Taliban's Energy Minister Discusses 'Handover' of Arghandi Substation With Indian Company

Akhundzada travelled to Faryab following his recent visit to Badghis province. During his meeting with Taliban officials, Akhundzada emphasised the importance of implementing Sharia law, ensuring the safety of citizens, and promoting proper education.

He urged officials to "avoid arrogance, embrace piety, and support the families of martyrs, the wounded, and the disabled who stood by you during difficult times."

The report did not specify whether Akhundzada remains in Faryab or has moved on to another location.

Earlier, Taliban-controlled Radio Television Afghanistan (RTA) reported that Akhundzada visited Badghis province on Thursday, but the Taliban delayed announcing his visit by two days, which some analysts attribute to security concerns.

Critics have noted that the Taliban leader remains largely hidden from the public, with limited information on the provinces he has visited. Afghan media are prohibited from covering Akhundzada's movements.

Over the past three years, the Taliban have enforced Sharia law under the pretext of "implementing Sharia punishments," which include severe measures such as flogging and executions for various crimes.

Human rights organisations and international bodies have condemned these practices, arguing that they violate international human rights standards and have detrimental effects on society.

Gerhard Karner, Austria's Interior Minister, described Germany's decision as "very good" and confirmed that negotiations are underway with Germany to facilitate the deportation of "criminal" Afghans.

The Austrian federal government stated that the country's Interior Ministry is in discussions with Germany's Interior Ministry to arrange the direct return of Afghan asylum seekers deemed "criminal" to Afghanistan.

On Friday, Karner mentioned that deporting asylum seekers to Afghanistan is now possible and that he has long advocated for this measure. He expressed his satisfaction with the development.

Karner also noted that the presence of a terrorist regime in Afghanistan was the reason for the suspension of deportations. He added that, because of this situation, efforts are being made in close cooperation with regional partners to facilitate the direct return of criminal asylum seekers to Kabul.

Previously, Austria's Migration and Asylum Office had announced that deportations to Afghanistan would be permitted on a case-by-case basis due to changing security conditions.

In March, Karner called for a review of the EU-wide ban on deporting asylum seekers to Afghanistan and Syria, emphasising that such action is necessary and urgent.

At that time in Brussels, Karner stated that returning individuals to countries such as Syria or Afghanistan was currently not permissible due to violations of EU laws. He also called for a reassessment of the possibility of deporting asylum seekers from EU countries to these nations.

On Friday, Germany announced that it had deported 28 "criminal" Afghan asylum seekers on a charter flight to Kabul. German officials confirmed that this is the first group of asylum seekers to be returned to Afghanistan since the Taliban's takeover.

It is unclear what charges these women are being held on.

The Taliban's laws severely restrict the presence of women in public life and have criminalised some normal behaviours, such as women’s voices being heard.

Taliban officials reported that nearly 11,000 people have been sentenced to prison, and an additional 10,000 to 12,000 individuals are being held in detention centres under the group’s control.

According to the report, around 150 foreign nationals are also imprisoned by the Taliban.

During the presentation of the administration’s annual report, the Taliban denied allegations of physical and psychological torture of prisoners.

Habibullah Badr, the Deputy Director of Military Affairs for the Taliban's Prison Authority, said, "If anyone doubts this, the doors of the prison administration are open to everyone, and they can meet with any detainee or prisoner."

The Taliban’s denial of prisoner torture comes after sources confirmed to Afghanistan International that 87 people have died due to torture in Taliban intelligence prisons over the past three years.

According to these sources, prisoners in Taliban jails have been killed using various methods, including electric shocks, suffocation, drowning, and sexual organ torture.

The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) has previously reported multiple times that the Taliban have imprisoned and tortured soldiers and former government employees. Several reports indicate that some of these individuals have died as a result of this torture. However, the Taliban have consistently denied these allegations.

A spokesperson told Fox News that after 44 years of continuous war, the US does not wish to see a resurgence of violence in the country, emphasising that the Afghan people themselves do not want the conflict to continue.

In contrast, Michael McCaul, Chairman of the US House Foreign Affairs Committee, has voiced support for the National Resistance Front’s (NRF) efforts against the Taliban. McCaul announced plans to meet with Ahmad Massoud, the leader of the NRF, in the near future.

Ali Maisam Nazary, Head of Foreign Relations for the NRF, who is currently in the US, has called for American backing in their armed resistance against the Taliban. Speaking to Fox News, Nazary stated, "We believe that with minimal support, we will be able to defeat terrorism within Afghanistan."

He further highlighted that the NRF is composed of former Afghan security forces, trained by US and international forces over the past 20 years to combat terrorism. "We have the most capable units that can fight terrorists, and we have done this for three years without any support," he added.

Fox News reported on Saturday that, amid numerous global crises and the upcoming US presidential election, it appears unlikely that the US government will prioritise discussions on Afghanistan, three years after the withdrawal. The report also noted that resistance against the Taliban continues to be largely overlooked by the US and other Western nations.

Last year, the British Foreign Office declared that it does not support violent efforts to overthrow the Taliban regime, viewing such actions as not beneficial for Afghanistan. Instead, the UK emphasised the need for pragmatic engagement with the Taliban administration as the only viable alternative.

The Afghanistan Freedom Front (AFF) and the National Resistance Front (NRF), two military and political movements formed after the Taliban's return to power, have engaged in armed conflict against the group.

Over the past three years, these fronts have organised various attacks against the Taliban across different regions of Afghanistan.

According to a United Nations Security Council report, the Taliban, contrary to their commitments, have provided havens for terrorist groups, including Al-Qaeda, to operate within Afghanistan. The report notes that Al-Qaeda has reestablished its bases in several Afghan provinces.

In an article published on Sunday, September 1st, the newspaper expressed concerns that the groundwork laid by Iran's previous twelfth government, and further facilitated by the thirteenth, has allowed the Taliban to gain a significant foothold in the country.

The article notes that the thirteenth government provided the Taliban with extensive support, including handing over the Afghan embassy in Tehran and the consulate in Mashhad to the group, inviting Taliban representatives to official meetings, and allowing unregulated entry of Afghan nationals into Iran. This transfer of diplomatic facilities to the Taliban took place in February 2023 for the embassy and in July 2024 for the consulate.

Jomhouri-e Eslami cautioned that the Taliban, leveraging the support and resources they have received, could infiltrate tens of thousands of their trained members into Iran, establishing them in various regions across the country. The article alleges that these infiltrated Taliban members are armed and have already been involved in numerous criminal activities in both cities and villages within Iran.

The newspaper also suggested that some of the perpetrators behind recent explosions and assassinations, such as those in Kerman, Mashhad, and Shah Cheragh in Shiraz, were Taliban members. However, it claims that Iranian authorities have not disclosed these connections due to misplaced considerations.

Criticising both the twelfth and thirteenth Iranian governments, Jomhouri-e Eslami emphasised that the Taliban view the people of Iran as infidels and believe that killing them is a religious obligation.

The article further highlighted that the Taliban have shown no respect for Iran's legal rights, including those related to the Helmand water dispute, border regulations, and the activities of cultural and humanitarian iran orgnisations in Afghanistan. Additionally, it accused the Taliban of oppressing Persian speakers and Shia Muslims within Afghanistan.

Despite not officially recognising the Taliban, Iran has maintained extensive diplomatic and economic relations with the group. Over the past three years, numerous meetings between Taliban officials and Iranian representatives have taken place in Tehran and Kabul.

Jomhouri-e Eslami expressed concerns that the Iranian public fears a repeat of the historical era of Mahmoud Afghan under the Taliban's influence.

The article added that all of Afghanistan's neighbouring countries have experienced increased insecurity since the Taliban's takeover, with the group recruiting from these countries and contributing to regional instability.

The newspaper concluded by urging Iran's fourteenth government to take decisive action using political leverage to counter this threat. It also recommended an urgent and serious reassessment of the officials at Iran's embassy in Kabul.