OIC, UK Special Envoys Call For 'Enhanced Engagement With Taliban'

According to sources, Islamabad wants to put pressure on the Taliban's decision-making authority through China to prevent the TTP's operations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The six-member delegation of Chinese diplomats is scheduled to meet with Mullah Shirin, the Taliban's governor in Kandahar.

A reliable source told Afghanistan International that the delegation arrived in Kandahar on Monday (November 26) and first met with Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid. "The delegation will meet with (Mawlawi Shirin), the governor of Kandahar. The main topic of this meeting is the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP)," said the source.

According to the source, the Chinese delegation wants to meet with Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada and share Islamabad and Beijing's concerns about the Pakistani Taliban, but the Taliban leader does not want to meet with the delegation.

The Taliban has not yet commented on the delegation's visit to Kandahar.

The Chinese delegation, headed by the country's special representative for Afghanistan affairs, recently held talks with the Taliban's defence and interior ministers in Kabul. It is said that the visit of the Chinese delegation to Kandahar was arranged by Mullah Yaqoob, the Taliban's defence minister.

Recently, Yue Xiaoyong, China's special envoy for Afghanistan, traveled to Islamabad and then to Kabul, where he met with Taliban officials and emphasised on the need to improve relations between Kabul, Islamabad and Beijing.

Pakistani media reported that Islamabad had shared "convincing evidence" about the sanctuaries of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and other groups on Afghan soil with China's special envoy for Afghanistan.

Recent attacks by Baloch separatists on Chinese and Pakistani targets in more than 10 districts of Balochistan, Karachi and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has Pakistan concerned about the cooperation of TTP militants and Baloch separatists. Pakistani officials believe the recent attacks by Baloch separatists are different from the group's previous attacks and are deadlier than its traditional war tactics decades ago.

"It seems that Islamabad, through the Chinese, wants to encourage the leadership and decision-making authority of the Taliban government to prevent the expansion of Pakistani militants' operations in the tribal areas during the army's operations against Baloch separatists in Balochistan," a source familiar with Balochistan affairs told Afghanistan International.

The Pakistani military is concerned that if an operation is launched against Baloch militants in Balochistan, the Pakistani Taliban and other armed groups will increase their attacks in Waziristan and the tribal areas to seize these areas.

According to the source, in August 2022, after the assassination of Pakistani Taliban commander Aftabullah Dawar, who was known as Yasser Tipaki, Pakistani security agencies paid more attention to Kandahar and Nimroz. The Gul Bahadur Group (TTP) has said that the ISI was involved in the assassination of the group's commander.

In an open letter, 158 French senators have also called for the recognition of gender apartheid in Afghanistan.

Roberta Metsola of the European Parliament and Yaël Braun-Pivet of France; Nancy Pelosi, former Speaker of the US House of Representatives; Francina Armengol of Spain, and Carolina Siqueira of Angola are among the authors of this article.

The article reads in part, "Afghanistan today is the only country that has banned the education of girls over the age of 12 and women. Young Afghan girls should not be deprived of their universal and fundamental rights."

These women have considered the Taliban's latest decree banning women's voices as "the last nail in the coffin of women's freedoms”. The article added that according to the decree, women are prohibited from leaving the house without a male escort, their voices cannot be heard in public places, or even read poetry. In the article, female politicians ask, "What is their crime? Being a woman. What is their sin?"

In their article, the speakers of the parliaments of 20 countries pledged that they will not leave Afghan women alone.

Meanwhile, on the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women on November 25, 158 French senators on Monday expressed concern over the situation of women in Afghanistan and condemned "gender apartheid" against them.

In an open letter published on the initiative of Dominique Vérien, the head of the French Senate's delegation of women's rights, they wrote that Afghan women have been deprived of all their rights under the rule of an "authoritarian regime".

In their letter, the senators called the Taliban's actions against women in Afghanistan a "gender-based crime against humanity" and condemned it.

In their letter to the international community and the United Nations, the 158 senators wrote that "the Taliban have carried out the first gender apartheid in modern human history before our eyes”.

In another part of the letter, it is stated that "Afghan women, who have been deprived of their faces, are now deprived of even having a voice and do not have the right to have their voices heard”.

The senators called on all political groups in the French parliament and the United Nations to "in no way legitimise an institutionalised system of repression that leads to the exclusion of women”.

They also called on other European countries to recognise the persecution of women as a "gender-based crime against humanity".

Human rights activists said that the Taliban has established gender apartheid in Afghanistan by imposing sweeping restrictions on women and banning women's education and work.

Human rights organisations have considered the Taliban's actions against Afghan women as a clear example of gender discrimination.

Women in Afghanistan under the Taliban's rule are not allowed to go to parks, sports clubs, and beauty salons, and are not allowed to leave the house without a male companion.

According to the report, the Taliban confirmed the jamming of broadcasts of the Afghanistan International Network satellite and called the activities of the exiled media "illegal”.

A UNAMA report released on Tuesday (November 26) said that the Taliban had violated freedom of expression and media by interfering in the content of domestic media broadcasts and activities.

‘Detention And Torture Of Journalists’

UNAMA said that during the three years of the Taliban's rule in Afghanistan, it has recorded human rights violations that have affected 336 journalists and media workers.

UNAMA said that the Taliban had arbitrarily detained 249 journalists during this period. The United Nations has also documented 130 cases of torture and ill-treatment and 75 cases of threats against journalists.

According to the UNAMA report, before the Taliban's takeover of Afghanistan, about 543 media outlets and 10,790 media workers were active in the country, but only three months after the group's takeover, 43% of media outlets were blocked and the number of media workers was reduced to 4,360.

In the report, which examined the situation and media freedom in Afghanistan from 15 August 2021 to September 2024, UNAMA admitted that some human rights violations were not included in the report due to lack of verification. The United Nations has said that the violations of human rights and freedom of expression may be higher.

The report shows that the Taliban's Law for the Promotion of Virtue has had a negative impact on the activities of media and journalists, and has imposed restrictions on the content of publications, the clothing of women journalists, and the publication of images and photos.

UNAMA also said that the Taliban considers the activities of Afghan media in exile "illegal", which has led to severe restrictions on the internal staff of these media outlets in Afghanistan.

Referring to the Taliban's jamming of the broadcasts of Afghanistan International satellite, UNAMA said that the group has also imposed restrictions on other exiled media outlets in Afghanistan.

According to the UNAMA report, in addition to the Taliban's Ministry of Information and Culture, the Taliban's Ministry of Virtue and Intelligence Directorate also interfered in the work of the media. UNAMA has confirmed that the Media and Access to Information Law is under "Sharia-compliant" review.

The report also shows that the members of the Commission to Investigate Media Violations are mainly members of the Taliban, including the group's Intelligence Directorate and the Ministry of Virtue Promotion, and that no women are members of the commission.

UNAMA has published the Taliban's reaction in the appendix to its report. The Taliban's Foreign Ministry has said that broadcasting media from abroad should be legal for the people of Afghanistan. The group said that most of the media that currently broadcast from abroad do not have a licence from the group's Ministry of Information and Culture. The Taliban said that these media outlets are "considered illegal and their activities are prohibited”.

The Taliban has denied any violations of the rights of journalists and media.

UNAMA has called on the Taliban to refrain from threatening and arbitrarily detaining journalists and to lift restrictive measures against women journalists.

In recent months, the Taliban government has tried to disrupt Afghanistan International's satellite broadcasts by sending extensive disruptive frequencies. Afghanistan International called the attack a violation of press freedom and introduced a new satellite frequency to ensure its audience's continued access to free news and information.

As per its new report, UNAMA stated that it recorded 256 instances of arbitrary arrest and detention (249 men, seven women), 130 torture and ill-treatment (122 men, eight women) and 75 threats or intimidation (66 men, nine women) against media workers.

Women journalists and media workers were found to face particularly restrictive and discriminatory measures affecting their ability to undertake their professional work.

UNAMA stated in its report that Taliban authorities’ measures interfering with editorial content and internal operation of media outlets have substantially diminished media freedom. It asked the group to rescind and replace policies that restrict freedom of expression.

UNAMA asked the Taliban to refrain from the use of threats and intimidation, arbitrary arrests and detentions as well as court proceedings and imprisonment as a means to influence the independence of media outlets and their editorial content.

“For any country a free press is not a choice, but a necessity. Journalists and media workers in Afghanistan work under challenging conditions. They often face unclear rules on what they can and cannot report, running the risk of intimidation and arbitrary detention for perceived criticism,” said Roza Otunbayeva, Special Representative of the Secretary-General and head of UNAMA.

The report emphasised that the lack of transparent procedures in determining violations and the use of intimidation, arbitrary arrests and detentions on those who criticise the group create a culture of self-censorship and negatively impact freedom of expression.

As per the report, media outlets are often required to co-ordinate and seek approval from the de facto authorities prior to publishing a report, while news agendas are subjected to pre-vetting, which is tantamount to censorship.

UNAMA highlighted how media outlets are subject to a range of restrictions on their operations. They include a prohibition on broadcasting music or movies deemed against Sharia (including those showing women).

The report also explained how at offices of media outlets, men and women must work in segregated workspaces, and male and female broadcasters must not appear in a programme together. In some provinces, women are not allowed to call into radio programmes, with an exception for those on health or religious issues concerning women.

UNAMA stated that the publication of the Law on Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice codified restrictions already in place, expanded on existing ones and added new restrictions, which includes the prohibition to create or display images of living beings, the voice of women is now considered private and should be concealed outside of a woman’s home, and drivers are not allowed to provide transportation to women without a mahram (male guardian).

‘Foreign media outlets’

The report stressed that some Afghan media outlets, while relocating their operations to outside Afghanistan after 15 August 2021, continue to produce media content for an audience inside Afghanistan. However, as per the report, these “media-in-exile” or “diaspora media” are considered by the Taliban to be operating illegally, which makes journalists working in the country for these outlets particularly vulnerable to arbitrary arrests and detentions.

‘Restrictions on women’

In addition to instructions that apply to all media workers, female journalists are subjected to additional restrictions on women in general. As per the report, in various instances, women are required to obtain an additional permission letter to access reporting sites, a procedure which is not always required for male journalists. UNAMA also noted instances when female journalists were not invited or not allowed to attend press conferences. Officials of the de facto authorities regularly refuse to be interviewed by a woman.

‘Main authority’

The report noted that even though the Taliban’s Ministry of Information and Culture is the main entity overseeing media issues in Afghanistan, however, the General Directorate of Intelligence and the Taliban’s Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice are frequently observed to be involved in media related matters.

The United Nations body in its report stressed that after 15 August 2021 when the Taliban took over the country, a large number of media outlets ceased their operations. This has been attributed to different factors, including loss of revenue stemming from the overall economic difficulties of the country, the withdrawal of donor support after the Taliban takeover, an exodus of journalists, as well as various restrictions imposed by the Taliban authorities.

It stated that the Taliban continues to create an extremely challenging operating environment for media, including but not limited to censorship and difficulties in accessing information.

As per UNAMA data, shortly before the Taliban takeover on 15 August 2021, Afghanistan had approximately 543 media outlets employing approximately 10,790 media workers. However, by November 2021, 43% of these outlets were closed, with only 4,360 media workers remaining.

Reportedly, more than 84% of female media workers lost their jobs in the media sector soon after the takeover.

Nevertheless, the report stressed that despite the challenges, by the end of 2023, the number of male journalists increased by 10% and female journalists by 17% as compared to 2022.

The United Nations body stated that freedom of expression is a necessary condition for the realization of the principles of transparency and accountability, which are essential for the promotion, protection and fulfilment of human rights.

It stated that while the Taliban has reiterated their commitment for media to operate freely, UNAMA has documented measures and incidents since its takeover that are contrary to Afghanistan’s human rights obligations.

UNAMA called on the Taliban to ensure that the laws on media and access to information, as well as measures against defamation and misinformation, meet international human rights standards on protecting the right of freedom of expression, with guarantee of an independent media sector.

It also stated that experts, media outlets, media support organisations and other relevant stakeholders should be consulted and involved in the drafting of laws affecting the media sector.

It also sought lifting of restrictive and discriminatory measures against female journalists and media workers and asked the Taliban to take steps to improve safety and security of journalists and media workers in performing their work, and to ensure they have access to information without fear of reprisal or attack.

It also asked the international community to continue advocacy with the Taliban on the importance of freedom of expression and provide technical and financial support to the media sector in Afghanistan.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk said the findings of the report are very concerning, and called on the de facto authorities to bring its measures into line with Afghanistan’s commitments under international law, including the cornerstone International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

Most of the detainees are members of the Haqqani group and were active in Afghanistan's border districts.

In the most recent case, the Taliban arrested Eid Mohammad Sangari, one of the group's well-known commanders, in Ismail Khel district of Khost province.

A source close to Sangari told Afghanistan International that he had recently joined the ranks of the Pakistani Taliban and had returned after fighting in Waziristan, Pakistan.

"He used to be the commander of a group in Nadir Shah Kot District of Khost Province, but recently he was unemployed and joined the Pakistani Taliban," the source said.

The Taliban commander played an important role in the wars with the forces of the former Afghan government and NATO, in the districts of Ismail Khel-Mandozai and Nadir Shah Kot.

Eid Mohammad Sangari has been accused of selling weapons related to the Taliban administration and participating in the fights between Pakistani militants and Pakistani security forces.

However, sources close to the Taliban commander say that "many Taliban commanders have joined the ranks of Pakistani militants like Sangari due to the Taliban's refusal to perform their duties”.

In the past two weeks, the Taliban’s intelligence agency has arrested a number of Taliban fighters who were cooperating with the TTP against the Pakistani army in Paktia and Paktika provinces and sent them to Pul-e-Charkhi prison in Kabul. Some of the militants were arrested in the Gomal border district of Paktika province.

A source close to the TTP told Afghanistan International that the group "pays 14,000 afghanis a month for rent and expenses for their families". "These fighters also have health insurance," the source said.

The Taliban has banned the participation of its fighters and commanders in the battles of the TTP. If they join the ranks of the Pakistani Taliban, they are "imprisoned for three to six months".

According to Afghanistan International sources, former Taliban fighters and commanders in Logar provinces, Maidan Wardak, Khost, Paktia, Paktika, Ghazni, Kunduz and Baghlan provinces who have not been given jobs in the group's government have joined the ranks of the Pakistani Taliban, which has caused concern for the Taliban.