Taliban Shuts Down Educational Centers for Girls In Herat, Say Local Sources

An educational center official said that the armed Taliban officials took pictures of the girls in the classrooms and asked them to leave the educational center.

According to him, the Taliban fighters said on Tuesday that the girls did not adhere to the hijab preferences of the group and that male teachers were teaching in their classes.

Local officials told Afghanistan International that the Taliban's education administration in Herat has closed several educational centers in Herat. In some of these centers, girls were studying English, German and computers courses.

According to sources, some other girls' educational centers in Herat have also closed their doors due to the fear of the Taliban.

A female student told Afghanistan International that the Taliban had taken action to close the gates of girls' educational centers in Herat, three days ago.

She added that the armed Taliban officials prevented girls from going to classes at the entrances of the school.

A teacher at one of the educational centers said that the Taliban had asked them to close the center a few days ago. He added that the officials of the center informed the girls to refrain from coming there for a few days.

Yet the Taliban have not commented on the closure of girls' educational centers, but some sources in the Taliban's education administration said that the closure is temporary.

Over the last two years, the Taliban has not only prohibited girls from attending schools beyond the sixth grade, but also barred women from going to universities.

Over the past few months, there have been reports that the Taliban banned girls from going to educational centers in Kabul.

The group has imposed extensive restrictions on women and girls. Based on these restrictions, women are not allowed to work in non-governmental organisations. The group has also banned women from sports and recreation.

SCO, UN Discuss Terror Threats From Afghanistan

Nov 14, 2023, 12:13 GMT+0

Members of the Regional Anti-Terrorism Structure of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), and the UN Security Council’s Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team discussed Afghanistan.

In the meeting, the terrorist groups’ threats, including Al-Qaeda and ISIS, has been discussed.

As per Uzbek media, the meeting took place in Tashkent, and discussions were focused on the operational capabilities of terrorist groups in Afghanistan.

The details of the talks have not been published yet.

Both organisations have consistently warned regarding the escalating threat of terrorism in Afghanistan and the region.

Moscow Yet To Decide On Taliban Recognition, Russian Envoy Reveals

Nov 14, 2023, 11:33 GMT+0

Zamir Kabulov, Russia's Special Representative for Afghanistan, has stated that Moscow is currently not considering the recognition of the Taliban.

Speaking to TASS news agency, Kabulov highlighted that Russia has consistently made it clear at various levels that recognising the Taliban is not presently part of its agenda.

As a member of the United Nations Security Council, Russia has reiterated the importance of the Taliban fulfilling their commitments, which include combating terrorist groups and establishing an inclusive government.

In his dialogue with TASS, Kabulov also emphasized that there are no ongoing negotiations between Moscow and Washington regarding Afghanistan.

Furthermore, Kabulov mentioned that Russia will maintain its consultations with China, Iran, and Pakistan on Afghan-related matters.

Sindh Police Allegedly Detain Afghans Holding Legal Documentation

Nov 14, 2023, 10:20 GMT+0

Abdul Jabbar Takhari, the Taliban's Consul General in Karachi, alleged that Sindh province police in Pakistan have been detaining Afghan immigrants with valid documents, only to release them upon receiving bribes.

Takhari discussed these issues with Sindh Interior Minister Haris Nawaz.

The Taliban consulate in Karachi stated on Tuesday that, despite Pakistan's federal and state authorities assuring that properly documented Afghan immigrants would not be persecuted, there are numerous reports of their arrest and subsequent release in return for money.

Takhari also mentioned that some individuals in Pakistan are exploiting this situation by threatening Afghan immigrants with eviction from their jobs and homes.

During his meeting with Nawaz, Takhari urged for an acceleration in the release of Afghan detainees from Pakistani prisons.

The Taliban consulate in Karachi conveyed that Nawaz is looking into the reported harassment of Afghans with legal residency in Pakistan.

Pakistan’s Ministry of Interior previously declared that the deportation of Afghan refugees holding legal residence permits is not currently planned.

In recent months, Pakistani police have detained several hundred Afghan immigrants, raising concerns among human rights groups about the treatment of Afghan immigrants in Pakistani jails.

For the past two weeks, Pakistan has been deporting undocumented Afghan immigrants.

This action impacts approximately 1.7 million undocumented Afghan immigrants in Pakistan.

Taliban Delegation Arrives In Islamabad To Participate in Tripartite Meeting

Nov 13, 2023, 16:33 GMT+0

A Taliban delegation led by Nooruddin Azizi, the group’s Minister of Commerce and Industry, arrived in Islamabad to participate in a tripartite meeting.

The delegation includes representatives of the Ministry of Finance, Ministry Transport and Civil Aviation and Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

In a statement, on Monday, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry of the Taliban stated that the delegation has traveled to Islamabad to participate in a tripartite meeting with the representatives of Uzbekistan and Pakistan.

The Afghan Embassy in Islamabad also posted a video stating that the delegation will address issues related to travel and trade between the two countries.

This Taliban delegation’s trip occurs even though Pakistan has recently faced criticism from the group’s officials following the deportation of Afghan immigrants from the country.

Over 220,000 Migrants Returned To Afghanistan, Confirms Pakistan

Nov 13, 2023, 14:18 GMT+0

Pakistan announced that so far 220,398 immigrants without legal documentations have returned to Afghanistan through the Torkham and Chaman crossings.

Pakistan's state radio reported that thousands of undocumented immigrants return to their country through these two crossings every day.

According to this media report, on Sunday, 3,043 people returned to Afghanistan with 312 vehicles.

However, there is a difference between the figures published by the Taliban and the Pakistani media.

The Taliban Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation reported that a total of 5,570 migrants returned via the Torkham and Spin Boldak crossings on Sunday.

The Taliban had announced the return of 200,000 people to the country, earlier.

On October 3, Pakistan set a deadline for undocumented immigrants to leave the country voluntarily.

Following that, the Ministry of Interior of Pakistan now forcibly deports the immigrants.

As per estimates provided by the interim government of Pakistan, prior to the announcement of this decision, there were approximately 1.7 million Afghan immigrants residing in the country without legal documentation.

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