Over the past several years, it has been proven that India has been the major market for Afghan products, particularly dry fruits.”

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/afghans-hate-pakistaniswill-make-islamabad-second-capital-taliban-official-warns-in-video-524007">‘Afghans hate Pakistanis…will make Islamabad second capital’: Taliban official warns in video</a>

Commerce Minister Nooruddin Azizi told Bakhtar News Agency that Afghanistan is looking to sell wheat to India.

The export of Afghan goods to India has increased exponentially this year, compared to the preceding year.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-offers-the-taliban-a-warm-welcome-while-urging-peace-talks-401278">China offers the Taliban a warm welcome while urging peace talks</a>

According to the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, 30,000 tonnes of handicrafts have been exported from Afghanistan to India in 2022.

Though India has not officially recognised the Taliban to be the legitimate ruler of Afghanistan, it has been helping the crisis-hit country by sending aid like vaccines, food and medicines.

(With inputs from agencies)

WATCH WION LIVE HERE: 

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" loading="”lazy”" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe>

The air corridor between India and Afghanistan has been reopened and the trade between the countries would resume, officials in the Ministry of Industry and Commerce in Kabul said, according to Bakhtar News Agency.

The air corridor between India and Afghanistan has been reopened and the trade between the countries would resume, officials in the Ministry of Industry and Commerce in Kabul said, according to Bakhtar News Agency. The trade between Kabul and New Delhi was halted after the Taliban took over Afghanistan last year. Afghanistan’s commerce ministry spokesperson Abdul Salam Jaweed said India and Afghanistan signed a trade agreement on Monday. India has been a major importer of Afghani saffron, dry fruits, and asafoetida plant. The Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) hoped that trade of these goods would be conducted through the air corridor. The resumption of the air corridor was welcomed by Afghan traders who are hopeful that India would be a good market for its products. “We need to export some of the commodities via the air corridor. However, we currently export pine nuts to India and UAE through an air corridor,” The Tolo news quoted Mohammad Younus Momand, head of the ACCI, as saying. Watch | UN condemns a year-long Taliban ban on Afghan girls' education Another trader Mahbobullah Mohammadi opined, “Over the past several years, it has been proven that India has been the major market for Afghan products, particularly dry fruits.” Also read | ‘Afghans hate Pakistanis…will make Islamabad second capital’: Taliban official warns in video Commerce Minister Nooruddin Azizi told Bakhtar News Agency that Afghanistan is looking to sell wheat to India. The export of Afghan goods to India has increased exponentially this year, compared to the preceding year. Also read | China offers the Taliban a warm welcome while urging peace talks According to the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, 30,000 tonnes of handicrafts have been exported from Afghanistan to India in 2022. Though India has not officially recognised the Taliban to be the legitimate ruler of Afghanistan, it has been helping the crisis-hit country by sending aid like vaccines, food and medicines. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

India, Afghanistan ink deal to reopen air corridor: Reports

Opium crop cultivation in Afghanistan grew by 32 per cent in 2022 amid multiple humanitarian and economic crises faced by the Taliban-ruled nation since the extremist group stormed into power in Kabul last August, said the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in a report published Tuesday.&nbsp;

The UNODC report added that the income made by Afghan farmers from opium sales more than tripled, from $425 million in 2021 to $1.4 billion in 2022. However, this does not translate into purchasing power for farmers since food prices in Afghanistan reportedly rose by 35 per cent since Taliban’s takeover of the seat of power in Kabul.&nbsp;

The Taliban, however, had banned all cultivation of opium poppy and related narcotics plantations in April 2022. This year’s cultivation was exempted from the decree, the UNODC statement said. The 2022 harvest can be converted into 350-380 tons of heroin of export quality, UNDP said, at 50-70 per cent purity, the UNDP said.&nbsp;

WATCH :&nbsp;<a href="WION Climate Tracker | Crippling dry spell grips war-torn Afghanistan">Crippling dry spell grips war-torn Afghanistan</a>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/wion-climate-tracker-crippling-dry-spell-grips-war-torn-afghanistan-504931/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

Opium is the essential ingredient for manufacturing Heroin, a street drug whose illicit abuse causes widespread addiction issues and dire health crises across the world.&nbsp;

Opiate Trafficking unabated since Taliban’s takeover

According to UNODC’s Drugs Monitoring Platform, the seizure events of opioids in Afghanistan suggest that the opiate trafficking from Afghanistan has been ongoing without interruption since August 2022.&nbsp;

“Afghan farmers are trapped in the illicit opiate economy, while seizure events around Afghanistan suggest that opiate trafficking continues unabated,” said UNODC Executive Director Ghada Waly.&nbsp;

Nearly 80 per cent of all opiate users in the world source it out of Afghanistan.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

WATCH WION LIVE HERE

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" loading="”lazy”" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1  width=&quot;100%&quot;"></iframe>

You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us <a href="https://www.wionews.com/content-contribution-registration-form">here</a>.

Opium crop cultivation in Afghanistan grew by 32 per cent in 2022 amid multiple humanitarian and economic crises faced by the Taliban-ruled nation since the extremist group stormed into power in Kabul last August, said the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in a report published Tuesday.

Opium crop cultivation in Afghanistan grew by 32 per cent in 2022 amid multiple humanitarian and economic crises faced by the Taliban-ruled nation since the extremist group stormed into power in Kabul last August, said the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in a report published Tuesday. The UNODC report added that the income made by Afghan farmers from opium sales more than tripled, from $425 million in 2021 to $1.4 billion in 2022. However, this does not translate into purchasing power for farmers since food prices in Afghanistan reportedly rose by 35 per cent since Taliban’s takeover of the seat of power in Kabul. The Taliban, however, had banned all cultivation of opium poppy and related narcotics plantations in April 2022. This year’s cultivation was exempted from the decree, the UNODC statement said. The 2022 harvest can be converted into 350-380 tons of heroin of export quality, UNDP said, at 50-70 per cent purity, the UNDP said. WATCH : Crippling dry spell grips war-torn Afghanistan × Opium is the essential ingredient for manufacturing Heroin, a street drug whose illicit abuse causes widespread addiction issues and dire health crises across the world. Opiate Trafficking unabated since Taliban’s takeover According to UNODC’s Drugs Monitoring Platform, the seizure events of opioids in Afghanistan suggest that the opiate trafficking from Afghanistan has been ongoing without interruption since August 2022. “Afghan farmers are trapped in the illicit opiate economy, while seizure events around Afghanistan suggest that opiate trafficking continues unabated,” said UNODC Executive Director Ghada Waly. Nearly 80 per cent of all opiate users in the world source it out of Afghanistan. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Opium cultivation up by one-third in Taliban-ruled Afghanistan, UN agency warns

Pakistan's attempts to negotiate with the Tehreek-i-Taliban are backfiring. The TTP is attacking not just citizens but also security forces. Why have the talks failed? How strong has the TTP become? Molly Gambhir tells you

Gravitas: Pak's attempts to negotiate peace with TTP backfire

Six Islamic State members said to be involved in two major attacks that had killed 60 and left many wounded, were killed by the Taliban security forces in an overnight operation in Kabul, a spokesman for the ruling group's administration said on Saturday, while adding that a Taliban security personnel also died in the operation. 
 
The Islamic State members killed in the raid on their hideout were involved in two major attacks in recent weeks, one on a city mosque and the other on a tutoring institute in which dozens of female students were killed, said the spokesman, Qari Yusuf Ahmadi.&nbsp;

"They were the attackers of the Wazir Akbar Khan mosque and also ... of Kaaj Institute," said Ahmadi, who said one Taliban security force member was killed in the operation. 
 
No group had claimed the responsibility for either attack, reported Reuters. 
 
ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/taliban-ban-use-of-pakistani-currency-in-afghanistan-522627">Taliban ban use of Pakistani currency in Afghanistan, transactions over 500,000 rupees</a> 
 
The blast at the female section of the Kaaj Institute education centre in the Afghan capital on Sept. 30 had killed 53 people, most of them girls and young women. &nbsp; 
 
On Sept. 23, at least seven people were killed and more than 40 wounded in a blast after the Friday prayers near a mosque in Wazir Akbar Khan, a heavily fortified neighbourhood once home to a "Green Zone" of embassies and foreign force bases.&nbsp; 
 
The Taliban claim that they have focused on securing the country after decades of war. 
However, a series of blasts have rocked the capital and other urban areas in recent months and the United Nations has said that the security situation in Afghanistan is deteriorating. 
 
ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/malala-yousafzai-visits-pakistan-10-years-after-taliban-assassination-attempt-524469">Malala Yousafzai visits Pakistan 10 years after Taliban assassination attempt</a> 
 
The Afghan affiliate of Islamic State, known as Islamic State Khorasan, after an old name of the region, are enemies of the Taliban. 
 
Fighters loyal to Islamic State first appeared in eastern Afghanistan in 2014, and later made inroads in other areas. 
 
(With inputs from agencies) 
 
You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us <a href="https://www.wionews.com/content-contribution-registration-form">here</a>.

WATCH WION LIVE HERE

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe>

Six Islamic State members said to be involved in two major attacks that had killed 60 and left many wounded, were killed by the Taliban security forces in an overnight operation in Kabul, a spokesman for the ruling group's administration said on Saturday, while adding that a Taliban security personnel also died in the operation.

Six Islamic State members said to be involved in two major attacks that had killed 60 and left many wounded, were killed by the Taliban security forces in an overnight operation in Kabul, a spokesman for the ruling group's administration said on Saturday, while adding that a Taliban security personnel also died in the operation. The Islamic State members killed in the raid on their hideout were involved in two major attacks in recent weeks, one on a city mosque and the other on a tutoring institute in which dozens of female students were killed, said the spokesman, Qari Yusuf Ahmadi. "They were the attackers of the Wazir Akbar Khan mosque and also ... of Kaaj Institute," said Ahmadi, who said one Taliban security force member was killed in the operation. No group had claimed the responsibility for either attack, reported Reuters. ALSO READ | Taliban ban use of Pakistani currency in Afghanistan, transactions over 500,000 rupees The blast at the female section of the Kaaj Institute education centre in the Afghan capital on Sept. 30 had killed 53 people, most of them girls and young women. On Sept. 23, at least seven people were killed and more than 40 wounded in a blast after the Friday prayers near a mosque in Wazir Akbar Khan, a heavily fortified neighbourhood once home to a "Green Zone" of embassies and foreign force bases. The Taliban claim that they have focused on securing the country after decades of war. However, a series of blasts have rocked the capital and other urban areas in recent months and the United Nations has said that the security situation in Afghanistan is deteriorating. ALSO READ | Malala Yousafzai visits Pakistan 10 years after Taliban assassination attempt The Afghan affiliate of Islamic State, known as Islamic State Khorasan, after an old name of the region, are enemies of the Taliban. Fighters loyal to Islamic State first appeared in eastern Afghanistan in 2014, and later made inroads in other areas. (With inputs from agencies) You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE

Taliban forces kill six Islamic State members involved in deadly twin blasts in Afghan capital

Washington has issued new visa curbs on the Taliban against their treatment of women and girls. But will these restrictions impact the group's senior leadership or will they add to the woes of common Afghans seeking relocation?

South Asia Diary | Decoding U.S' Visa Curbs on the Taliban

This week on South Asia Diary with Mariam Wardak: +Decoding U.S' visa restrictions on the Taliban +Can Imran Khan get over his long march dilemma? +Festive spending in India booms despite global inflation woes +Lankan salons running out of products

South Asia Diary: Decoding U.S' visa restrictions on the Taliban

In a shocking incident, a woman in Afghanistan killed herself before the Taliban forces could kill her for running away from home, local media reported citing a resident.&nbsp;

According to a report by Khaama Press published on October 15, the woman who ran away from home with a married man was going to be stoned on Friday. To avoid such brutal punishment, she committed suicide, it said.&nbsp;

As quoted by the report, the officials said that the man with whom the woman ran away from home was executed on Thursday (October 13).&nbsp;

Abdul Rahman, the acting spokesperson for the provincial police chief of the Taliban for Ghor, said that the woman was sentenced to public stoning due to the lack of a women's prison. According to the Taliban security official, the woman strangled herself with a scarf.&nbsp;

In recent months, there have been more stories of women leaving their homes in various regions of the nation, and as per reports, the Taliban regime said that they will stone them to death or publicly flog them.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

WATCH WION LIVE HERE

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" loading="”lazy”" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe>

You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us <a href="https://www.wionews.com/content-contribution-registration-form">here</a>.

In a shocking incident, a woman in Afghanistan killed herself before the Taliban forces could kill her for running away from home, local media reported citing a resident.

In a shocking incident, a woman in Afghanistan killed herself before the Taliban forces could kill her for running away from home, local media reported citing a resident. According to a report by Khaama Press published on October 15, the woman who ran away from home with a married man was going to be stoned on Friday. To avoid such brutal punishment, she committed suicide, it said. As quoted by the report, the officials said that the man with whom the woman ran away from home was executed on Thursday (October 13). Abdul Rahman, the acting spokesperson for the provincial police chief of the Taliban for Ghor, said that the woman was sentenced to public stoning due to the lack of a women's prison. According to the Taliban security official, the woman strangled herself with a scarf. In recent months, there have been more stories of women leaving their homes in various regions of the nation, and as per reports, the Taliban regime said that they will stone them to death or publicly flog them. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Woman in Afghanistan commits suicide before Taliban could stone her: Report

Ten years after a Taliban murder attempt on her life, Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai visited flood victims in her home in Pakistan on Tuesday.&nbsp;

Thousands of people protested in her hometown, where the same violent organisation is once more on the rise, during her visit, which is just the second since she was transported to Britain for life-saving treatment.&nbsp;

Yousafzai was shot in the head by the Pakistani Taliban, an autonomous organisation with ties to the Afghan Taliban when she was just 15 years old because of her advocacy for girls' education.

She arrived in Karachi on Tuesday, two days after the attack's tenth anniversary, from where she would proceed to regions that saw tremendous monsoon floods.&nbsp;

Her organisation, Malala Fund, stated in a statement that the goal of her travel is to "help keep international attention focused on the impact of floods in Pakistan and reinforce the need for critical humanitarian aid."&nbsp;

Eight million people were forced to leave their homes due to catastrophic floods, which submerged a third of Pakistan and cost an estimated $28 billion in damages.&nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/japan-reopens-for-tourists-after-two-and-a-half-years-of-covid-19-restrictions-524437">Japan reopens for tourists after two-and-a-half years of Covid restrictions</a>

Yousafzai was born and raised in the town of Mingora in the fiercely religious Swat Valley, close to the Afghan border.&nbsp;

The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), often known as the Pakistani Taliban, carried out an insurgency there for several years till a harsh military campaign in 2014 put an end to it.&nbsp;

However, since the Afghan Taliban retook control of Kabul last year, instability has increased.&nbsp;

In recent weeks, the TTP has taken credit for scores of strikes, many of which targeted security personnel and anti-Taliban elders.

(with inputs from agencies)

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" loading="”lazy”" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1  width=&quot;100%&quot;"></iframe>

Ten years after a Taliban murder attempt on her life, Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai visited flood victims in her home in Pakistan on Tuesday. Thousands of people protested in her hometown, where the same violent organisation is once more on the rise, during her visit, which is just the second since she was transported to Britain for life-saving treatment.

Ten years after a Taliban murder attempt on her life, Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai visited flood victims in her home in Pakistan on Tuesday. Thousands of people protested in her hometown, where the same violent organisation is once more on the rise, during her visit, which is just the second since she was transported to Britain for life-saving treatment. Yousafzai was shot in the head by the Pakistani Taliban, an autonomous organisation with ties to the Afghan Taliban when she was just 15 years old because of her advocacy for girls' education. She arrived in Karachi on Tuesday, two days after the attack's tenth anniversary, from where she would proceed to regions that saw tremendous monsoon floods. Her organisation, Malala Fund, stated in a statement that the goal of her travel is to "help keep international attention focused on the impact of floods in Pakistan and reinforce the need for critical humanitarian aid." Eight million people were forced to leave their homes due to catastrophic floods, which submerged a third of Pakistan and cost an estimated $28 billion in damages. Also Read: Japan reopens for tourists after two-and-a-half years of Covid restrictions Yousafzai was born and raised in the town of Mingora in the fiercely religious Swat Valley, close to the Afghan border. The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), often known as the Pakistani Taliban, carried out an insurgency there for several years till a harsh military campaign in 2014 put an end to it. However, since the Afghan Taliban retook control of Kabul last year, instability has increased. In recent weeks, the TTP has taken credit for scores of strikes, many of which targeted security personnel and anti-Taliban elders. (with inputs from agencies)

Malala Yousafzai visits Pakistan 10 years after Taliban assassination attempt

At a time when the tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan are simmering over border issues and terrorism, a Taliban official has given an open warning to the neighbour,&nbsp;saying that they have suicide bombers at their disposal to carry out attacks if Pakistan continues to act in a way that jeopardises the sovereignty of Afghanistan.

Releasing a video on Twitter, Abdul Basir Sherzadi in the Pashto language said that Afghanistan has a history of 5,000 years and they know how to protect it. He further claimed that every Afghan hates Pakistan, according to the translation available online.

&nbsp;He further threatened to dispatch thousands of suicide bombers to Pakistan and said that the Taliban would make Islamabad their second capital

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
که چيري .... باجوه ... دا فکر کوي چي مونږ به د خپل حريم څخه د افغانستان خاوره وولو يا تهديد کړو نو ښه دي واوريي ...... هتمن يي نشر کړي . <a href="https://t.co/Z1qoV6qhZn">pic.twitter.com/Z1qoV6qhZn</a>
— جنرال عبدالبصير شيرزاد (@GeneralBasir) <a href="https://twitter.com/GeneralBasir/status/1578100135032422401?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 6, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

He blasted Islamabad for bestowing the ‘Quaid-e-Azam (Great Leader)’ title onto the country’s founding father Mohammad Ali Jinnah.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/node/523689" hreflang="en">US officials hold first in-person meet with Taliban since Zawahiri’s killing</a>

He said that there was nothing Islamic about Islamabad and that Pakistan must rescind the title of Quaid-e-Azam given to Jinnah as only Prophet Mohammad can be accorded such laurel, according to reports.

The video comes weeks after a skirmish erupted in the Durand Line— the boundary line between Pakistan and Afghanistan— between Taliban and Pakistani security forces when Pakistani soldiers tried to erect a military structure along the border.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/node/523657" hreflang="en">Pakistan army chief hints at peace with India without mentioning Kashmir</a>

The Pakistani military said three of its soldiers were killed and claimed casualties from the Afghan side as well.

The border, drawn during British colonial rule, has been the source of dispute between the two sides. While Afghan authorities do not recognise the demarcation, Pakistan treats it as an international frontier and has fenced it.

WATCH WION LIVE HERE: 

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" loading="”lazy”" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe>

At a time when the tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan are simmering over border issues and terrorism, a Taliban official has given an open warning to the neighbour, saying that they have suicide bombers at their disposal to carry out attacks if Pakistan continues to act in a way that jeopardises the sovereignty of Afghanistan.

At a time when the tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan are simmering over border issues and terrorism, a Taliban official has given an open warning to the neighbour, saying that they have suicide bombers at their disposal to carry out attacks if Pakistan continues to act in a way that jeopardises the sovereignty of Afghanistan. Releasing a video on Twitter, Abdul Basir Sherzadi in the Pashto language said that Afghanistan has a history of 5,000 years and they know how to protect it. He further claimed that every Afghan hates Pakistan, according to the translation available online. He further threatened to dispatch thousands of suicide bombers to Pakistan and said that the Taliban would make Islamabad their second capital که چيري .... باجوه ... دا فکر کوي چي مونږ به د خپل حريم څخه د افغانستان خاوره وولو يا تهديد کړو نو ښه دي واوريي ...... هتمن يي نشر کړي . pic.twitter.com/Z1qoV6qhZn — جنرال عبدالبصير شيرزاد (@GeneralBasir) October 6, 2022 × He blasted Islamabad for bestowing the ‘Quaid-e-Azam (Great Leader)’ title onto the country’s founding father Mohammad Ali Jinnah. Also read | US officials hold first in-person meet with Taliban since Zawahiri’s killing He said that there was nothing Islamic about Islamabad and that Pakistan must rescind the title of Quaid-e-Azam given to Jinnah as only Prophet Mohammad can be accorded such laurel, according to reports. The video comes weeks after a skirmish erupted in the Durand Line— the boundary line between Pakistan and Afghanistan— between Taliban and Pakistani security forces when Pakistani soldiers tried to erect a military structure along the border. Also read | Pakistan army chief hints at peace with India without mentioning Kashmir The Pakistani military said three of its soldiers were killed and claimed casualties from the Afghan side as well. The border, drawn during British colonial rule, has been the source of dispute between the two sides. While Afghan authorities do not recognise the demarcation, Pakistan treats it as an international frontier and has fenced it. WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

‘Afghans hate Pakistanis…will make Islamabad second capital’: Taliban official warns in video

Top United States officials have reportedly had an in-person meeting with the Taliban in the Qatari capital of Doha.

According to CNN, this was the first meeting of US officials with the Taliban since the killing of al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri in Kabul in late July.

The meeting that took place on Saturday saw the presence of CIA’s deputy director and the top State Department official responsible for Afghanistan and Taliban’s head of intelligence, Abdul Haq Wasiq, two officials familiar with the development told CNN.

“The presence of CIA Deputy Director David Cohen and the Taliban’s Abdul Haq Wasiq at the meeting on Saturday indicates an emphasis on counterterrorism,” the report said.

The meeting comes after the White House last month termed cooperation with the Taliban on counterterrorism as “a work in progress.”

Zawahiri was killed in a drone strike in Kabul. He was found to be residing in a safe house that had ties to the deputy leader of the Taliban.

US officials had claimed that the home belonged to an aide of Sirajuddin Haqqani, a top deputy of the Taliban's supreme leader Mullah Haibatallah Akhundzada.

While the Taliban had angrily condemned the operation, the US officials accused the militant group of knowing about Zawahiri’s whereabouts.

The meeting on counterterrorism comes at a time when Afghanistan is facing an insurgency from the Islamic State offshoot, called ISIS-K, and has witnessed blasts and attacks.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-responds-angrily-after-us-announces-chip-export-restrictions-523659">China responds angrily after US announces chip export restrictions</a>

Beth Sanner, a former Deputy Director of National Intelligence who led Afghanistan analysis at the CIA, told CNN, “The Taliban are struggling to prevent ISIS-K attacks, making them look feckless, particularly in Kabul."

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/mahsa-amini-death-protest-iranian-state-tv-hacked-during-live-broadcast-with-anti-regime-message-523676">Iranian state TV hacked during live broadcast with anti-regime message &nbsp;</a>

“[Cohen] is likely to deliver a firm message that we will conduct more strikes as we did against Zawahiri if we find that al Qaeda members in Afghanistan are supporting operations that threaten the US or its allies,” Sanner said.

“ISIS-K now poses an internal Afghan threat, to the Taliban and to sectarian stability given ISIS-K’s focus on killing Shias, but there is some reasonable concern that ISIS-K could ultimately turn its sights on external plotting if the Taliban is unable to contain them.”

(With inputs from agencies)

WATCH WION LIVE HERE: 

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" loading="”lazy”" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe>

Top United States officials have reportedly had an in-person meeting with the Taliban in the Qatari capital of Doha. According to CNN, this was the first meeting of US officials with the Taliban since the killing of al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri in Kabul in late July.

Top United States officials have reportedly had an in-person meeting with the Taliban in the Qatari capital of Doha. According to CNN, this was the first meeting of US officials with the Taliban since the killing of al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri in Kabul in late July. The meeting that took place on Saturday saw the presence of CIA’s deputy director and the top State Department official responsible for Afghanistan and Taliban’s head of intelligence, Abdul Haq Wasiq, two officials familiar with the development told CNN. “The presence of CIA Deputy Director David Cohen and the Taliban’s Abdul Haq Wasiq at the meeting on Saturday indicates an emphasis on counterterrorism,” the report said. The meeting comes after the White House last month termed cooperation with the Taliban on counterterrorism as “a work in progress.” Zawahiri was killed in a drone strike in Kabul. He was found to be residing in a safe house that had ties to the deputy leader of the Taliban. US officials had claimed that the home belonged to an aide of Sirajuddin Haqqani, a top deputy of the Taliban's supreme leader Mullah Haibatallah Akhundzada. While the Taliban had angrily condemned the operation, the US officials accused the militant group of knowing about Zawahiri’s whereabouts. The meeting on counterterrorism comes at a time when Afghanistan is facing an insurgency from the Islamic State offshoot, called ISIS-K, and has witnessed blasts and attacks. Also read | China responds angrily after US announces chip export restrictions Beth Sanner, a former Deputy Director of National Intelligence who led Afghanistan analysis at the CIA, told CNN, “The Taliban are struggling to prevent ISIS-K attacks, making them look feckless, particularly in Kabul." Also read | Iranian state TV hacked during live broadcast with anti-regime message “[Cohen] is likely to deliver a firm message that we will conduct more strikes as we did against Zawahiri if we find that al Qaeda members in Afghanistan are supporting operations that threaten the US or its allies,” Sanner said. “ISIS-K now poses an internal Afghan threat, to the Taliban and to sectarian stability given ISIS-K’s focus on killing Shias, but there is some reasonable concern that ISIS-K could ultimately turn its sights on external plotting if the Taliban is unable to contain them.” (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

US officials hold first in-person meet with Taliban months after Zawahiri’s killing: Report

Top US officials held talks with the Taliban on Saturday, this is the first such meeting since the killing of al-Qaeda chief Ayman al-Zawahiri in late July. The CIA's deputy director David Cohen and the state department's special representative for Afghanistan Thomas West, were a part of the delegation, while the Taliban was represented by the head of intelligence Abdul Haq Wasiq.

Top US officials hold meet with Taliban, counter-terrorism was the focus

Russia's war in Ukraine threatens a nuclear armageddon Pakistan is the only country in the world to admit to using terror as an instrument of state policy Has Taliban been ousted from Badakshan by NRF? & Burkina Faso has been rocked by yet another coup due to Islamist violence. Mohammed Saleh gets you an indepth report of the world's biggest warzones of the week in World At War

World at War | Episode 23: Russia's war in Ukraine threatens a nuclear armageddon

taliban

Taliban, News on Taliban, stories on Taliban, articles on Taliban, Taliban stories at Wion, Taliban news, Taliban latest news