Taliban Violently Disrupts Engagement Party in Northern Afghanistan

According to this ministry, another 11 people have died in incidents related to gas leaks in Khost, Takhar, Faryab and Jawzjan provinces.

Mullah Janan Sayeq, the director of prevention of disasters at the state ministry of disaster management, told Afghanistan International that the casualties due to snowfall and severe cold have been mainly in Badghis, Faryab, Nimroz and Ghazni provinces.

According to the Taliban official, in Badghis province alone, two adults and six children have died due to the cold weather.

As a result of the cold and storm, more than six thousand cattle have been lost in Nimroz and Badghis provinces, and hundreds of cattle have been lost in other provinces.

The Taliban said that it has sent 15 types of food and non-food items to vulnerable provinces including Ghor, Helmand, Faryab, Nuristan, Zabul, Badghis, Nimroz, Uruzgan, Kunar, Badakhshan, and Logar.

The unprecedented wave of cold weather has started since last week, when the temperature reached minus 35 degrees in Afghanistan.

Recently, the Pakistani Taliban appeared in a military exercise with American-made weapons that had been left by American forces in Afghanistan.

The weapons, included US made M16 and M4 guns, which the Taliban accessed after taking control of Afghanistan in August 2021.

The Taliban has been accused of harbouring and having close ties with the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

Since taking power in Afghanistan in 2021, the Taliban has hosted talks between the Pakistani government and the TTP for the past one year, but these talks have not yielded results and the Pakistani Taliban announced the start of attacks across Pakistan after the ceasefire ended in late 2022.

The government of Pakistan claims that TTP has a sanctuary in Afghanistan. Islamabad has warned the Taliban to destroy the hideouts of TTP in Afghanistan, or Pakistan will wage operations against the group inside Afghanistan.

The recent snowfall in Afghanistan stopped traffic movement on the highways of several provinces in Afghanistan. However, the Taliban have now said that the highways have been reopened.

This year’s winter in Afghanistan has been unprecedented and the coldest winter during recent decades.

According to reports, dozens of people have died in different parts of Afghanistan due to the cold weather in the past weeks.

The organisation stressed that the International Cricket Council's anti-discrimination policy for global games requires the council to ensure that wherever cricket is played, it is enjoyed by all players.

Currently, women in Afghanistan are not allowed to pursue sports including cricket.

It has been over a year since female students in Afghanistan have not been able to go to school.

The Taliban has also banned higher education, work, and any kind of presence of women in social activities.

According to human rights organisations, Afghanistan under the control of the Taliban is experiencing the worst type of gender apartheid in the world.

He added that countries and international organisations should not link humanitarian aid to political issues in Afghanistan.

The spokesperson of the Taliban said, "The Taliban cannot allow illegal acts in Afghanistan because religion has obliged them, and they are responsible to the people.”

The Taliban spokesperson’s statement comes after the members of the United Nations Security Council, including UK, United States, Switzerland, Albania, Brazil, Ecuador, France, Japan, Malta, and the United Arab Emirates, expressed their concerns about the situation of Afghan girls and women under the Taliban.

They called on the Taliban to immediately remove all repressive actions against the Afghan women.