Hoped for Anti-Taliban Democratic Forces’ Participation in Tashkent Summit, Says NRF

NRF in a statement on Monday stressed that in the absence of a legitimate government, the participation of the anti-Taliban forces was essential for the summit.

Ali Maisam Nazary, head of foreign relations of the NRF, tweeted that Afghanistan enjoyed deep ties with Uzbekistan. He said that the two nations’ relations "are rooted in our common history and civilization”.

The Tashkent summit on Afghanistan started on Monday and will continue for two days. Representatives of 20 countries and international organizations have participated in the summit.

On Saturday, a Taliban delegation led by Amir Khan Muttaqi, acting foreign minister of the group, left for Uzbekistan to participate in the Tashkent Summit.

On July 24, the Taliban delegation attended a banquet hosted by the Deputy National Security Council of Uzbekistan. The Tashkent summit has been held close on the heels of the first anniversary of the fall of Afghanistan to the Taliban.

It has been almost a year since the Taliban entered Kabul in August 15, 2021, but the group’s government has not been recognized by any country as the legitimate government of Afghanistan.

The Taliban delegation will lobby for more support from the participating countries of the summit. On the other hand, Central Asian countries are expected to share their national security concerns emanating from Afghanistan with the Taliban officials.

Former Women Peace Negotiator Slams Tashkent’s Invitation to Taliban

Jul 25, 2022, 09:46 GMT+1

Fawzia Koofi, a former member of Afghanistan’s negotiating team with the Taliban, on Monday, criticized Uzbekistan for inviting the Taliban to a summit on Afghanistan. Koofi said that countries bribe the Taliban to keep themselves safe from “global military extremism”.

She also warned on Twitter that "short-term pleasing will further help growth of extremism in the region”.

Koofi, who was an elected member of the House of Representatives for two terms in the previous Afghan government, said that inviting the Taliban to the Tashkent meeting will not help the people of Afghanistan.

The international Tashkent summit is scheduled to start on Monday with the presence of representatives of 20 countries, focusing on Afghanistan.

Koofi was one of the four women members of the peace negotiating delegation between the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and the Taliban in Qatar.

The Taliban advanced on the battlefield during the peace talks and the group entered Kabul after Ashraf Ghani, the former president of Afghanistan left the country.

After entering Kabul on August 15, 2021, this group severely restricted the rights of Afghans, especially women across the country.

It has been more than 311 days that the Taliban have not allowed the doors of secondary schools to open for Afghan girls.

During this period, women's political and social participation has been widely limited.

After entering Kabul, the Taliban abolished the Ministry of Women Affairs and dedicated the ministry’s headquarters to the newly-established Ministry of Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice.

This ministry has restricted the rights of Afghan women over the past one year, including in the education sector, and work life and also restricted their freedom of political participation and movement.

Female Journalist Beaten Up in Nangarhar By Taliban, Say Sources

Jul 23, 2022, 12:39 GMT+1

Local sources in Nangarhar province report that Taliban officials severely beat up a female journalist, Selgai Ehsas, on Friday. The Taliban officials also threatened her and asked her to quit her job. Sources said that the Taliban confiscated her smartphone.

Taliban's beating rendered Selgai unconscious and she was transferred to a hospital with the help of the local residents.

It has been said that the Taliban had warned Selgai’s family that she can’t continue her job as a journalist. However, local sources said that the journalist had no other option, but to continue her job due to economic challenges.

International journalist defender organizations have often expressed concerns over severe restrictions on freedom of speech and free media under the Taliban regime.

In the latest case, UNAMA in a report of the last ten months under Taliban’s rule said that after Taliban’s takeover, media personnel have been restricted in their activity.

Free Speech Hub in March announced that after the Taliban’s takeover, all democratic structures, specially freedom of speech, have suffered a severe blow.

100 Women Murdered or Committed Suicide in 6 months, Afghanistan International Findings

Jul 23, 2022, 11:00 GMT+1

At least 104 women have been murdered or have committed suicide in the country over the past six months, according to findings by Afghanistan International. At least 28 women had been killed by their husband, 11 by their brothers, father or sons.

Also, according to this investigation, 28 women committed suicide during the said period. Taliban has also been involved in killings of women, as per the finding.

Based on Afghanistan Internationals findings from January 1 till July 22 this year, 76 women have been killed.

In Badakhshan province in northern Afghanistan, at least 44 women attempted suicide in the past four months, but now have been saved.

In January, 11 women had been killed or committed suicide, while numbers in June were 27, and in the first 22 days of July, it reached 14.

Family violance and social restrictions imposed by the Taliban have been said to be motives of more than half these incidents.

Heather Barr, Associate women’s rights director at Human Rights Watch, told Afghanistan International that after the Taliban’s takeover, men in the families have been the main factors of increase in violence against women. According to Barr, Taliban destroyed the system for handling domestic violence.

Human rights activists say that the number of killings and suicides are much higher; but restrictions on media and other observer oganisations have made it difficult to publicise these reports.

According to the findings, no reports of arrest or punishments for the perpetrators have been published. Taliban has removed the attorney office for prohibition of violence against women and transformed the Ministry of Women Affairs to the Ministry of Promotion of Virtues and Prevention of Vice.

Qomi Praises Pakistan's "Constructive" Role in Afghanistan

Jul 23, 2022, 08:09 GMT+1

Hassan Kazemi Qomi, Iran's Special Representative for Afghanistan affairs, on Friday, praised what he called Islamabad's constructive role in Afghanistan. Qomi made the comments during a meeting with Pakistan’s foreign minister in Islamabad.

Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, the Foreign Minister of Pakistan, also called for close cooperation with Iran on Afghanistan and regional security.

According to the Iranian government official accounts, Zardari announced Pakistan's firm commitment to establish peace and stability in Afghanistan.

He said that the close cooperation between Iran and Pakistan on issues concerning Afghanistan, including refugee affairs, and ensuring the security of the region, is of high importance.

Qomi stated that stability in Afghanistan is a prerequisite for long-term peace and prosperity in the region.

Emergence of Tajikistan Taliban Movement in Northern Afghanistan Reported, Say Sources

Jul 22, 2022, 15:28 GMT+1

Reports of the emergence of the Tajikistan Taliban Movement (TTM) in northern Afghanistan has come to the fore, sources confirmed to Afghanistan International. According to AI sources, TTM recruits Tajik citizens and seeks to overthrow the government of Emomali Rahmon.

AI sources said that TTM has around 200 fighters.

Before the collapse of Afghanistan in 2021, the Tajik militants fought in the ranks of the Taliban, but under the Taliban reign, the TTM members settled in several districts in Badakhshan province in the northeast of Afghanistan on the border of Tajikistan.

According to Al sources, the Tajik militants operate under the banner of Jamaat-e Ansarullah, a banned terrorist organization by Russia.

Observers believe that the TTM competes with the Islamic State-Khurasan (IS-K), which has many Tajik citizens in its ranks.

According to AI sources, the Tajik fighters of Jamaat-e Ansarullah, act as the border guards of the Afghan Taliban in Badakhshan province. The emergence of the TTM has reportedly increased concerns of the Tajik authorities.

According to AI sources, in recent days, the TTM fighters have built a watch tower near the border with Tajikistan for surveillance purposes of the territory of Tajikistan.

According to reports, Mahdi Arsalan - the pseudonym of Muhammad Sharipov, from the Nurobod district of Tajikistan, is the leader of the TTM under the Taliban. Some sources said that Arslan is also the leader of Jamaat-e Ansarullah. Mehdi Arslan had previously moved to Afghanistan and has fought in the ranks of the Afghan Taliban.

According to analysts, the emergence of the TTM as a new jihadist project in Central Asia will change the group’s popularity and attract radical Tajik youth.

The emergence of this jihadist movement is bad news for the government of President Emomali Rahmon, as Tajikistan is already struggling with the recent protests that occurred in the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region, and increasingly long-term economic challenges.

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