Doha Meet Lacks Credibility Without Participation of Women & Civil Society, Says Amnesty

Previously, some Afghan artists in Pakistan had approached the Peshawar High Court to seek political asylum.

These artists, who are residing in Pakistan without legal residency documents, had requested the court to prevent their deportation from the country.

The lawyer of the Afghan artists requested political asylum, and asked the court to allow them to stay in Pakistan until their fate is determined.

Judges Ijaz Anwar and Wiqar Ahmad listened to the issues faced by these artists in Pakistan and reviewed their asylum applications.

The petitioners’ lawyer also mentioned during the hearing that these artists had applied for asylum with the UN Refugee Agency, but were being harassed due to their lack of legal residency documents in Pakistan.

The Peshawar High Court postponed the hearing to the next session, but instructed the authorities not to deport them until their case is addressed.

This situation arises as some Afghan artists fled to Pakistan and Iran following the Taliban's takeover in August 2021.

Upon seizing control of Afghanistan, the Taliban banned playing of musical instruments, singing, and listening to music.

Additionally, the Taliban has arrested and tortured several musicians during their nearly three-year rule over Afghanistan. They have also destroyed musical instruments during house inspections. The Taliban consider playing and listening to music against “Islamic Sharia”.

Consequently, many Afghan artists fled to neighboring countries out of fear of persecution and torture by the Taliban.

Some of these artists do not have legal residency documents in these countries and are subject to deportation. However, these artists are determined not to return to Afghanistan under a regime that criminalises their profession.

Among these, 20 attacks were in Kabul, six in Takhar, two in Baghlan, and one in Parwan.

According to the report, the NRF managed to attack the military facilities at Kabul Airport during this period. The UN revealed that "three rockets were fired at a helicopter upon entry, but there were no casualties or damage”.

Guterres also confirmed that the Afghanistan Freedom Front launched 14 attacks on the Taliban in Kabul over the past three months.

He noted that the attacks by the Afghanistan Freedom Front have decreased compared to the previous three months, during which 24 attacks were carried out.

The UN report indicates that both military fronts opposing the Taliban have used "hit-and-run" tactics against Taliban forces. They employed grenades in 22 instances and improvised explosive devices in seven cases to target the Taliban.

On Thursday, Afghan mentioned that these contracts were signed with Afghan investors across different sectors.

In an interview with Taliban-controlled National TV, he said that the ministry has also signed contracts for about 30 large mines worth at least $7 billion with domestic and foreign companies.

According to him, in 2023, contracts for 14 large mines extracting gold, ruby, coal, cement, lead, and zinc were signed. These mines are located in the provinces of Herat, Ghor, Baghlan, Takhar, Kabul, and several other provinces.

In April, the spokesperson for the Taliban's Ministry of Mines and Petroleum noted that since the group’s takeover of Afghanistan, countries such as China, Turkey, Qatar, Iran, and the United Kingdom have invested over $7 billion in the country.

The Taliban have not yet provided comprehensive information to the public about these contracts and the extracting companies. Critics have repeatedly criticised the Taliban for their lack of transparency in the collection and expenditure of Afghanistan's mining revenues.

Guterres highlighted that insecurity in February, March, and April of this year increased by 55% compared to the previous three months.

Notably, drug-related incidents surged by 97%, from 212 to 418 cases. The majority of these incidents occurred in the central, northeastern, southeastern, and southern regions of Afghanistan.

According to the UN report, the primary cause of this instability is the "ruling authorities' decision" to enforce a ban on poppy cultivation.

Additionally, land disputes have risen from 20 to 51 cases in the past three months, predominantly in the southern and eastern parts of Afghanistan. During this period, armed clashes increased from 75 to 106 cases, although the number of explosions has decreased.

The report underscores the growing challenges faced by Afghanistan as it continues to grapple with security issues amidst ongoing efforts to enforce new policies.

He added, "We must build a wall on the eastern border with Pakistan and Afghanistan to ensure its security."

Ghalibaf attributed some of the crimes and social issues in Iran to the presence of undocumented migrants.

In a debate broadcast on Thursday by Iran's state TV, Ghalibaf said, "Today, undocumented foreigners cause serious social issues in the areas of drugs, employment, and divorce."

As the Speaker of the Parliament and one of the main presidential candidates, Ghalibaf has made expulsion of illegal migrants, mostly Afghan, a part of his election campaign.