Students, including boys and girls, participated in a reading competition in Jaghori district of Ghazni province during Eid al-Adha. The competition was aimed at spreading knowledge and inculcating the culture of reading books in the district.
According to a video of the event published on YouTube, three people will be selected as the winners of the competition.
Jaghori is one of the largest districts in Ghazni province. Many book reading competitions have been held here before.
The competition has been held at a time when it has been more than 297 days since the Taliban has prevented the reopening of secondary schools for girls in Afghanistan.
Mullah Yaqoob, the Taliban's defense minister, is allegedly miffed about the rifts in the ranks of Taliban. In an audio message, which has been leaked on social media, Yaqoob expresses dissatisfaction regarding removal of the Taliban flag in Khost district of Baghlan province.
Yaqoob can be heard as saying, "In Khawash valley of Khost wa Farang district, some rebels came, removed the flag and there was a rumour that they have taken this area from the Mujahideen [Taliban]. The Mujahideen had themselves evacuated the area and no one was present there." Yaqoob complained that the fighters of this group had assured the "elders" that they were present on the field, but ground realities prove the contrary.
The National Resistance Front of Afghanistan (NRF) had announced on Thursday, July 7, that the group had "liberated Suchi Bala and Suchi Pain in Khost district of Baghlan province from the Taliban and inflicted heavy casualties on the group”. At the same time, a video was published on social media in which the Taliban flag was removed by armed men. The National Resistance Front said on its official website that “the Taliban fled from these areas and the forces of the National Resistance Front had been relocated there”.
Yaqoob can then be heard as urging Taliban fighters to "obey" their duties properly and fulfil their responsibilities.
A new wave of pressure against civilians
Meanwhile, along with the release of Mullah Yaqoob's audio file on social media and following the removal of the Taliban flag in two areas of Suchi Bala and Suchi Bain of Khost district, a wave of arrests and new pressures by the group against civilians in this district has been launched.
One day after the Taliban flag was removed, the Taliban arrested a group of men from Khost district.
Local sources from Khost district confirmed that the Taliban "arbitrarily arrested" 12 men from the district on Friday.
In another incident, local sources confirmed that Ziaul Haq Raid, a former local employee of the Ministry of Finance in this district, was shot after three days of torture in a Taliban prison. The body of the young man was handed over to his family on Saturday, July 9.
On Monday morning, the Taliban shot dead a civilian named Sayed Aman Osmani in Suchi Bala village of Khost district.
Local sources in Ghor province said that Taliban arrested Abdul Hai Khatibi, former Ghor province governor’s spokesperson, on Sunday. According to the sources, Khatibi was arrested along with another person from his house.
Taliban has not yet commented on the issue.
Abdul Hai Khatibi had served as the spokesperson for the Ghor province governor for several years and had retired recently.
Taliban had announced general amnesty for former government employees when they took power in Kabul in 2021. However, according to reports by human rights organizations, hundreds of employees in the former government, especially security officials, have been murdered or have disappeared.
Suhail Shaheen, head of the political office of the Taliban in Qatar, said that he doesn’t know when secondary schools will be open to girls in Afghanistan. Mr. Shaheen made the remarks during an exclusive interview with Afghanistan International.
Head of the political office of the Taliban in Qatar expressed hope that this issue “will be resolved in the light of Islamic prnciples and values”.
It has been more than 296 days since the gates of secondary schools have been shut for girls in Afghanistan. The Taliban have ignored all domestic and international criticisms regarding the closure of girls' schools.
The head of the Taliban’s political office in Doha, did not deny the differences of opinion of leaders of the Taliban regarding the reopening of schools for girls and said that this issue has many aspects and “all of them must be resolved”.
He said, "We are not against education, but we have always said that this issue should be resolved in the light of Islamic values and principles."
Over the past 300 days, the group has always avoided answering fundamental questions about girls' education, with generic comments such as "they are preparing suitable conditions or solving the problem in the light of Islamic principles, and that they continue to work on the plan to reopen schools for them".
Currently, Afghanistan is the only country in the world where girls are denied the right to education.
After the Taliban entered Kabul on August 15, 2021, severe restrictions have been imposed on the civil and political rights of Afghan women. The working women of Afghanistan have lost their jobs in most cases and no women are involved in the policing-making circles of the country.
Human rights organizations have said that the Taliban are practicing "gender apartheid" against Afghan women.
The international community has always proposed the reopening of girls' schools, the formation of an inclusive government and the fight against international terrorism in Afghanistan as conditions for the recognition of the Taliban government.
Shaheen said that the Taliban differ from other political groups in the definition of "inclusive government". He said that various figures from different ethnic groups who participated with this group in the war against the previous Afghan government and international forces have a role in the Taliban government.
But even after more than 10 months since the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan, no government in the world has recognized them as a legitimate state.
Many countries in the region and the world have emphasized that they will not recognize the administration of the Taliban until an inclusive government is formed in Afghanistan.
At least 57 people have died, and six others are missing after floods wreaked havoc in Kandahar, Zabul, and Uruzgan provinces since Thursday, sources told Afghanistan International. There is a possibility of an increase in the number of casualties in these three provinces.
Over the past four days, 17 provinces of Afghanistan have witnessed heavy rains and floods. Local sources in Kandahar province said that eight people lost their lives as a result of floods, however, as per Afghanistan International’s sources on the ground, 22 people had died and two got injured.
Mohammad Hakim Hakimi, Taliban’s Director of Public Health department in Zabul province, also confirmed the death of 20 people in this province. Zabihullah Jawhar, Taliban’s spokesperson for the Zabul governor told Afghanistan International that casualties were in the Shahr e Safa, Seweri, Ata Ghar, Shamulzai, Shah Joy and Day Chopan areas and districts. According to him, 310 houses, hundreds of livestock and 1,300 hectares of land were destroyed in these areas.
Ali Marjan Zakir, district governor of Gizab district of Uruzgan, said that due to the floods, eight members of a family lost their lives, however, local residents said that 15 people have died and six others are missing.
Taliban’s meteorological department said that heavy rains and winds will continue in Kabul, Kunar, Nangarhar, Laghman, Logar, Paktika, Paktia, Khost, Ghazni and Zabul provinces in the coming days.
Former Afghan President Hamid Karzai during a meeting with Markus Potzel, Deputy Special Representative of the UN Secretary General (SRSG) for Political Affairs, emphasized on initiating a national dialogue in Afghanistan.
Karzai considered holding such dialogues “the only way to consolidate peace and stable stability”. Potzel too considered holding a national dialogue in Afghanistan as an "urgent need". According to Potzel, "it is always a pleasure and honour to use the extensive experience of the former president – Hamid Karzai- on the process of national reconciliation in Afghan society."
Karzai then stressed on the reopening of girls’ schools across Afghanistan when the two sides discussed the "current situation in the region". Meanwhile, other reports indicate that Potzel discussed "pressing issues" in the meeting with Karzai.
Meanwhile, in a meeting with Dr. Abdullah Abdullah, the former head of the High Council for National Reconciliation, Markus Potzel emphasized on the need for the participation of all groups in the political, economic, and social life of Afghanistan.
Markus Potzel was recently appointed as the Deputy for Political Affairs of Special Representative of UN Secretary-General in Afghanistan. He previously worked as Germany's Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan Affairs.