Resistance Only Path Against Taliban, Says Anti Taliban Group

Recently, Iran's ambassador in Kabul declared Afghanistan a part of the "axis of resistance" and mentioned that "martyrdom" forces from Afghanistan would go to Gaza if needed.

Al-Akhbar, a newspaper affiliated with Hezbollah in Lebanon, reported that Taliban leaders have promised Iranian officials to send fighters to Lebanon in support of Hezbollah against Israel.

Following Israel's military attack on the Gaza Strip, Hezbollah has clashed with the Israeli army, with the conflict intensifying in recent days. Like Hamas, Hezbollah is a militia group supported by Iran.

In recent months, Taliban leaders and Hamas have held several meetings, with the Taliban expressing support for Palestinian militant groups against Israel.

In February, Hassan Kazemi Qomi, Iran's special representative for Afghanistan, stated that although Afghanistan is not close to Gaza, it is part of the "axis of resistance."

Iran refers to groups it supports and others fighting against the Western coalition and Israel as the "axis of resistance."

Qomi's statements sparked widespread reactions in Afghanistan. On 8 February 2024, Al-Mirsad, a media outlet affiliated with Taliban intelligence agency, challenged Iran's regional policy, questioning why Iran does not order Hezbollah to fight directly against Israel "instead of killing Sunnis in Syria."

Husam Badran, a member of Hamas' political bureau, said in an interview with the Taliban-controlled Bakhtar News Agency in February that the Afghans’ jihad and the Taliban's victory in Afghanistan have been inspiring for Hamas.

The Taliban and Iran have maintained close relations, with Iranian and Taliban officials travelling between Kabul and Tehran numerous times over the past three years.

The Afghan Taliban and the Pakistani government had declared Sunday as Arafah and Monday as Eid.

Shahadat posted a video on the social platform X, stating that "thousands" of people performed the Eid prayer at the Islamic Party Grand Mosque. The images show a large number of worshipers engaged in prayer.

The Shahadat newspaper did not mention the exact location of the prayer, but some sources indicated that the mosque is located in the Shamshato Camp in Peshawar, Pakistan.

Unlike Saudi Arabia, the Taliban declared Sunday as Arafah and Monday as Eid. This decision has elicited numerous reactions from politicians and citizens on social networks.

The Taliban declared Monday as Eid, even though several senior officials of the group who are on pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia celebrated Eid on Sunday. Some users have pointed out this "contradiction" in the Taliban's announcement of the Eid day.

Mujahid stated that the composition of the delegation representing the group in Doha will be announced soon.

The third Doha meeting, hosted by the United Nations and attended by special representatives of countries on Afghan affairs, is scheduled to take place on June 30 and July 1.

Mujahid mentioned that the Taliban have discussed the agenda of the meeting with the United Nations and have deemed it beneficial for Afghanistan.

Previously, the Taliban had set conditions for participating in the third Doha meeting. These conditions included setting their desired agenda, granting the group Afghanistan's seat in the United Nations, and not inviting members of civil society to the meeting.

The Taliban also requested that the United Nations refrain from appointing a new special representative for Afghanistan.

It is not yet clear to what extent the United Nations has accepted the Taliban's conditions.

Zaeef explained that any "emir" who gains absolute power will gradually become an "absolute tyrant”.

According to Abdul Salam Zaeef, after an emir becomes a tyrant, he surrounds himself with flatterers and distances himself from knowledgeable and wise individuals.

This well-known diplomat of the Taliban, during the first rule of the group, wrote on X social media platform on Saturday, that over time, the decisions and orders of the emir are shaped by flattery.

Zaeef has suggested that a "powerful leadership council" could fill the void of an emir.

Zaeef, who held significant government positions during Mullah Omar's era, was arrested in Pakistan after the fall of the Taliban in 2001 and then, transferred to Guantanamo Bay prison.

After spending three years there, he was released from Guantanamo in 2005. Subsequently, during Hamid Karzai's presidency, he established a religious foundation named "Afghan Foundation" in Kabul.

In his note on X, Zaeef cited the neglect and abuse of responsibilities, as well as the mixing of personal desires with Sharia by the emir and his close associates, as other factors leading to the decline of Islamic societies.

This prominent Taliban figure emphasised that it is crucial for anyone taking on a responsibility not to neglect their duties. He insisted that if a person is not competent for the assigned responsibility, they should resign to allow someone else to take their place.

Zaeef also stated that it is important for law and Sharia to be implemented without "personal whims”. According to him, if decisions are made based on personal desires, it will cause division and disobedience.

Of them, 7,422 refugees returned from Iran and 2,851 from Pakistan.

Based on daily reports released by the Taliban's Ministry of Refugees and Repatriations, these refugees had been expelled from the two neighbouring countries between June 8 and June 15.

Taliban’s Ministry of Refugees stated that children and women are among those refugees who returned from these two countries.

The ministry added that Afghan refugees returned to Afghanistan through the Torkham, Spin Boldak, Islam Qala, and Pul-e-Abrisham border crossings.

In recent months, the Pakistani and Iranian governments have significantly increased the expulsion of Afghan refugees from these countries. Some of the returned refugees from Iran and Pakistan reported that the police in these countries detained and imprisoned them before their expulsion.

According to some refugees, the Pakistani government usually imprisons Afghan refugees without legal residency documents for three months before returning them to Afghanistan.

Meanwhile, some Afghan refugees in Iran, in contact with Afghanistan International and through videos sent to the team, have claimed that the Iranian police mistreated them.

Pakistani and Iranian officials, following the expulsion of Afghan refugees, stated that the expulsion process only applies to those who do not have legal residency documents in these countries. However, some of the returned refugees from these two countries said that despite having legal visas, they were still arrested by the police and returned to Afghanistan.