500kgs of Afghan-Origin Drugs Discovered in Hormozgan, Claims Iranian Official
Iraj Kakavand, Iran’s head of the anti-narcotics police, said that since the beginning of the year, discovery of drugs has increased by 21% in the country.
Iraj Kakavand, Iran’s head of the anti-narcotics police, said that since the beginning of the year, discovery of drugs has increased by 21% in the country.
Kakavand also announced the discovery of “500 kilograms of methamphetamine of Afghan origin” in Hormozgan province.
On Thursday, the IRIB News Agency quoted Kakavand as stating that approximately 470 tonnes of narcotics were seized in Iran over a period of nine months.
Also, the Iranian authorities have announced the arrest of 2,859 retailers and smugglers during this period.
At the same time, Ali Akbar Javidan, the police chief of Hormozgan province, said that in the last 24 hours, about two tonnes of drugs were discovered in this province.
While the Taliban in Afghanistan claim to have reduced drug cultivation and trafficking over two years, Iranian authorities consistently refute these reports, saying that the claim is not accurate.
The Pakistani media reported on Wednesday that the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) has traced the origins of a suicide bomber involved in a deadly attack on a police station in Dera Ismail Khan.
The bomber, identified as Sifatullah from Lakki Marwat, Pakistan, reportedly traveled to Afghanistan last year via Torkham and returned covertly, lacking legal documentation for his re-entry into Pakistan.
The CTD's investigation utilized car serial numbers and SIM card tracking to identify Sifatullah. On December 12, a group of six suicide bombers, including Sifatullah, targeted a security forces’ base in Dera Ismail Khan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, leading to the death of 23 soldiers and injuring several others. The attack, claimed by Tehreek-e-Jihad Pakistan, began with an explosives-laden car ramming into the base.
Further investigations revealed two of the bombers, including Sifatullah, were of Afghan origin. Nine individuals, six of them Afghans, have been detained for allegedly aiding the attack. Hasan Afghani, another bomber, released a video message prior to the attack.
The CTD's findings indicate connections between the attackers and the Afghan Taliban, a claim confirmed by Sifatullah's father. However, Pakistani officials' assertions of militant activities in Afghanistan targeting Pakistani forces are denied by the Taliban.
On the anniversary of the Soviet Union’s Invasion of Afghanistan, the National Resistance Front of Afghanistan, led by Ahmad Massoud, in a statement on Wednesday said that anti-Taliban forces are getting mobilised.
The front said that the "battle strongholds in different parts of the country" have been "activated" against the Taliban.
In its statement, NRF emphasised that the Taliban "pulled the US and NATO troops into Afghanistan”.
In recent months, the Afghanistan Freedom Front has been able to carry out several guerrilla attacks on Taliban outposts. However, the NRF’s attacks on the Taliban has been limited.
Taliban officials have said that these two fronts’ attacks are not a serious threat to the group and they have been able to expand its rule over all parts of the country. Taliban’s foreign minister on Sunday had said that the opposition of the Taliban does not control any part of Afghanistan.
In its statement, the Resistance Front urged the people of Afghanistan to unite and collectively work towards bringing an end to the Taliban's rule.
The front has once again emphasised on the formation of the government based on the "will of the people" and according to the "ethnic and cultural diversity" of Afghanistan.
At a ceremony commemorating the 44th anniversary of the Soviet Union's invasion of Afghanistan, the Taliban's Interior Minister, Sarajuddin Haqqani, labelled any form of negligence and selfishness in governance as absolutely unacceptable.
Haqqani reflected on the aftermath of the Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan, highlighting that power disputes among former anti-Soviet Jihadi leaders sparked the onset of civil wars.
Taliban media reports conveyed Haqqani's remarks on Wednesday, where he discussed his role in the current Taliban administration. Despite having no initial ambition to join the government post-Taliban resurgence, Haqqani stated that his dedication to Afghanistan and its people compelled him to take up a governmental role. He remarked, "I never had the desire to be in a [government] position, but the problems of Afghans and the love for the country compelled me to be in this position."
Haqqani stressed that the Afghan populace grew disillusioned with Jihad due to the internal conflicts and civil wars ignited by disagreements among former leaders.
He advised, "We must learn from the past and proceed with caution." While Haqqani has previously been critical of the Taliban administration, he refrained from elaborating on his comments about selfishness within the current government during his speech on Wednesday.
In the same event, the Taliban's Foreign Minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi, asserted Afghanistan's resilience against reoccupation. He emphasised the failure of the former Soviet Union and other superpowers in Afghanistan, stating that the Afghan spirit rejects foreign domination and refuses to succumb to subjugation.
Abdul Salam Hanafi, the Taliban's Deputy Prime Minister, reminded attendees that the Soviet invasion marked the beginning of immense suffering, including the massacre of religious scholars, the inhumane treatment of university professors and students, and the devastation of Afghan youth. He highlighted the tragic loss of one and a half million lives due to the Soviet aggression.
On the occasion of the 44th anniversary of the Soviet occupation, the Taliban administration released a statement affirming Afghanistan's policy of non-interference and its refusal to permit any violation of its people's rights or internal affairs.
The statement further emphasised the Taliban's desire to foster robust and harmonious international relations based on Islamic principles, ensuring no harm to any party. The Taliban called upon all nations to honour their commitments towards fostering amicable relations grounded in Islamic values.
Amir Khan Muttaqi, the Taliban’s foreign minister, has accused the United States and NATO members of attempting to undermine the Taliban administration in Afghanistan.
Speaking to Afghan migrants at the Taliban consulate in Mashhad, Iran, Muttaqi claimed that despite their military defeat, Western countries are still trying to create problems for the Taliban government. He did not provide detailed information on these alleged efforts.
Previously, Muttaqi had denied any attempts by the US or NATO to support armed opposition against the Taliban. He also mentioned that the United States, Europe, and regional countries are not endorsing any armed resistance against the Taliban government.
In contrast, over the past two years, the US has contributed approximately two billion dollars in humanitarian aid to Afghanistan. This aid, according to some economists, has been pivotal in stabilising the Afghan currency and reducing inflation. Critics, however, argue that such assistance indirectly supports the Taliban's regime.
Western nations have set the respect for human rights, particularly women's rights, as a condition for officially recognising the Taliban group. During his visit to Iran, Muttaqi met with Afghan migrants and businessmen, reiterating the Taliban's claim as the legitimate government of Afghanistan. He emphasised the stability they have brought to the country and declared the efforts of armed opposition groups to be ineffective in challenging the Taliban's control.
Reuters, citing an advocacy group, reported that Pakistan has deported at least 130 Afghan citizens who were waiting for resettlement in the US.
This media organisation quoted sources and wrote that Pakistani authorities ignored the US embassy protection letters given to the Afghan nationals.
Shawn VanDiver, the head of the 'Afghan Evac' organisation, revealed that, according to data and details provided by the US Embassy in Islamabad, the Pakistani police arrested 230 Afghan immigrants and approximately 80 of them were subsequently released.
Following the expulsion of Afghan refugees from Pakistan, the US spokesperson of the State Department stated that Washington had provided Pakistan with a list of Afghans who are eligible for resettlement in the US.
VanDiver and two Western diplomatic sources, speaking on the condition of anonymity, told Reuters that local Pakistani officials had ignored the US list in many instances.
Reuters interviewed several Afghan families whose members were deported despite presenting a letter to the police. One asylum seeker, who is not named for security reasons by Reuters, shared that the police came to his home and didn’t accept the letter from the US embassy.
The members of this family have been deported from Pakistan and are now residing in Kabul.
US officials informed Reuters that they are trying to reach thousands of Afghans in Pakistan through an emergency hotline on the messaging app WhatsApp, available in Dari, Pashto, and English.
The United Nations has announced that more than 450,000 Afghans have returned to Afghanistan and many of them are living near the border in difficult winter conditions.
The Taliban, opposing mass deportations of migrants from Pakistan, express their support for individuals returning to the country.
Islamabad says it is struggling with economic and security crises and cannot host the 600,000 immigrants who came to the country after the Taliban took over.