Afghans In Iran Must Be Organised, Says Country’s Leader’s Representative

The protests were a response to statements made by Ahmadullah Muttaqi, the Taliban's Director of Information and Culture, who had called Ashura a "heresy”.

Local residents told Afghanistan International that the protesters expressed their "disgust" with the Taliban official's remarks during their late-night demonstration on Thursday.

Previously, Ahmadullah Muttaqi had referred to Ashura as a "heresy" during a meeting with local officials and Shiite representatives on Wednesday, insisting that "political and foreign heresies" must be stopped.

With the arrival of the month of Muharram and the days of Ashura, the Taliban have launched extensive campaigns to remove Shiite religious symbols, such as mourning flags, in various cities, including Kabul and Herat. In recent days, the Taliban have taken down Ashura flags in the Jebrael township and other Shiite-populated areas of Herat.

On Wednesday, the Taliban's intelligence agency arrested seven protestors who were demonstrating against the Taliban's prevention of Ashura ceremonies.
Some Herat residents reported that the city has taken on a military atmosphere amid tensions between Ashura mourners and local Taliban officials. These residents warn that the continuous Taliban restrictions on mourning ceremonies could lead to clashes between the people and the Taliban in the city.

Biden emphasised that when the US killed Osama bin Laden, they should have left Afghanistan because no one can unite the country.

The US President added that he has travelled across Afghanistan, including areas with poppy fields and the northern regions.

Biden warned that Israel should not make the "mistake" that the US made in Afghanistan in Gaza. He added that after the Hamas attack on Israel, he visited the country and conveyed to Israeli officials, including Benjamin Netanyahu and his war cabinet, that they should not repeat the US’ mistake in Afghanistan. He added that his message was not to occupy any areas but that the Israelis should go after those who carried out the attack, “even though you may be criticised for it”.

According to the report, 35 of these 61 individuals are members of the Taliban cabinet and senior officials.

The list, published on the UN Security Council's website on Monday, includes names such as Mullah Hassan, the Prime Minister; Abdul Ghani Baradar, the Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs; Abdul Salam Hanafi, the Deputy Prime Minister for Administrative Affairs; and Abdul Kabir, the Deputy Prime Minister for Political Affairs.

Key Taliban cabinet figures such as Amir Khan Muttaqi, the Foreign Minister, and Sirajuddin Haqqani, the Interior Minister, are also included in the list. Recently, Haqqani was able to travel to Saudi Arabia for Hajj pilgrimage and to the UAE for a security conference under a temporary UN Security Council exemption.

Other sanctioned officials include Abdul Haq Wasiq, the powerful Intelligence Chief; Noor Mohammad Saqib, the Minister of Hajj and Religious Affairs; Khairullah Khairkhwa, the Minister of Information and Culture; Noorullah Noori, the Minister of Borders and Tribal Affairs; and Hamidullah Akhund, the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation.

Additionally, ministers such as Din Mohammad Hanif (Economy), Mohammad Esa Thani (Public Works), Najibullah Haqqani (Telecommunications and Information Technology), Hamdullah Nomani (Urban Development and Housing), Abdul Latif Mansur (Energy and Water), Hidayatullah Badri (Mines and Petroleum), and Noor Ahmad Agha, the governor of the Central Bank, are also under UN sanctions.
These individuals are prohibited from traveling outside Afghanistan without Security Council approval, and their assets abroad are frozen.

The UN Sanctions Monitoring Team's mandate was unanimously extended for another year in December 2022 by the 15-member Security Council.
The US ambassador to the UN stated after the vote that the mission aims to ensure Taliban compliance with counter-terrorism measures and human rights, particularly women's rights. The Chinese ambassador highlighted the importance of preventing Afghanistan from becoming a hub for terrorist organisations.

Haqqani Network in Sanctions List

Several members of the Haqqani network also appear on the sanctions list. These include Khalil-ur-Rahman Haqqani, the Minister of Refugees; Yahya Haqqani, brother of Siraj Haqqani; Wali Jan Hamza, the Kabul police chief; Rahmatullah Kakazada, the head of public information at the Interior Ministry; Mohammad Tahir Haqqani, a Haqqani network advisor; Shams-ur-Rahman, a senior advisor to the Interior Minister; and Mohammad Muslim Haqqani, an advisor to the Minister of Refugees.

Yahya Haqqani is also wanted by the US government for his involvement in terrorist activities. The US designated him as an internationally wanted terrorist in 2014, with a $5 million reward for information leading to his capture.

Other Sanctioned Taliban Figures

The 61-person list includes other notable Taliban figures such as Nooruddin Turabi, the head of the Disaster Management Authority; Shahabuddin Delawar, the head of the Afghan Red Crescent Society; Mohammad Zahid, the Deputy Minister of Labour and Social Affairs; Qudratullah Jamal, the Deputy Minister of Commerce and Industry; Jan Mohammad Madani, a financial advisor to Mullah Hibatullah; Sayed Ghayasuddin Agha and Abdul Wali Siddiqui, directors at the Administrative Affairs Office of the Prime Minister.

The list also includes several heads and deputies of independent agencies, such as Shamsuddin Shariati, the head of the Decrees and Orders Monitoring Authority; Ahmad Shahid Khaili, the Deputy Minister of the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice; Ezatullah Haqqani, the Deputy Financial Inspector; Abdul Qadir Haqqani, the Deputy Minister of Finance; Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai, the Deputy Foreign Minister; Saaduddin Saeed, the Deputy Minister of Information and Culture; Ismatullah Asim, the Deputy Mayor of Kabul; Abbas Akhund, the former head of the Disaster Management Authority; Abdul Samad Achakzai, the Helmand Corps Commander; Mohammad Aleem Noorani, the Third Secretary of the Taliban Embassy in Tehran; and Mohammad Rasul Ayub from the Kandahar Borders and Tribal Affairs Department.

Some officials from the Taliban's Ministries of Eduction and Higher Education are also included in the sanctions list. Mohammad Ibrahim Omari, Abdul Baqi Haqqani, and Fazlullah Rabi are higher education officials; Nik Mohammad, the Deputy Director of Vocational Training in Kabul; and Abdul Qodus Mazhari, a Kabul University professor, face global sanctions. They are accused of obstructing women's education.

The list also includes Haji Gul Mohammad, the Governor of Nangarhar, and Zia-ur-Rahman Madani, the Governor of Logar.

Several officials from the Taliban's Ministry of Defence are also sanctioned. These include Fazl Mazlum, the Deputy Defence Minister; Abdul Jabbar Omari and Abdul Rahman Agha, key department heads.

The list also features two prominent businessmen: Abdul Haseeb Alizai, accused of drug trafficking, and Faizullah Khan Noorzai, a businessman. Additionally, Malik Noorzai, the procurement officer for Kandahar province, is under sanctions.
The 26-page report, commissioned by member states, notes that the Sanctions Committee frequently receives requests to lift travel bans on Taliban officials.

Baloch clarified that the plan to repatriate undocumented migrants remains in place and is being implemented systematically and in phases.

On Tuesday, Filippo Grandi, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, had confirmed the suspension of the repatriation plan for Afghans at the end of his three-day visit to Peshawar and Islamabad.

However, two days after Grandi's statement, Baloch responded, "This is not true. It should be noted that no such agreement has been reached between the Government of Pakistan and the UNHCR."

Following his meetings with Pakistani officials, Grandi expressed gratitude in an official statement for the suspension of the "repatriation plan for illegal migrants" and requested assurances from the Pakistani government to halt it.

The Pakistani government officially began the first phase of deporting undocumented Afghans last year. According to officials, 541,000 Afghan migrants were expelled during this phase.

According to official Taliban statements, the second phase of the deportation process aims to return 800,000 undocumented Afghan migrants to Afghanistan.

During his three-day visit to Pakistan, Grandi met with Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar, Minister for Frontier Regions Amir Muqam, and other senior officials.

Grandi called for intensified efforts to find long-term solutions for Afghan refugees and to support the host community.

Following the High Commissioner's visit, the Pakistani Cabinet announced the extension of the stay for 1.45 million Afghan refugees for another year. Under this decision, refugees with "Proof of Registration" (PoR) cards can remain in Pakistan until June 30, 2025.

Restraining Pakistani militants is Islamabad's primary demand from the Afghan Taliban.

Sources from both the Afghan Taliban and Pakistani Taliban have confirmed to Afghanistan International that TTP members are being moved to a camp in Ghazni.

According to the sources, this camp "consists of houses that were originally built for refugees expelled from Pakistan”.

However, they emphasised that the TTP is not confident about this relocation and fears potential airstrikes from Pakistan on the camp.
Sources indicate that if pressure to relocate the Pakistani Taliban intensifies, some members may return to Pakistan.

This news comes as Ishaq Dar announced on Tuesday that he will soon travel to Kabul.

Recently, Pakistan launched a new military operation called Azm-e-Istehkam, "Resolve For Stability" to combat insurgents, including the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

The Taliban have not yet commented on the objectives of the Pakistani Foreign Minister's visit to Kabul. However, sources suggest that one significant development in this context is the establishment of two camps in Ghazni province for TTP members, aimed at minimising the group's activities.

The TTP has claimed responsibility for several deadly attacks in Pakistan over the past three years.

It has been reported that during his visit to Afghanistan and discussions with the Taliban, Ishaq Dar aims to reduce these threats and enhance Pakistan's internal security.

No Pakistani Foreign Minister has visited Afghanistan in nearly three years. The last visit was by Shah Mahmood Qureshi, the Foreign Minister under Imran Khan's government, in October 2021.

Recently, former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan criticised this issue, stating that Pakistan will not succeed in combating terrorism without the support of the Taliban government.