Taliban Announces Closure Of Samangan-Balkh Highway For Traffic

The police have stated that those holding Afghan Citizen Cards (ACC) and Proof of Registration (PoR) cards have also been given this warning.

On Monday, Afghan immigrants told Afghanistan International that the police have warned that if they do not leave the villages of Baluchistan by 8am local time on Tuesday, April 16, they will be forcibly deported.

According to the sources, the police have warned Afghan refugees in the villages of Karas, Bazaar Naw, and Pishin in Baluchistan that they must evacuate these villages and return to Afghanistan voluntarily.

Earlier, the Pakistani government had announced that migrants holding ACC and PoR cards would not be expelled from Pakistan, but now provincial authorities in Baluchistan are saying that even legal migrants will be expelled.

PoR and ACC cards are identity documents for Afghan migrants that allow them to legally reside in Pakistan.

This card is valid throughout the country. This comes as the Pakistani government had announced that the second phase of expelling Afghan migrants from Pakistan would soon begin.

AGT's recent publication reveals that out of the reported 173,000 personnel in the Taliban's military forces, approximately 100,000 are classified as ghost soldiers. These ghost members are fictitious entities whose names appear in official records to illicitly claim additional benefits like salaries and food supplies, a practice rooted in systemic corruption.

This analysis was shared on Monday via the social network X, shedding light on the 2023 structure of the Taliban's military. The report notes significant variations in the actual presence of forces, stating, "In some areas, their presence is about seventy percent, while in others it drops to forty percent."

Further findings indicate that the true active duty strength of these forces is merely forty percent of the stated numbers. The total documented strength of the Taliban's army across various divisions stands at 173,724.

The report also touches on the undue privileges granted to certain Taliban personnel based on tribal affiliations, despite their nonexistence on the ground. This practice is reportedly more prevalent in northern Afghanistan, where the Taliban struggle for social support.

Additionally, AGT's intelligence unit has accessed employment records for over 50,000 staff members of the Taliban's Ministry of Defence, revealing that approximately 93 percent belong to the Pashtun ethnic group.

In a virtual meeting, Massoud noted, "With each passing day, our unity strengthens, and the Taliban's influence diminishes."

The session, which was held to mark the first anniversary of the death of Akmal Amir, a commander of the Afghanistan Freedom Front, and his six comrades, emphasised on the ongoing resistance against the Taliban.

During the meeting, Massoud underscored the commitment and unity among the resistance fronts, political parties, and the Afghan populace, remarking, "Significant efforts towards cohesion and unity have been made since the beginning of this year."

He highlighted that victory over the Taliban could be achieved internally, without foreign aid, through the collective effort of the Afghan people.

Massoud also pointed out that despite nearly three years of efforts to reach a political resolution, the Taliban have consistently rejected these overtures.

Despite the Taliban's efforts to sow discord, Massoud observed that the resistance fronts have grown more unified.

He concluded by affirming that these fronts will persist in their efforts, become more united and stronger than ever before.

The Taliban aims to enhance trade relations between the two countries through the establishment of this chamber.

RTA reported on Sunday that Hayatullah Muhajir Farahi, the Taliban’s Deputy Minister of Information and Culture, and Alimkhan Yessengeldiyev, the Ambassador of Kazakhstan, inaugurated the Afghanistan-Kazakhstan Chamber of Commerce.

Previously, the Taliban’s Ministry of Commerce announced that the private sectors of Afghanistan and Kazakhstan had signed trade contracts worth over a hundred million dollars in Astana, the capital city of Kazakhstan.

At that time, Kazakhstan had agreed to open its commercial representation in Afghanistan.

Furthermore, Kazakhstan's interest in investing in the Trans-Caspian transit railway route, known as the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Tajikistan railway, was another matter raised by the Kazakhstan Ambassador during a recent meeting with Taliban’s Ministry of Commerce officials.

The Front stated that the attack took place in the fourth police district of Kabul city.

The NRF posted on X social media platform that the attack occurred at 7:30pm on Sunday and did not cause any harm to civilians.

This is the second attack by the front in the past week. The Taliban has not yet commented on this incident.