The Taliban’s Ministry of Education has ordered the suspension of all educational institutions in Helmand and Kandahar until further notice. The ministry has assigned a committee to assess the projects and activities of educational institutions in these two southern provinces.
According to a letter from the Ministry of Education of the Taliban, a copy of which has been obtained by Afghanistan International, the committee is supposed to assess the educational projects and activities of these institutions and report to the Taliban's Ministry of Education and "as a result" to the leadership of the group.
The letter stated that the Kandahar and Helmand education directorates must "suspend all controversial issues that have not been resolved at the national level".
Although it is not clear what projects are going to be assessed, some international organisations have launched educational programmes for children, especially girls, throughout Afghanistan.
Fazl Ahmad Manawi, a member of the National Resistance Front (NRF) rejected the statements that people are not in support of the war in Afghanistan. Manawi said that public reactions to the killing of anti-Taliban fighters are a sign of support for the war against the Taliban.
On Thursday, Thomas West, the US special representative for Afghanistan, announced that he visited Doha, the capital of Qatar, and met with several Afghans, including former Afghan officials.
The meeting "Afghanistan's Future Thought Forum" had been held on the initiative of Fatima Gilani, the former Chairwoman of the Afghan Red Crescent in the previous government of Afghanistan.
West said that the participants wanted to convey their message to the Taliban and other Afghan leaders and international parties involved in Afghanistan's affairs.
According to West's statement, all the participants of this meeting declared their opposition to the armed conflict and suggested dialogue to resolve the current challenges in Afghanistan.
However, Manavi has reacted to these statements of the US special envoy saying, “West has gathered some unknown people in the name of Afghanistan in Qatar and said that they do not support the war against the Taliban."
The senior NRF member accused West of "indirectly lobbying for the Taliban”.
After weeks of relative calm in the conflict, between the Taliban and the resolute anti-Taliban armed resistance, attributed to the harsh grip of winter and the strategic regrouping of the resistance forces in preparation for their impending spring offensives, a false narrative
had begun to circulate. Some voices propagated the notion that the resistance had waned and lost its momentum, with no significant presence on the ground to effectively challenge the Taliban's military dominance. Regrettably, the Taliban seized this opportunity to sow their deceitful seeds among the people, capitalising on the lack of unity and consensus within the anti-Taliban fronts.
However, the events that transpired on the fateful day of April 10th shattered these misconceptions, revealing the unwavering strength and indomitable spirit of the anti-Taliban resistance. Commander Akmal Amir, accompanied by 11 of his valiant comrades, engaged in a fierce and protracted battle against the Taliban’s defence ministry special forces, consisting of 190 soldiers. The clash raged for hours, with both sides fiercely contesting the field of battle.
The outcome of this momentous encounter bore witness to the tenacity and proficiency of the resistance forces, who largely comprise former members of the Afghan National Defence and Security Forces (ANDSF). Nearly thirty Taliban militants met their fate in the face of the resistance's resolute defence, while six brave resistance fighters fell in the line of duty. Despite the loss of lives, the aftermath of this clash was telling: the people spoke with a unanimous voice of their unwavering support to the anti-Taliban resistance, transcending the divides of ethnicity, race, and gender.
This resounding support for the resistance underscored the imperative of preserving the unified voice against the tyrannical regime of the Taliban. It served as a poignant reminder that the resistance, far from being diminished, remained steadfast in its unwavering determination to confront and challenge the oppressive rule of the Taliban. It also emphasised on the critical need to comprehend the intricacies of insurgencies and liberation movements, where periods of relatively low military operations do not equate to the demise of the resistance. The indomitable spirit of the resistance forces, fortified by their unwavering resolve, shall never waver or falter.
As human beings, it is our responsibility to stand resolutely with the resistance at all times, upholding the truth and unwaveringly supporting the cause of freedom, justice, and dignity. Shifting loyalties based on temporary circumstances is untenable; the strength of our convictions and the pursuit of truth must remain unwavering in the face of adversity.
In essence, the recent clash between Commander Amir and the Taliban exemplifies the unyielding resilience of the anti-Taliban resistance. The unity and unwavering support of the people, irrespective of differences, accentuates the pressing need to stand firmly with the resistance and uphold the truth in the face of the Taliban's reign of terror. The anti-Taliban resistance, fuelled by their unwavering determination and resolute spirit, continues to be a beacon of hope in the fight against oppression, tyranny, and injustice.
Taliban’s foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi addressed the Samarkand meeting and stressed that the group is "responsible and committed”. Muttaqi added that the Taliban is interested in close engagement with regional countries.
The Taliban’s foreign minister said that the group will not allow Afghanistan to become the hub for "negative and illegitimate" competition.
The fourth meeting of foreign ministers of Afghanistan's neighbouring countries was held on Thursday in Samarkand.
The foreign minister of the Taliban had been absent at the start and end of the meeting of neighbouring countries of Afghanistan.
Muttaqi claimed that Afghanistan has witnessed "positive developments" with the Taliban's takeover of the country. He stated that the country has a "strong central government, the rule of law and order, and security”.
He emphasised that the Taliban has eradicated corruption and claimed that access to judicial institutions has been provided and drug cultivation and trafficking have been banned.
Contrary to the Taliban foreign minister’s claims, the officials of foreign countries and human rights organisations said that the Taliban destroyed the rule of law, and Afghanistan has witnessed a dramatic increase in drug trafficking.
The foreign minister of the Taliban emphasised that the group will not allow the use of Afghan soil against the countries of the region and the world.
Officials of the Commonwealth of Independent States met in Samarkand and discussed security issues of the Commonwealth of Nations. Foreign ministers of Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan attended the meeting.
On Friday, members of the Commonwealth of Independent States stressed that terrorist infiltration inside the borders of the Commonwealth of Nations is more in sight than ever.
Uzbekistan's Foreign Minister Bakhtiyor Saidov said that the Commonwealth of Nations has “important tasks ahead and we can achieve our goals by coordinating our actions”.
Earlier in their last meeting, members of the Commonwealth of Independent States had warned that Islamic State-Khorasan (IS-K) forces had increased in Afghanistan.
On Thursday, the officials of neighbouring countries of Afghanistan including China, Iran, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan, too, expressed concerns about the presence of terrorist groups in Afghanistan.
The joint statement of these countries emphasised that all terrorist groups, namely the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), Al-Qaeda, the Eastern Turkistan Islamic Movement (ETIM), the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), Jundallah, Jaish al-Adl, Jamaat Ansarullah, the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU), and other terrorist organisations based in Afghanistan continue to pose a serious threat to regional and global security.
During the meeting of Foreign Ministers of Afghanistan's Neighbouring states, the participants emphasised on the building of an inclusive government in Afghanistan. The Samarkand declaration noted that the terrorism-related security situation in Afghanistan was still severe.
The Samarkand Declaration has been released after the foreign ministers and senior officials of China, Iran, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan met on April 13 in Uzbekistan.
They reaffirmed the commitment to the development of Afghanistan as a peaceful, united, sovereign, and independent state, free from the threats of terrorism and drug trafficking.
The countries said that all terrorist groups, namely the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), Al-Qaeda, the Eastern Turkistan Islamic Movement (ETIM), the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), Jundallah, Jaish al-Adl, Jamaat Ansarullah, the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU), and other terrorist organisations based in Afghanistan continue to pose a serious threat to regional and global security.
However, they also mentioned that all neighbours would work together for a counter-terrorism strategy.
The issue of drug menace had also been discussed and called for support for the development of drug crop substitution programs, as well as for combating drug production and trafficking.
The foreign ministers of the participant countries also stressed on the need for the international community to maintain dialogue and communication with Afghanistan and called for further measures to improve the living conditions of the people.
While expressing concern about the humanitarian situation and the poor economic situation in the country, the countries said that they would provide humanitarian assistance to the Afghan people and support the economic reconstruction of Afghanistan.
They also stressed on the importance of cooperation on major international energy, transport, communication, infrastructure, and other projects implemented by neighbouring countries for socio-economic development of Afghanistan.