Ex-Afghan President Endorses UN's Decision to Appoint Special Envoy for Afghanistan

This figure marks a significant increase from 2022, where around 367 attacks were recorded.

The report, obtained by Afghanistan International Pashto, indicates a doubling of TTP's activities compared to the previous year. North and South Waziristan were the most targeted areas, with 208 and 152 incidents respectively, including five suicide bombings. Peshawar witnessed 57 attacks, whilst 40 occurred in Balochistan. Notably, attacks in Punjab rose from 5 in 2022 to 10 in 2023.

Ehsanullah Ehsan, TTP's spokesperson, conveyed to Afghanistan International that their attacks surged by 100% in 2023 and continue to grow. He also noted a rise in recruitment, with many young Pakistanis from schools and universities expressing interest in joining TTP.

In response, the Pakistan Army reported conducting 18,736 military operations in 2023, eliminating 565 militants. However, the Army also acknowledged significant losses, with over a thousand casualties including 260 officers and soldiers due to terrorist attacks.

The Pakistani government has previously attributed the escalation of TTP's activities to their access to advanced weaponry following the Taliban's ascent to power in Afghanistan. Additionally, Pakistan asserts that TTP's leadership orchestrates these attacks from within Afghanistan.

He criticised the international community, particularly the United Nations and Security Council, for being misled by inaccurate information regarding the security situation in Afghanistan.

Mullah Yaqoob paralleled views held by officials from the Islamic Republic of Iran, labelling ISIS as an external endeavour. He urged the alleged financiers of ISIS to acknowledge its defeat in Afghanistan. This statement comes despite American officials' recognition of the Taliban's efforts against ISIS. However, a contrasting report by Antonio Guterres, the UN Secretary-General, to the Security Council, highlighted ISIS's growing operational capacity in Afghanistan, posing a substantial threat to the region.

Guterres's report raised alarms over ISIS's access to advanced NATO-made weapons and its increasingly sophisticated attacks against the Taliban, targeting high-ranking officials. In response, Mullah Yaqoob, speaking at a press conference in Kabul, attempted to minimise the threats posed by resistance groups and ISIS. He accused sources of providing false information about ISIS's presence and activities in Afghanistan.

Yaqoob emphasised the Taliban's success in establishing security and reducing crime, citing a significant decrease in armed robberies and the arrest of numerous smugglers, along with the confiscation of thousands of weapons from unauthorised individuals.

Reacting to a recent United Nations Security Council resolution, The Front, led by Yasin Zia, former Chief of Staff of the Afghan government's army, contends that increased engagement with the Taliban alone will not yield positive outcomes.

In its statement, AFF warns of a looming crisis in Afghanistan under Taliban rule, highlighting issues like humanitarian crises, poverty, and discrimination. These conditions, they argue, could potentially foster extremist groups.

The Front stresses the importance of involving anti-Taliban forces in drafting the mission of the UN's special envoy and advocates for a democratic and rights-respecting approach. They also emphasise the need for an elected system in Afghanistan, asserting that focusing solely on human rights issues under the Taliban will not address long-term challenges.

The recent UN Security Council resolution to appoint a special representative for Afghanistan has drawn mixed reactions. While the Taliban have dismissed the need for such a representative, the AFF views it as a positive step towards addressing Afghanistan's complex situation.

Rahmon urged the international community to resolve the conflict in the countries through negotiation and dialogue.

The president of Tajikistan recently gave a speech in the country's House of Representatives, addressing both domestic and foreign policies. The transcript of the speech has been made available on the official website of the Tajikistan Presidency.

In his speech, he expressed concern about the current situation in Afghanistan without providing further details. Over the past two years, he has repeatedly emphasised, in both regional and international meetings, the necessity of establishing a democratic and inclusive government with the participation of all ethnic groups in Afghanistan.

Arms and drugs trafficking as well as attempts to infiltrate extremists into Tajikistan and Central Asia are among concerns of Dushanbe.

Rahmon stressed that Tajikistan cooperates with all international and regional organisations, including the United Nations, Commonwealth of Independent States, Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, Economic Cooperation Organisation, Collective Security Treaty Organisation, Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe and other institutions in order to enhances Tajikistan's global standing and facilitates active engagement in worldwide processes, programs, and contexts.

He mentioned that Tajikistan aims to operationalise several international and regional transit projects in the near future.

According to him, one of these projects is China-Tajikistan-Afghanistan transit and economic corridor, which will be used in the near future.

During a ceremony at a Jihadi madrassa in Paktia province, Haqqani said that madrassas should not only provide religious education, but also include teachings on Jihadi and military thoughts.

This senior Taliban official views the instruction of jihadi thoughts and religious skills as a way to prepare students in seminaries for the defence of "Islam and the country”.

On Saturday, Bakhtar News Agency, under the Taliban control, reported that during the meeting, Haqqani stated that the Taliban will not permit the establishment of any system in Afghanistan other than the Islamic system.

Speaking at the graduation ceremony of the students of a jihadi madrassa in Paktia, he added that the expansion of madrassas and mosques is everyone's responsibility.

Haqqani sought the establishment of madrassas in remote villages.

In the past two years, the Taliban has built dozens of jihadi mosques and madrassas in many provinces of Afghanistan. In addition, many educational centres, including institutes and schools of the former Ministry of Education, have turned into jihadi madrassas.

Takhar Technical and Vocational Institute, Abdul Hai Habibi High School in Khost Province, Technical High School in Kandahar Province, Babrak Khan Zadran High School in Paktia Province, Mitra Private TV Building in Mazar Sharif City of Balkh, Teacher Training Institute in Herat, and Samangan are among the locations that have transformed into jihadi madrassas.

In May 2022, the Taliban released a message attributed to Hibatullah Akhundzada, the group's leader, stating that "religious schools should be established in all districts of Afghanistan”.