Taliban’s Qush Tepa Canal Will Alter Water Dynamics in Central Asia, Says Uzbek President

The leadership of the TTP has warned that if the commanders disobey the order, they will be punished.

The letter was published on Thursday, September 14.

Since the Taliban’s takeover of power in Afghanistan, TTP has increased its attacks on the Pakistan’s security forces.

According to reports, Pakistani Taliban have gained access to the US weapons left in Afghanistan.

Following the group’s attack on an army base in Baluchistan of Pakistan, the country’s military officials said that three Afghan nationals were involved in the attack.

Previously, General Asim Munir, the Chief of Army Staff of Pakistan, had accused Afghan citizens of being involved in terrorist incidents in Pakistan.

Last month, Munir had said that Afghan militia activities have dangerous consequences for the security of the region.

On August, reliable sources confirmed to Afghanistan International that an order was issued by Mullah Hibatullah Akhundzada, the leader of Afghan Taliban, stating that war in Pakistan is prohibited and "haram".

At that time, sources said that the group did not want to publicise the order due to concerns about internal reactions.

Islamabad has asked the Taliban to publicise their leader's order public to stop the activities of TTP and its Afghan supporters.

Last month, Mullah Yaqoob, the Taliban's defence minister, also said, "When the emir prohibits the Mujahideen from fighting and they still fight, that war is not called Jihad."

Pakistani authorities have always said that TTP wages terrorist attacks against Pakistan from Afghanistan.

According to sources, seven women, including a US citizen, are among those detained.

The International Assistance Mission in a statement said that it was saddened to hear about the detentions of its staff members. IAM added that all the 18 detained had now been transferred to Kabul.

Sources said that the US citizen along with two individuals were arrested on September 5, and 15 other individuals, including six women, were arrested on Wednesday.

“We are unaware of the circumstances that led to these incidents and have not been advised of the reason for the detention of our staff members. The well-being and security of our colleagues are paramount to us, and we are doing everything possible to ensure their safety and secure their swift release,” IAM said in its release.

It is unclear on what grounds these individuals were detained, and the Taliban has refrained from making any statements regarding the matter.

This organisation announced that it operates in eye care, community development, health and educational projects.

On Thursday, she said that she wants the Swedish government to recognise the gender apartheid against LGBTQI people in Afghanistan.

She also called for the safe relocation of at-risk LGBTQI individuals from Afghanistan to Sweden.

According to her, many LGBTQI people in Afghanistan are at the risk of death. Many transgenders are homeless, they are not given jobs, and some of them have been threatened by their families or the Taliban.

She stated that despite seven days of her hunger strike, the Swedish government and the United Nations officials have not paid attention to her protest.

She added that human rights activists and LGBTQI rights activists in Sweden have not paid attention to her protest either.

This Afghan LGBTQI rights activist said that her health condition is deteriorating.

Barakzai started her hunger strike on September 7, seven days after the hunger strike of Tamana Zaryab Paryani and a number of other human rights activists in Cologne city of Germany.

Paryani, on September 12 had said that the first phase of her protest has been successfully completed because she has delivered her messages to the governments of Germany, the United States, and the United Nations.

She announced that keeping in consideration the deteriorating health condition of some of the people who were on hunger strike along with her, she ended her protest. She also urged other activists to end their hunger strikes.

The Torkham border crossing remained closed since the past nine days following a skirmish between Pakistani border guards and the Taliban fighters.

After several meetings, Taliban and Pakistani officials have finally reached an agreement regarding the reopening of the Torkham border crossing.

Video clips sent to Afghanistan International show a large gathering of people waiting to cross this border checkpoint.

After the Taliban returned to power in August 2021, the group has had more than 20 armed clashes with the Pakistani border guards at the Torkham crossing, Spin boldak and other border areas.

On September 6, the Torkham crossing had been closed due to ongoing tensions between the Taliban and Pakistani forces.

Reports indicate that Afghan and Pakistani traders have lost millions of dollars due to the closure of the Torkham border crossing over the past few days.

This meeting will be held on September 29 in the presence of representatives from 10 countries in Russia.

Delegates from Russia, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, China, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan are expected to participate in this meeting.

The Taliban has not yet clarified the status regarding their attendance at this meeting. However, sources from the group have confirmed to RIA Novosti news agency that Muttaqi will participate at the upcoming session.

On Wednesday, September 13, Maria Zakharova, the spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry in a press conference stated that the Moscow-format meeting would address the ongoing situation in Afghanistan, Afghan reconciliation, regional security, and post-war reconstruction efforts in Afghanistan.

According to her, the participants will release a joint statement following their discussion on Afghanistan.

Earlier, Zamir Kabulov, the special representative of the Russian president for Afghanistan said that the issue of forming an inclusive government in Afghanistan is on the agenda of this meeting. According to Kabulov, so far, no progress has been made regarding the formation of such a government.

Andrei Rudenko, Deputy Foreign Minister of Russia, also said that it is necessary to understand what the international community and especially the participants of the Kazan meeting can do to improve the situation in Afghanistan.

The Moscow format was formed to address the conflicts in Afghanistan. The upcoming meeting in Kazan is the fifth round of Moscow format talks. The Taliban had not been invited to the previous Moscow format meetings.