Engage & Utilise Taliban's Willingness to Interact, Says UN Envoy

Khairullah Khairkhwa, Minister of Information and Culture for the Taliban also highlighted the importance of maintaining respect for individual "privacy" and refraining from insulting anyone in media content.

In a recent meeting in Kabul titled "Newspapers and National Languages - History, Development, Challenges, and Solutions," the Taliban addressed various media-related topics.

Khairkhwa underscored the necessity for media outlets to align with the "Islamic principles" upheld by the Taliban government, particularly regarding the respect for individual privacy.

The Taliban have implemented several restrictive measures affecting media operations in Afghanistan over the last two years.

Instances have been reported where Taliban officials pre-screen the content of media publications prior to their dissemination.

Despite these restrictions, Zabihullah Mujahid, the Taliban's spokesperson, maintains that Afghan media continue to operate with freedom.

He asserts that the Taliban have treated journalists fairly in Afghanistan, noting that only those under suspicion have been detained for further enquiry.

She highlighted a surge in gender apartheid, an increase in corporal punishment, and the suppression of women's and girls' rights and freedoms.

Akbar, a vocal advocate for women's rights, denounced the Taliban's assurances of respecting minority, women, and girls' rights as mere fabrications, evident to all observers. She underscored that her organisation, Rawadari, along with the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), has documented numerous human rights infringements by the Taliban, including against journalists.

Among these violations, Akbar cited the detention of women's rights activists Manizha Sediqi and Parisa Azada by the Taliban. She raised concerns over the lack of accountability, noting that the Taliban have neither prosecuted nor investigated the perpetrators of crimes such as arbitrary detentions, extrajudicial killings of former government force members, and other serious human rights abuses.

Furthermore, Akbar revealed that the Taliban have systematically removed Shiite members from provincial and district Ulama Councils in Afghanistan.

This enduring prohibition, despite domestic protests and international calls for change, marks a significant setback in women's rights in the country.

Afghanistan International reported that a number of female students feel they have lost their future and hope due to this ban. One of them, Bano, a journalism student, had her studies halted with the Taliban's ascent to power and the closure of university doors. She expressed despair over her restricted life, confined to her home, and the detrimental impact this has had on her mental health.

On 20 December 2022, the Taliban's Ministry of Higher Education announced the suspension of girls' university education until further notice. Since then, the regime has not only refrained from reopening educational institutions for women but has also imposed additional limitations on their social life.

Other female students have voiced strong opposition to any recognition of the Taliban administration, arguing that such engagement would further undermine the plight of Afghan girls.

Moreover, just days after shutting down universities for female students, the Taliban also prohibited women from working in non-governmental organisations in Afghanistan. This move further illustrates the group's restrictive stance on women's rights and freedoms.

Despite ongoing internal resistance and external pressures, the Taliban remains unmoved in their stance, continuing to deny Afghan women and girls access to education and professional opportunities.

Muttaqi emphasised the growing ties between the Taliban and Russia, expressing gratitude for Russia's support in international forums and advocating for stronger economic connections. The Taliban, as per a statement issued on Wednesday by Abdul Qahar Balkhi, the group’s foreign ministry spokesperson, is prepared to assist the transit of Russian goods to South Asia by reconstructing the Salang tunnel.

Kabulov, highlighting the evolving geopolitical landscape, stated that new regional mechanisms should not be implemented without the Taliban's consent. He encouraged nations with grievances against Afghanistan to engage directly with the Taliban for resolution.

The statement did not specify any countries or detail the mentioned mechanisms. However, it noted Kabulov's call for the U.S. to release Afghanistan's frozen foreign exchange reserves, aiming to bolster the Afghan economy.

Moscow, while maintaining strong ties with the Taliban, has stopped short of officially recognising their government. It recently hosted a gathering of Taliban opposition groups titled “Afghanistan between the Past and the Future”, backed by A Just Russia Party and the country’s Academy of Sciences. The event saw intense critique of the Taliban's policies.

Kirby also called the claims about leaving US weapons in Afghanistan a "fallacy and farce".

Following the increase in attacks by militant groups, especially the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) against Pakistan security forces, some officials in the country claimed that US weapons left in Afghanistan were used in such attacks.

Last month, Pakistani media outlets quoted officials of the country, as saying that weapons left in Afghanistan, including those of the United States, were utilised in an attack on a training air base in Mianwali, Punjab.

Pakistan’s Interim Prime Minister, Anwar Haq Kakar, had also said that weapons left by the US in Afghanistan are used against Pakistan, China, Iran, and other countries in the region.

Kakar added that the new and advanced US equipment in Afghanistan can be dangerous for the regional countries. According to him, the US’ hasty withdrawal from Afghanistan resulted in weapons from the former government and American forces falling into the hands of various armed groups beyond the Taliban.

On Tuesday, Kirby said that he didn’t see the reports about the use of US weapons in Pakistan and could not verify them.

However, he explained that the US forces did not leave any equipment in Afghanistan, and the weapons that reached the hands of the Afghan Taliban belonged to the security forces of the previous government.

He added that the 20-year presence of the US in Afghanistan was armed and helped to equip the Afghan national security forces.

Kirby said that as the Taliban advanced, many former Afghan security forces decided not to fight and laid down their weapons.

Last week, Pakistani security forces announced the seizure of advanced US weapons from an incoming shipment from Afghanistan at the Torkham crossing.

According to Torkham customs officials, these weapons include AK-47s, grenades, night vision devices and thousands of bullets.

Pakistani security forces announced the seizure of these smuggled weapons just a day after a terrorist attack in Dera Ismail Khan resulted in the death of 23 Pakistani soldiers.

According to a Pentagon report, the US provided $18.6 billion worth of military equipment to the Afghan national army and security forces from 2005 to August 2021.

According to reports, after the withdrawal of the United States from Afghanistan, equipment valued at 7.12 billion dollars remained in the country.