Taliban Announces Plan To Block Facebook In Afghanistan

Political party activities have been proscribed in Afghanistan by the Taliban.

On Sunday, the Ministry of Justice released a communiqué indicating a review of the activities of hundreds of social associations and charity organisations over the past year.

The ministry disclosed that various political parties and numerous social organisations were introduced to the group's security agencies.

The communiqué did not specify the names of these parties and organisations.

Over this period, the review of 36 additional charity organisations took place, with the operations of 19 organisations being terminated due to the untimely renewal of their operating licences.

This action aligns with the Taliban's prior warnings to political parties in Afghanistan to halt their activities.

Taliban officials have affirmed that engaging in political activities under the guise of a party is forbidden, and violators will be subject to "legal and Sharia" consequences.

Although the Taliban has repeatedly detained and incarcerated many for their civic and political engagements, the group has recently made an official proclamation banning the political activities of parties.

The construction effort reflects the Taliban's growing anxiety that Hibatullah Akhundzada, their leader, could be an ISIS target during the forthcoming Eid al-Fitr prayers.

The footage, received on Sunday, shows Taliban military units actively transporting and positioning brick barriers around the mosque's perimeter, effectively forming a stringent security barrier.

This development follows a detailed report by Afghanistan International, derived from informed sources, about a security assembly convened by the Taliban in the province, addressing fears of an ISIS incursion during Eid celebrations.

In a security session held in Kandahar last Friday, Taliban officials voiced apprehensions regarding the likelihood of ISIS orchestrating an assault on the Eid congregational prayers.

The officials deliberated on the possibility of ISIS aiming at the Taliban's paramount leader during the Eid al-Fitr prayers in Kandahar, prompting a preemptive effort to select the Eid prayer venue just a night before the occasion.

Moreover, the assembly resolved to augment security and intelligence operations for the Eid al-Fitr prayers in Kandahar, indicating the high level of threat perceived.

Sources stressed that two specific locales have been earmarked for Hibatullah Akhundzada to conduct the Eid al-Adha prayers: the Hazrat Mohammad Grand Mosque and the Eidgah Mosque in Kandahar, with the final decision on the venue to be made on the eve of Eid by Akhundzada's security detail.

The session also highlighted the pressing concern of ISIS infiltrators mingling among the populace.

Following these deliberations, Taliban officials have specifically instructed the central prison authorities in Kandahar to intensify security measures during the Eid festivities, in light of the palpable threat landscape.

These heightened security measures are being implemented against the backdrop of a devastating suicide bombing at the Kabul Bank branch in Kandahar, for which ISIS claimed responsibility, resulting in the loss of at least 43 lives and injuring 45 others.

The source highlighted that the arrests stemmed from flawed intelligence, targeting refugees fleeing Taliban persecution in Iran.

Iranian media, referencing Saeed Montazer-ul Mahdi, a police commander, initially described the arrest of these individuals as a crucial capture of an "ISIS terrorist unit." According to a report by the Iranian news agency IRNA, the operation was conducted based on "extensive intelligence efforts by the Alborz Province Police Intelligence, bolstered by the vigilant identification by a responsible citizen."

However, insiders affiliated with the NRF have clarified that the detainees are relatives of Khair Mohammad Andarabi, a notable member of the Afghan National Resistance Front.

These sources categorically refute any links between the arrested individuals and ISIS, pointing to an erroneous operation by the Iranian police. Reports indicate that at least two of the Afghan citizens were injured during the police intervention on their vehicle. The current health status of these individuals is yet to be determined.

Saleh disclosed that these individuals had all previously been stationed in Pakistan, with the majority receiving training there.

In a detailed statement on the social media platform X, Saleh unveiled that the leadership of the Taliban's General Directorate of Intelligence (GDI) had deep ties to Pakistan, where they were predominantly trained. He highlighted that among those identified by the Green Trend's intelligence efforts were key figures responsible for orchestrating terrorist attacks in major Afghan cities over the last two decades, with significant support from Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).

Saleh criticised the GDI for its attempts to obscure its operations and personnel through aliases and covert tactics, pointing out its vulnerabilities to corruption, foreign infiltration, and nepotism. He emphasised the ISI's substantial influence on the Taliban's intelligence operations.

One notable individual, Tajmir Jawad, was singled out by Saleh for running a bomb-making facility in Kohat, Pakistan, for 20 years before being appointed as the deputy operations director of the Taliban intelligence. Jawad, according to Saleh, operates an independent section within the GDI.

Furthermore, Saleh warned of the Islamic State Khorasan Province's (ISKP) infiltration into the Taliban’s GDI, exploiting corrupt elements to facilitate the movement of personnel and materials for terrorist operations both within and outside Afghanistan.

Saleh also accused the Taliban of suppressing media coverage to hide the surge in criminal activities in major cities, alleging that the majority of kidnappings are perpetrated by the group, especially its intelligence wing.

The centre denounced the journalist's detention as a violation of Afghan media laws and said that his freedom should never have been deprived.

Taliban intelligence forces raided the radio station's office on September 27, 2023, confiscating equipment and detaining Jawadi, along with Saifullah Rezaei and Mojtaba Qasemi, two journalists from the outlet.

While the Taliban released the two journalists the same day, Jawadi received a one-year prison sentence.

According to reports, the Taliban accused the former editor-in-chief of Radio Nasim of engaging in "propaganda against the group" and "espionage for foreign countries”.

Although Jawadi was released after spending 134 days in Taliban custody, Radio Nasim's broadcasts resumed after a five-month suspension.

One of the conditions for the resumption of the local radio's broadcasts was a commitment to comply with Taliban media laws.