Afghans in Norway Criticise Country's Decision to Close Afghan Embassy

Diplomatic sources have confirmed that Yatimov travelled to Kabul in August, where he held discussions with Taliban officials about strengthening relations between Tajikistan and the Taliban.

Diplomatic sources told Afghanistan International that Yatimov is Tajikistan's highest-ranking intelligence official and visited Kabul on the orders of President Emomali Rahmon.
Upon his return to Dushanbe, Yatimov reportedly described his trip as "productive."

Since the Taliban regained control of Afghanistan, several former Afghan military personnel and political opponents of the group have sought refuge in Tajikistan. Many leaders of the Afghan National Resistance Front currently reside in Tajikistan.

Tajikistan has been critical of the Taliban over the past three years. President Rahmon has expressed concerns that despite their promises, the Taliban remain opposed to forming an inclusive government in Afghanistan. In 2022, Rahmon stated that the Taliban pursues an aggressive, discriminatory policy against various ethnic groups in Afghanistan.

President Rahmon also warned that Afghanistan, particularly its northern provinces, has become a breeding ground for international terrorism.

Additionally, Tajikistan's Interior Minister has accused the Taliban of issuing Afghan passports to more than 3,000 "members of terrorist groups”.

As the activities of ISIS-Khorasan in Afghanistan have increased, Taliban officials have accused neighbouring countries, including Tajikistan, of supporting ISIS.

According to the Ministry of Information and Culture, Khairkhwa is attending the X St. Petersburg International United Cultures Forum, which is being held there.

The ministry stated that the Taliban minister's participation in the event is at the invitation of Russia.

The conference will be held over four days in St. Petersburg, with representatives from regional countries participating.

The United Cultures Forum has announced that the conference will focus on ten key cultural topics, including artificial intelligence in culture and national sovereignty, cultural heritage, tradition and modernity, work culture, media culture, cinema, theatre, and music.

The organisation added that the forum aims to bring together nations and diverse cultures to discuss important cultural issues in a rapidly changing world.

Speaking during a televised programme about the "Regulation of Foreign Nationals" plan, Momeni stated, "Iran cannot handle this volume of migration”.

He added, "The priority is to remove those who have entered illegally and without permission. This is the case worldwide, and migrants must respect the regulations of the host country."

On Monday evening, Momeni blamed Afghan migrants for increasing unemployment in Iran, saying, "Many job opportunities are being snatched”. He expressed hope that Afghan migrants would return to Afghanistan.

Earlier, Momeni had announced that a comprehensive plan to regulate Afghans in Iran would soon be formulated and implemented. He stated, "This complete plan will be implemented with an appropriate strategy, taking regional and neighbourly considerations into account."

The Mehr News Agency reported that last Thursday, during a visit to the Sang Siah neighbourhood in Shiraz, the Iranian Interior Minister emphasised on the need to regulate Afghan migrants in the country.

Momeni, who was recently appointed as the Interior Minister of Iran, had previously announced during a parliamentary session that his first priority would be to expel illegal and undocumented migrants. He has not provided further details about the comprehensive plan for Afghans in Iran.

However, in July, before becoming Interior Minister, Momeni had stated during a session of Iran's National Security and Foreign Policy Committee of the parliament that the solution to preventing the influx of migrants was to close the borders. At the time, he announced that plans would be made to implement this strategy.

In his televised interview, Momeni reiterated the need for a unified closure of the borders, stating that the armed forces had already begun work on sealing the entirety of Iran's borders.

Earlier, Iranian President Massoud Pezeshkian also stressed on the importance of closing the border with Afghanistan during his election campaign.

Since the fall of the previous Afghan government, hundreds of thousands of Afghan citizens have migrated to neighbouring countries, particularly Iran and Pakistan. Over the past three years, both countries have deported hundreds of thousands of Afghan migrants.

In July, the Sharq newspaper reported the arrest of several Afghan teenagers between the ages of 10 and 17, despite them possessing legal documents. The report highlighted the increasingly complex situation regarding the treatment of migrants in Iran.

Quoting social activists, the report noted that while deporting unaccompanied children under 18 and women is illegal, such incidents are still occurring.
A video showing the rough treatment of an Afghan migrant teenager named "Seyed Mehdi" by an Iranian police officer in Damavand was published by Afghanistan International recently too.

The video clip sparked reactions on social media, with users comparing the officer's knee on the teenager's neck to the case of George Floyd, whose death in the United States in 2020 led to widespread protests.

The sources indicated that there have been casualties on both sides, with the use of both light and heavy weapons.

Sources from Khost informed the Pashto section of Afghanistan International that the clashes began around 1pm along the border in Zazai Maidan district.

According to the sources, the clashes erupted after the Taliban began constructing facilities on their own territory, who were then attacked by Pakistani border forces.

This marks the second clash between the Taliban and Pakistani forces in the past three days. On Saturday, September 7, both sides engaged in a serious skirmish at the border in Khost province. While neither the Taliban nor Pakistan officials officially commented on the clash, sources confirmed that at least eight Taliban members were killed, and five people were wounded at a Pakistani security post.

Sources in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa also confirmed Monday's border clash, stating that both sides used heavy weapons.

Reportedly, the Pakistan Air Force was also present in the area.

Local sources in Khost revealed that due to the ongoing clashes over the past few days, many local residents have fled their homes.

The Taliban official emphasised that any books that contradict Hanafi jurisprudence should be removed.

In a statement released on Monday, September 9, the Taliban's Ministry of Education announced that Habibullah Agha conveyed this directive through a video conference with the heads of provincial education departments.

The statement noted, "Books that are in contradiction with the beliefs of Ahl al-Sunnah wa’l-Jama’ah and Hanafi jurisprudence must be collected and their reports sent to ministry’s headquarters."

It also mentioned that the supervision of libraries in various educational institutions across different provinces will commence soon.

While the Taliban have repeatedly claimed to respect all religious sects in Afghanistan, critics argue that the group's ideology is hostile towards those who do not align with their strict interpretation of Islam.

Previously, religious scholars and some followers of the Shia sect of Islam accused the Taliban of violating the rights of Shia Muslims.

In August last year, the Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development stated that the Taliban had restricted the religious freedom and beliefs of Shia Muslims.

Key demands from the Shia Ulema Council of Afghanistan to the Taliban include the recognition of the Jafari school of thought, the teaching of Jafari jurisprudence in universities and schools for Shia students, and meaningful participation of Shia Muslims in governmental positions.

Mohammad Akbari, deputy head of the Shia Ulema Council of Afghanistan, said in March last year that the demands of the Shia community had been communicated both in writing and verbally to the Taliban leadership, but they remain unaddressed.