Revenge Killings Could Have Started Soon After Taliban’s Takeover, Says Group’s Deputy PM

Kakar said that they thought with the Taliban’s takeover of power in Afghanistan, Pakistan’s situation would get better. “But it got worse,” he said.

In an interview with GeoNews, Kakar said that the new and advanced US equipment in Afghanistan could be dangerous for the countries of the region. He stated that the equipment is not only a big threat for Pakistan, but also for the region.

According to him, the dangerous equipment will threaten China, Central Asia and Iran in the future and may cause a great disturbance in the region.

He added that the hasty withdrawal of the US from Afghanistan resulted in weapons from the former Afghan government and American forces falling into the hands of other armed groups besides the Taliban.

According to a Pentagon report, the US Department of Defence provided $18.6 billion worth of military equipment to the Afghan National Army and Security Forces from 2005 to August 2021.

Reports indicate that after the withdrawal of the US from Afghanistan, equipment worth 7.12 billion dollars remained in Afghanistan.

Xiaoyong said that both sides stressed on enhancing engagement and cooperation for peace and stability in Afghanistan.

On Monday, the Chinese Special Envoy on social media platform X, said that both the countries should also work for sustainable peace and reconstruction of Afghanistan.

Qatar and China have not recognised the Taliban government, but both countries enjoy close ties with the group.

China's Special Representative for Afghanistan Affairs has also assured that Beijing has no intention or plan to recognise the Taliban.

On Saturday, the Iranian foreign minister pointed to the border clashes between the Taliban and Iranian forces and said that such clashes have taken place several times in the past two years, but the Taliban blamed the clashes on people who act arbitrarily.

Amir Abdollahian said that although the Taliban has tried to manage and control the border skirmishes, still, there was a clash between Iranian forces and the Taliban fighters.

In an interview with Etilaat daily, the Iranian foreign minister once again emphasised on the formation of an inclusive government in Afghanistan and said that in such a government “we consider the Pashtun ethnic group and the Taliban to be one of the important realities of Afghanistan”.

Amir Abdollahian also said that issues which take place in Afghanistan have direct impacts on Iran.

He also emphasised that the Taliban must give the water rights of Iran from the Helmand River. However, he has stressed that compared to former president Ashraf Ghani's era, Iran is in a better position on the water rights issues.

The Foreign Minister of the Islamic Republic said, "We will not forget what Ashraf Ghani said when he wanted to inaugurate the Kajaki Dam, but the Taliban has repeatedly stated clearly that it adheres to its water rights treaty."

In 2021, before the Taliban’s return to power, former Afghan president Ashraf Ghani had said “we are committed to water rights with Iran, but we will exchange water for oil”.

The Iranian foreign minister also emphasised that pursuing Iran’s water rights is an inherent duty of the ministry of foreign affairs of the country and “we will continue to follow up on the issue with all our might”.

Meanwhile, the Afghanistan Freedom Front (AFF) also said that the front has killed two Taliban members and wounded three others in Bagram, Parwan province.

Independent sources have not yet confirmed the NRF and AFF attacks.

In a statement published on social media platform X, NRF added that the front’s forces were not harmed in the clashes with the Taliban.

The National Resistance Front and the Afghanistan Freedom Front are armed groups opposed to the Taliban, which initiated armed resistance against the Taliban when the group returned to power in August 2021.

The two resistance fronts have increased attacks on the Taliban in recent weeks. However, the Taliban has been silent and has not reacted to the attacks by the two fronts.

Paryani told Afghanistan International that women have been subjected to torture and violence over the last two years and have been deprived of human rights because of their gender.

She will be on a hunger strike for twelve days in Cologne, Germany, starting from September 1.

She said that there is "gender apartheid" ongoing in Afghanistan and the international community, especially Germany, should recognise this discrimination of the Taliban. Paryani also emphasised that the German government should ban any kind of engagement with the Taliban.

Preventing more financial support and blocking Taliban officials’ travels abroad Afghanistan are among other demands of Paryani.

The women's rights activist also demanded the release of political prisoners from the Taliban prisons.

Tamana Paryani is one of the Afghan women who, along with several other, took to the streets of Kabul during the first days of the Taliban's return to Afghanistan, demonstrating against the strict practices of the group.

Following these protests, the Taliban intelligence agency raided the house of Paryani in Kabul and arrested her and Paryani’s four sisters. They spent 26 days in the Taliban’s prison in Kabul.

A few months after being released from the custody of the Taliban, she, along with her sisters, fled Afghanistan and shifted to Germany.

In the last two years, the Taliban has deprived women of work and education and imposed strict policies against them. Despite widespread protests and international pressures, the Taliban has not retreated from its restrictive policies towards women.