Sunak Administration To Consider Exemptions To Rwanda Deportation For Afghan Allies

Apr 18, 2024, 11:03 GMT+1

Sources from the British Parliament have informed The Guardian that the government is currently exploring options to exempt former Afghan allies who served alongside the UK forces in Afghanistan from the Rwanda deportation scheme.

Former members of the Afghan security forces and translators are included among these individuals.

On Tuesday, the British Parliament, for the third time, did not approve the deportation of asylum seekers to Rwanda and has called for four amendments to be made. Exempting former British partners in Afghanistan is one of the amendments British representatives are advocating for.

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Pakistani Army Reports Killing 7 Terrorists Trying To Enter Pakistan From Afghanistan

Apr 18, 2024, 09:41 GMT+1

Pakistan's border guards have killed seven “terrorists” attempting to cross the Afghanistan-Pakistan border in North Waziristan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

The Pakistan Army's public relations office reported that these individuals were killed in a clash with the country’s security forces.

According to the statement, the incident took place in the Spinkai area of North Waziristan, and a significant number of weapons, ammunition, and explosives was recovered from these individuals.

The Pakistani army emphasised in its statement on the need for the Taliban to effectively manage its borders, urging them to fulfil their responsibilities in preventing terrorists from using Afghan territory against Pakistan.

Efforts to alleviate border tensions between Pakistan and the Taliban over the past three years have yielded no tangible results. Pakistan consistently accuses the Taliban of harbouring terrorist groups, including the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), and of failing to take decisive action against them.

In response to these allegations, the Taliban says that the root causes of instability lie within Pakistan itself.

Furthermore, the Taliban refuses to acknowledge the legitimacy of the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan, dismissing it as merely a hypothetical line.

Taliban Publicly Flogs Individual In Maidan Wardak Province

Apr 18, 2024, 08:44 GMT+1

The Taliban’s Supreme Court announced on Wednesday that an individual in Maidan Wardak province was publicly flogged in the presence of several judges and Taliban officials.

The individual, who had been accused of “theft”, received 39 lashes.

The group has not disclosed the identity of this individual and stated that his sentence was carried out in Saydabad district of Maidan Wardak province.

The Taliban lashes a number of citizens each week on various charges.

In the past week, the group publicly flogged at least five individuals in the Zabul and Nangarhar provinces.

Human rights defenders and the international community have repeatedly urged Taliban leaders to cease physical punishments, but the group claims that it punishes accused citizens according to "Islamic laws”.

Tripling of Arrests & Deportations of Afghan Migrants in Tehran During Nowruz

Apr 17, 2024, 17:07 GMT+1

The Head of the General Department for Foreign Nationals and Migrants in Tehran, Ehsan Heidari, has reported a significant increase in the deportation of illegal Afghan migrants within the province.

Heidari disclosed that during Nowruz 1403, over 8,000 illegal Afghan migrants were arrested in parks and subsequently sent to deportation camps.

The Young Journalists Club news agency reported on Tuesday that Heidari emphasised on his department's commitment to continue the crackdown on illegal Afghan migrants in Tehran until every last one has been deported.

Additionally, the head of the department highlighted that during Nowruz 1402, more than 7,000 Afghan migrants were similarly detained in recreational parks and deported to Afghanistan.

In recent months, the Islamic Republic has intensified its efforts to arrest and deport Afghan migrants, resulting in the daily forced expulsion of dozens of individuals from Iran.

Taliban Must Release Radio Free Europe Journalist, Demands Afghanistan Journalists Centre

Apr 17, 2024, 14:15 GMT+1

The Afghanistan Journalists Centre (AFJC) has demanded the immediate and unconditional release of Habib-ur-Rahman Taseer, a journalist working for Radio Free Europe in Afghanistan.

The AFJC revealed in a statement that Taseer was arrested by the Taliban's intelligence agency on April 7 in Ghazni city, and he has been imprisoned ever since.

During his arrest, Taliban’s intelligence agents confiscated Taseer's personal items, including his smartphone. The statement further explained that Taseer faces charges for producing certain local reports for Radio Free Europe, although the specific content of these reports was not disclosed.

A local source in Ghazni informed the centre that Taseer was moved from Taliban’s intelligence detention to prison three days ago, and his case has now been sent to the group’s court.

The centre also noted that Taseer had been experiencing pressure from the Taliban prior to his arrest, and his name had been removed from the local journalist registry.

Expressing serious concerns over the journalist’s arrest and continued detention, the Afghanistan Journalists Centre strongly urged the Taliban to release him promptly.

As of now, Radio Free Europe has not issued an official statement regarding the arrest.

Radio Free Europe, based in the Czech Republic, produces and broadcasts content targeted at audiences in Afghanistan.

Following accusations of "propaganda against the Taliban," the Taliban discontinued the radio frequency of this media outlet in December 2022 and subsequently blocked its website in Afghanistan two months later.

The Afghanistan Journalists Centre reports that currently, at least three journalists are in Taliban custody.

The centre’s records show that in 2023 alone, at least 59 journalists and media workers were detained in Afghanistan.

Afghan Products Thriving In Middle Eastern Market, Says Taliban’s Minister

Apr 17, 2024, 13:26 GMT+1

Nooruddin Azizi, the Taliban's Minister of Industry and Commerce, has said that Afghanistan's products are finding a good market in Middle Eastern countries, attributing it to the group's economic policies.

Azizi highlighted that positive trade relations with neighbouring countries have contributed to maintaining stable prices within Afghanistan despite the closure of certain trade routes.

During a meeting with Maulawi Abdul Kabir, the deputy prime minister for political affairs of the Taliban, the Taliban's Minister of Commerce claimed that due to the "good economic policies" of the group, exports and imports with regional countries have expanded.

This comes as the Taliban's Ministry of Industry and Commerce announced in March that Afghanistan's exports had decreased by six percent compared to the previous year.

The Taliban wrote that Abdul Kabir appreciated the efforts of the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, stating that the efforts of the Taliban and the stability of the Afghan currency had kept the prices of raw materials in Afghanistan in a "suitable condition”.