Detention And Torture of Women Protesters Persist in Afghanistan, Reports HRW

The source, speaking on the condition of anonymity, informed Afghanistan International that the apprehended commander, identified as Bismillah Zahid, previously served in Afghanistan's special security forces under the former Afghan government.

In contrast to this claim, the NRF's Public Relations office asserted that those arrested by the Taliban are not affiliated with their organisation. They suggest that the Taliban's arrests are primarily targeting individuals with connections to the defence and security forces of the past government or those hailing from Panjshir.

An NRF representative stated that the Taliban recently apprehended five residents from the Tawakh area in Panjshir. These individuals were allegedly detained upon their return to Afghanistan from Iran, near the Nimroz province border.

The Taliban, maintaining their stance, denies any allegations of detaining or persecuting ex-military personnel. They emphasise their commitment to a general amnesty for all former members of the previous Afghan government.

Despite the Taliban's assurance of amnesty, the United Nations Human Rights Commissioner has raised concerns. Recent reports from the UN official highlight ongoing issues in Afghanistan, including extrajudicial killings, torture, and arbitrary arrests, contradicting the Taliban's claims of amnesty.

In an interview with Afghanistan International, Ismail Khan, known for his anti-Taliban stance, remarked that the leadership phase of Atta Mohammad Noor, former Balkh governor, and Salahuddin Rabbani, former foreign minister, has concluded.

Despite this, Ismail Khan asserted that there are no internal disputes among Jamiat-e-Islami members. He attributed the Taliban's return to power to a deal with the US and commented on the diplomatic relations between Iran and the Taliban, noting that Tehran, like other countries, maintains connections with the group.

Khan also highlighted the significance of the recent Moscow meeting, which he sees as the beginning of a unifying effort among Taliban opponents to address Afghanistan's challenges. This meeting, which took place on 23 November, saw the attendance of various anti-Taliban figures, including Ahmad Massoud leader of the National Resistance Front, and Russian officials.

Reflecting on the fall of Herat city to the Taliban, Ismail Khan provided insights into its collapse. In the days leading to the Afghan government's downfall, he led an anti-Taliban resistance front in western Afghanistan until his capture by the Taliban, after which he moved to Iran under an agreement with the group.

Khan has seldom spoken about the reasons behind Herat's fall in the past two years. He accused key government officials, such as the Deputy Interior Minister, the Herat police chief, the Army Corps commander, and the provincial Intelligence Director, of surrendering Herat to the Taliban.

He recalled requesting support from government and military leaders to defend the city, only to find them lacking the will to fight and prepared to surrender. Khan recounted calling for an operation against the Taliban advance, but senior security officials, he claimed, chose to abandon their military duties in readiness for surrender.

During a meeting on Wednesday, Kakar requested a five-day period to convey their demands to the Pakistani authorities in Islamabad.

This dialogue occurred following a 41-day sit-in protest in the Chaman region, situated along the Afghanistan border. Imdadullah, a protester present at the meeting, labelled the talks with the Balochistan governor as positive.

As of Thursday, the sit-in protest has reached its 42nd day, with demonstrators continuing to oppose the visa-free travel ban at the border crossings between Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Ghawsullah, leader of the "Laghri" workers' union in Chaman, warned that if their demands are unmet, they will cease tax payments to the Pakistani government.

The interim government under Prime Minister Anwar ul Haq Kakar has made significant policy changes regarding border issues and migrants. One of the key decisions by his interim cabinet was setting a November 1 deadline for over 1.7 million Afghan refugees to exit Pakistan. This decision led the Ministry of Interior to initiate a large-scale operation to detain and deport these refugees forcefully.

Additionally, the government has decided to enforce a "single document system" for border crossings between Afghanistan and Pakistan. Under the new policy, travellers are required to use passports and visas exclusively, effectively ending the era of crossing borders with other documents like national identity cards.

The NRF detailed that these attacks targeted the Taliban police command headquarters in Badakhshan and a Taliban outpost in Kunduz.

As of now, Taliban officials have not issued a response to the NRF's statement. The NRF declared that these strikes were executed on Wednesday night.

Emphasising their objective to terminate Taliban rule, the NRF stated its commitment to continuing its attacks against the group in various regions.

According to Mamundzay, India's strategy included supporting individuals with direct Taliban links. He highlighted that Afghan consuls in Mumbai and Hyderabad are pro-Taliban.

In a Bloomberg interview, Mamundzay noted a recent strengthening in India-Taliban relations. He claimed that many diplomats from the previous Afghan administration have departed, leaving behind those who favour the Taliban and maintain contact with its foreign ministry.

India's foreign ministry has not commented on these assertions.

Mamundzay also told Bloomberg that Afghan Consul Generals Zakia Wardak in Mumbai, Syed Mohammad Ibrahimkhil in Hyderabad, and Mohammad Qadir Shah, the commercial consul at the Afghan embassy in India, back the Taliban regime.

The motives behind India's apparent warming towards the Taliban remain speculative. It's suggested that India aims to safeguard its Afghan investments and retain influence in the region.

India resumed its Kabul embassy operations last year, focusing on humanitarian aid, including food and medicine distribution. However, consular services like visa issuance for Afghans are still suspended.

In recent developments, the Taliban has assumed control over some Afghan diplomatic missions in India. Sher Mohammad Abbas Stankzai, the Taliban's Deputy Foreign Minister, confirmed ongoing operations of their Mumbai and Hyderabad consulates and impending reopening of the recently shut Delhi embassy.