Anti-Taliban Forces Mobilised Against the Group, Says NRF

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.

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.

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.

The Taliban's Ministry of Transportation has announced that the purpose of this trip is to expand transportation relations and engage in dialogue with aviation officials in Uzbekistan.

In a statement, the Taliban ministry stated that productive discussions took place in the field of ground transportation during the recent visit of Uzbekistan's transportation officials to Afghanistan.

A 45-member delegation, led by Jamshid Khodjaev, the Deputy Prime Minister of Uzbekistan, visited Kabul in late October. The delegation had engaged in discussions with senior Taliban officials, including Abdul Ghani Baradar, the Deputy Prime Minister of the group, regarding trade, transportation, energy, and agriculture issues.

Since the Taliban’s takeover of power in Afghanistan, several delegations of Uzbek officials and businessmen have visited Kabul.

The Taliban are trying to overcome its economic challenges by leveraging the resources and capacities of Central Asian countries. Additionally, they are encouraging these nations to invest in Afghanistan.

However, Siadat stated that there are challenges regarding the issuance and renewal of business permits for Afghan traders.

According to Shahrara news agency, which is affiliated with Mashhad Municipality, Siadat said that due to challenges in renewing business permits for Afghan businessmen, goods are sometimes exported in another person's name, while the tax should be calculated based on the performance of Afghan businessmen.

He said that foreign businessmen, including Afghans, should pay taxes.

Siadat also emphasised that the Iran-Afghanistan joint chambers is actively working to streamline processes and enhance oversight by collaborating with government and provincial administrations, in order to prevent unnecessary delays in administrative procedures, ensuring the continuous and uninterrupted flow of economic activities.

USD 275 Million Commercial Transactions

Jaber Ansar, Afghanistan’s General Consul in Mashhad, the capital of Khorasan Razavi province, announced that during the first six months of this year [Hijri calendar], Khorasan Razavi exported USD 275 million to Afghanistan, which has increased by 35% compared to the same period last year.

Ansar told Shahrara news agency that "Iranian partners’ investment in Afghanistan's mining, commercial and agricultural capacities is very good now, but we believe that this communication can be done more purposefully and effectively".

He stressed that targeted communication means focusing on mining, transit and agricultural capacities of Afghanistan, so that the raw product produced in the country can be processed with Iranian expertise.

According to Iranian authorities in Khorasan Razavi, approximately half a million Afghans are registered in Mashhad with residence permits. The majority of them have migrated to Iran following the Taliban's assumption of power.

This figure constitutes 95% of the total population of immigrants in Mashhad. Two days ago, the municipality of Mashhad, had issued an order prohibiting the activities of Afghans in the city's mobile markets. Furthermore, the extensive deportation of Afghan immigrants from Iran persists.

Iran has additionally prohibited the entry of Afghans into 16 provinces of the country.