Destroyed Over 21,000 Musical Instruments Last Year, Claims Taliban

The Taliban said that these statements are not true and are an attempt to "confuse public opinion”.

The ministry even lambasted Pakistan’s special envoy for Afghanistan Asif Durrani and stated that the threats voiced by Durrani are actually originating from Pakistani soil.

Asif Durrani had previously warned that another 9/11-style attack could emerge from Afghanistan. The Taliban's Foreign Ministry statement read, "The dangers and problems that he [Asif Durrani] has attributed to Afghanistan, in fact, have the possibility of coming from Pakistan."

Zia Ahmad Takal, the Taliban's deputy foreign ministry spokesman, claimed on Tuesday, that the Taliban government has completely suppressed ISIS. "If ISIS hideouts on the other side of the Durand Line are destroyed, the threat of the group can be completely eliminated," he added.

The statement stressed that the issue of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan is an internal matter of Pakistan and requires an internal solution.

The Taliban's deputy spokesman wrote that as a diplomat, Durrani should not make "provocative" statements in the media that harm relations between the two countries. He stressed that the Taliban government has proven its good faith in the past.

A Taliban-affiliated website accused Lemar of using a pseudonym to "incite" people against the Taliban through his writings.

The exact date of Lemar’s arrest remains unclear. Some websites and Taliban-affiliated users claim that 'Abid Lemar' is a pseudonym.

They released an audio recording of a forced confession and a photo of a man named Khitabullah Bangash, who they say is from Laghman and resides in Nangarhar province.

Lemar’s posts were popular among Pashto-speaking users on social media, where he often expressed sharp and sometimes humorous criticism of the Taliban. It appears that the Taliban used technical means to identify his real identity and location.

The Taliban have taken control of Lemar’s Facebook account and have published posts against him.

The Taliban closely monitors social media and have arrested activists from this space. In March, the group arrested Homayun Afghan, a YouTuber, and four of his colleagues in Kabul, although they were later released. However, Hura Sadat did not have the same fate.

A report by Zan Times revealed that contrary to the Taliban's claims, the cause of Hura Sadat's death, a female YouTuber, was not poisoning. According to Zan Times, sources disclosed that Sadat was killed last year due to torture during her detention by the Taliban.

Hura Sadat began her YouTube channel a few months before the Taliban took over the country, gaining popularity with her entertaining video clips. Even after the Taliban returned to power, she continued to bravely produce content, garnering thousands of followers.

Zan Times also disclosed that Sadat and her two sisters were arrested by the Taliban on July 13 last year on charges of "moral corruption”. While they were released on August 10, a friend of the sisters revealed to Zan Times that they had been severely tortured because of their YouTube activities.

This marks the team's second climb of the year.

The group, consisting of 11 men and six women, reached the 5,671-meter summit of Damavand, the tallest volcanic peak in the Middle East, after a two-day ascent.

The climb was conducted under the guidance of Baqer Sharifi and Ahmad Hosseini, with oversight from Mohammad Valizadeh, the head of mountaineering teams for Afghan immigrants in Iran.

The climbers carried the message "Education and sports are the right of Afghan women," underscoring their solidarity with those who have been deprived of these fundamental rights in Afghanistan.

Details about the identities of the Afghan prisoners who were executed have not yet been released.

According to the organisation, five prisoners, including the two Afghans, were executed in Yazd Central Prison on Monday morning.

Hengaw identified two of the executed individuals as 23-year-old Abdolrauf Shahbakhsh and 34-year-old Abdolrahman Damani, both from Zahedan. The identities of the Afghan prisoners are still under investigation.

The organisation reported that one of the Afghan prisoners was executed on charges of "premeditated murder”.

In a separate statement, Hengaw reported that three individuals were executed in Shiraz Central Prison on Saturday. These executions were carried out for drug-related offences and murder.

Information regarding the trial and prison conditions of those executed remains scarce, and it is unclear whether they had access to due process and legal representation.
A recent report by Iran Human Rights revealed

that at least 300 people, including 20 Afghan nationals, have been executed in Iran's prisons during the first seven months of this year.

Karzai highlighted that Afghanistan's future hinges on the education of its youth, particularly girls. His plea comes amid a three-year ban imposed by the Taliban, which has prevented 1.4 million Afghan girls from accessing secondary and higher education, according to the United Nations.

In a message released on Sunday, marking the 105th anniversary of Afghanistan's independence, Karzai reiterated his hope for national unity and development. "Afghanistan is the common home of all Afghans," he stated. "I hope every citizen of this land, with a full sense of ownership and freedom, will have the opportunity to work and contribute to the country's progress."

Karzai also expressed his aspiration for Afghans to come together and pursue national understanding to ensure lasting peace and stability.

This is not the first time Karzai has called for the reopening of schools and universities. Over the past three years, he has consistently raised this issue. Recently, however, the Taliban's deputy prime minister responded with an unusual laugh when questioned by an Ariana News reporter about the possibility of reopening girls' schools.

Despite the Taliban's restrictions on his movements and visits, Karzai has remained in Kabul for the past three years, continuing to advocate for education and national unity.