Deadly Quetta Attack: Pakistan's Defence Minister Points Finger At India, Taliban

According to the statement, these mines include resources such as gold, ruby, lead and zinc, iron, chromite, barite, coal, and raw materials for cement production.

The announcement, made on Sunday through the official X (formerly Twitter) account of the Taliban’s Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs, outlined specific mining locations: gold mines in the Chah Ab district of Takhar and Doshi district of Baghlan; a ruby mine in the Jagdalak district of Kabul; iron mines in the Ghoryan and Pashtun Zarghun districts of Herat; and lead and zinc mines in Tolak district of Ghor province. Plans are also underway for extracting raw materials for cement production in the Jabal al-Saraj district of Parwan, Zinda Jan in Herat, and Shorandam in Kandahar.

The statement did not disclose specific details regarding the types of contracts involved or the planned methods of extraction.

The Taliban administration has faced significant criticism over its handling of economic contracts, particularly due to concerns over transparency and the absence of international oversight.

Critics argue that many of these contracts are awarded without adhering to international standards or comprehensive reviews.

In February, former Afghan President Ashraf Ghani stated that mining contracts granted "secretly" by the Taliban lack international legitimacy. Ghani expressed concerns that it remains unclear for how long these contracts are awarded and how the resulting revenue is being utilised.

The lack of a clear legal framework and adequate oversight, especially for large-scale mining contracts, has raised concerns that these mining activities may be pursued without consideration for Afghanistan’s long-term economic, environmental, and social interests.

According to the report, Kamil recently entered India using a standard passport.

Published on Sunday, the report highlights that Delhi is taking a notable step towards expanding diplomatic relations with the Taliban by potentially accepting an official representative from the group.

The Sunday Guardian noted that the Taliban have proposed Ikramuddin Kamil for the role of Second Secretary at Afghanistan's Mumbai consulate. The report interprets India's possible acceptance of a Taliban diplomat as indicative of Delhi's "pragmatic approach" in engaging with the group, suggesting that formal recognition of the Taliban administration might be a future possibility.

The report states that Kamil earned his doctorate from South Asia University in Delhi. After the Taliban took power, Kamil reportedly returned to Afghanistan and began working with the group's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Sources informed Sunday Guardian that Kamil has re-entered India on a regular passport and is currently stationed at the Afghan consulate in Mumbai. According to the report, he may be issued a diplomatic passport and formally appointed as the Taliban's Second Secretary in Mumbai. Both Kamil and the Taliban’s Foreign Ministry have declined to comment on his proposed appointment.

A senior Taliban official in Kabul described Ikramuddin Kamil as an "intelligent" individual.

Since the Taliban assumed control in Afghanistan, Delhi has been seeking to expand its relations with the group, traditionally aligned with Pakistan. The recent visit of J.P. Singh, head of the Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Iran division within India’s Ministry of External Affairs, to Kabul reflects growing developments in India’s relations with the Taliban. In recent days, J.P. Singh met separately with the Taliban's Ministers of Defence and Foreign Affairs in Kabul, underscoring both parties’ commitment to strengthening bilateral relations.

India has also handed over the Afghan embassy and consulates in Delhi and Mumbai to former Afghan government diplomats now cooperating with the Taliban. Additionally, India has maintained a “technical” team at its embassy in Kabul.

Last year, Sayed Mohammad Ibrahimkhil, the Afghan Consul General in Hyderabad, announced that, at India’s request, he had taken on consular responsibilities for Afghanistan's embassy in Delhi alongside Zakia Wardak, the former Consul General of Afghanistan in Mumbai. Wardak later resigned following reports of over 25 kilograms of gold, valued at more than two million dollars, being smuggled through Mumbai Airport.

This marks the first time the Taliban have been invited to attend a climate-focused event on the international stage. The conference is scheduled to run from 11 to 22 November.

The Taliban’s Environmental Protection Agency has described this conference as a significant opportunity for Afghanistan. According to a statement released by the agency on Sunday, the Taliban delegation plans to discuss avenues for cooperation with the international community on environmental conservation and addressing climate change.

The annual UN climate change conference is regarded as one of the organisation’s most critical events of the year.

Since assuming power in 2021, the Taliban regime remains unrecognised by any country. Despite this, the Taliban have sought to engage in international climate change discussions over the past three years. Taliban officials have stressed that “political issues” should not obstruct their participation in these global forums.

Afghanistan ranks among the world’s most climate-vulnerable nations. Before the Taliban’s rise to power, Afghanistan was a signatory to the 2015 Paris Agreement, committing to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and curb global climate change.

Matiul Haq Khalis, head of the Taliban’s Environmental Protection Agency, emphasised that “climate change should be regarded as a humanitarian issue, unaffected by political considerations.”

According to a report by ISNA, the conference took place at the Islamic Countries Summit Hall in Tehran, organised collaboratively by Iran’s Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance and the Islamic Culture and Relations Organisation.

Iranian media reported that the conference examined “various intellectual and ideological aspects of Hassan Nasrallah’s work, with the aim of providing a model and defining the role of future resistance leaders.”

Hassan Nasrallah was killed in an Israeli airstrike in southern Beirut last month. Senior Taliban officials have since refrained from commenting on the death of Hassan Nasrallah, maintaining public silence on the matter.

Additionally, the Taliban leader has called for the exclusion of “Ahl-e-Hadith” affiliates from government employment, advocating for their dismissal from official roles.

A copy of this directive, obtained by Afghanistan International, reveals that Akhundzada has tasked Taliban intelligence operatives with preventing foreign financial support for Ahl-e-Hadith educational institutions. The order further stresses the need to curb the influence of “non-followers” within government departments.

This directive, issued 20 days ago, followed a report submitted to the Taliban leader by the group’s intelligence service concerning the situation in Kunar.

In the directive, Akhundzada instructs the Taliban’s military courts to investigate and adjudicate claims of murder within their jurisdiction. Furthermore, the order requests the Ministry of Guidance, Hajj, and Endowments to appoint “followers” in institutions associated with Kunar province, replacing Ahl-e-Hadith personnel.

The directive also urges that the General Directorate of Intelligence appoint a “strong and follower” candidate as the head of intelligence in Kunar. Additionally, the Ministry of Education has been asked to establish officially sanctioned seminaries in Kunar, conduct inquiries into non-follower seminaries and their funding sources, and obstruct any foreign financial backing for these organisations.

In a related instruction, the Ministry of Interior has been tasked with reviewing and finalising its organisational structure in Kunar. The directive underscores that Ahl-e-Hadith members should be excluded from Ministry of Interior roles and, if identified, should be removed from their positions.

Local Taliban sources in Kunar informed Afghanistan International that the terms “follower” and “non-follower” are widely used in the region. The Taliban accuse “Ahl-e-Hadith” and Salafi groups of affiliations with ISIS.

According to local sources, these groups have criticised the Taliban for perceived lapses in fully enforcing the Quran and Hadith, accusing the group of blind adherence. The sources further indicated that, in an effort to limit ISIS’s influence, the Taliban have imposed restrictions on the activities of Ahl-e-Hadith seminaries in Kunar.

Kunar remains one of Afghanistan’s provinces with significant Salafi influence. Observers have also accused the Taliban of assassinating prominent Salafi figures in Kabul and eastern Afghanistan in recent years.