Taliban Has Turned Afghanistan Into Islamic North Korea, Says Former French Ambassador

This is the latest move by the Taliban to curb the pressure instigated after the cut off of US aid to Afghanistan.

Three employees of various government departments of the Taliban have informed Afghanistan International that the authorities have officially informed them that their salaries will not be paid in the next three months.

The Taliban has also banned logistical procurement.

Immediately after entering the White House, US President Donald Trump suspended all foreign aid, including sending money to Afghanistan, for three months.

The suspension of US aid has disrupted Afghanistan's relative economic stability, leaving the Taliban confused in the face of financial challenges, including a sharp devaluation of the Afghani.

The US State Department said on Sunday that the US government should focus more on its national interests.

"President Trump has made it clear that if foreign aid does not benefit the American people, the country will no longer blindly distribute money," the department's statement said. "Reviewing foreign aid is a moral duty of the government."

Abdul Latif Nazari, the Taliban's deputy minister of economy, said that following the suspension of US aid to Afghanistan, the activities of 50 international aid organisations in 28 provinces of the country have been suspended. Abdul Latif Nazari called on the countries of the world to separate humanitarian aid from political issues.

He said that the reason for the halt of the work of these organisations was the suspension of aid from the United States of America.

The suspension of US aid has caused volatility in Afghanistan's foreign exchange market.

Until recently, one dollar was traded at 69 afghanis in the Kabul foreign exchange market, but now one dollar has crossed the 80 afghani mark.

The Taliban's prime minister's office said in a statement, "No one can transfer more than $5,000 through airports and more than $500 through land borders."
The Taliban has also banned the entry of foreign currencies into Afghanistan and banned the transfer of dollars abroad.

The Taliban has also once again emphasised on preventing the smuggling of currency, gold, and historical artifacts.

In a statement issued by the Taliban's Prime Minister's Office on Monday, January 27, it was stated that violators will be imprisoned from 10 days to one year, depending on the amount of foreign currency transfers.

According to this order, the transfer of $1 million is considered to be one year in prison, and for lesser amounts, for every $100,000, one month in prison.

The statement also said that the money and gold seized from the "violators" will be kept in the Central Bank of Afghanistan until the Prime Minister's decision is made.
In recent days, with the sharp decline in the value of the Afghani currency against the dollar, the Central Bank offered millions of dollars to the market, and the group also closed the foreign exchange markets to control the price.

However, the value of the Afghani currency continues to depreciate against the dollar.

After the suspension of US aid, the dollar against the Afghani crossed the 80 Afghani mark.

This comes as a while ago, one dollar was traded at 69 afghanis in the Kabul foreign exchange market.

Araghchi added that given the challenges in Afghanistan, dialogue and interaction with the Taliban are necessary.

Abbas Araghchi had travelled to Kabul on Sunday morning, January 26, along with a political and economic delegation, and met with the Taliban's prime minister, foreign, and defence ministers.

This was the first visit of the Islamic Republic's foreign minister to Kabul since the Taliban's return to power in August 2021.

In a meeting with Taliban officials, Araghchi stressed that a new chapter in relations between the Islamic Republic and Afghanistan will begin.

After his visit to Kabul, Abbas Araghchi called the Persian speakers rights, border security, security inside Afghanistan, security of Shiites, security of merchants, narcotics, terrorist groups and ISIS "very important challenges".

The Islamic Republic's domestic media reported on Wednesday, January 29, that Abbas Araghchi told reporters on the sidelines of the cabinet meeting, "Our national interests are tied to these issues, and it is natural that we should have dialogue and interaction."

The Foreign Minister added that regardless of the level of Iran's relations with Afghanistan politically and whether the necessary identification has been made or not, resolving these issues through dialogue and diplomacy is a necessity.

The Jomhouri-e Eslami newspaper, however, criticised Araghchi's visit to Afghanistan, calling the Taliban a "backward" group. The newspaper referred to the Taliban as a "rebellious, violent, and backward" group that lacks domestic legitimacy and acceptance.

Amid the criticism, the Islamic Republic's ambassador to Afghanistan announced that Abbas Araghchi's visit to Kabul does not mean recognition of the Taliban government.

Earlier, in a meeting in Kabul, the two clerics strongly criticised the Taliban's monopoly of power, especially the Kandahar Taliban faction, and called for the formation of an inclusive government.

The Council for the Support of Jihadi and Islamic Values held a conference in Kabul on Monday, January 27. Mahmood Hassan, a member of the council and former head of the Hajj and Religious Affairs Department in Panjshir province, said at the meeting that the Taliban had monopolised power. He emphasised that in addition to Mullah Hibatullah Akhundzada, 12 Taliban cabinet ministers are from Kandahar province.

Sources said that the Taliban's intelligence agency arrested the two clerics on Tuesday, January 28.

In contact with his family, Mahmood Hassan confirmed that he is in Taliban custody.

Relatives of Qant also told Afghanistan International that the Taliban had arrested him.

Mahmood Hassan had strongly urged Taliban leaders not to confine power to Kandahar. He called on the Taliban to end the monopoly of power and include representatives of other provinces and ethnic groups in power.

The council member said, "We heard that 12 ministers, including Amir al-Momineen Mullah Hibatullah Akhundzada, are from Kandahar. This is not justice. This is not fairness and equality. Give power to the tribes and people of Afghanistan in the true sense of the word, whether it is a ministry, a directorate or an administration."

Abdul Qadir Qant, another member of the council, was also present at the ceremony. He is from Chal district of Takhar province, and was previously arrested by the Taliban.

Their criticism of the Taliban has been widely welcomed by users on social media.

These areas include Karizgi, Kata Sang, Tanaucha, Qasim Kali, and Surkh Bid in Shah Wali Kot district, which are more than 100 kilometres from the Pakistani border.

Speaking to local sources, Afghanistan International has learned that the entry of ordinary people into these villages has been banned, but large vehicles are plying in these areas for construction. Local residents have confirmed that non-locals live in these areas with their families.

Locals claim that the behaviour, dressing style, and even language of these people is different from those of the indigenous people. A local elder in Shah Wali Kot told Afghanistan International, "These people have been here for a long time. They have nothing to do with ordinary people and do not talk to anyone. They have different faces, they all have long hair and speak different accents among themselves."

Drivers on the Kandahar-Uruzgan highway also said that sometimes these unidentified armed individuals appear on the side of the highway. "These unknown people block the road with chains every week or every two weeks and take money from people," said Azizullah, one of the drivers on the route. These fighters are monitoring vehicles and people, he added.

With the Taliban's return to power in August 2021, Pakistani militants have emerged in areas that have been the battlegrounds for the past twenty years. Afghan Taliban leaders and fighters, who took refuge in the tribal areas during the war with the Afghan government and NATO forces, have now returned to their areas, bringing with them their "former and current guests" of Pakistan.

Pakistani militants who fought alongside the Haqqani Network in Paktia consider Khost, Paktia and Paktika to be safe areas for their presence. However, those who took part in the major battles in Kandahar have settled in this province sporadically.

The militants are now clashing with Pakistani security forces and have carried out bloody attacks in the country.

Khalid Pashtoon, a former Kandahar MP in Afghanistan's parliament, told Afghanistan International that TTP militants and their commanders live with their families in Nish District in addition to Shah Wali Kot.

"These militants have been transferred to areas far beyond the Durand Line at the request and pressure of Pakistan," he added. This area is the best place to live and hide. "TTP members have been deployed in the area only to protect the safety of their families, while their young fighters continue to go to the Durand Line and participate in battles with the help, equipping and guidance of the Afghan Taliban," sources said.

In May 2022, Pakistan called on the Taliban to remove Pakistani militants from the border between the two countries. Then, Islamabad sent Chinese diplomats to Kandahar and tried to inform Mullah Hibatullah Akhundzada about the sensitivity of this issue. The Taliban also took note of this issue and offered two areas in Afghanistan to Pakistani fighters: one in the north and the other in the south.

Afghanistan International's findings show that the Haqqani group was trying to transfer Pakistani fighters and their families to northern Afghanistan, especially around the Qosh Tapa Canal, and to hand over the canal's land to them. However, the attempt failed due to opposition from local residents, and TTP fighters refused to go there.

‘Shah Wali Kot: A Strategic Point’

Ultimately, the Taliban accommodated the militants and their families in Shah Wali Kot in Kandahar, which is considered a hotspot due to its geographical location. In addition to access to other districts of Kandahar, this district also has access to Zabul, Uruzgan, Helmand, Daikundi, and Ghazni provinces.

These shelters were not a problem for Pakistan until some time ago. However, with the start of TTP's activities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan and the acquisition of advanced weapons by Baloch militants, the country has now realised the sensitivity of this region as well.

In late December 2024, Pakistan's former special representative for Afghanistan implicitly confirmed in an interview that the TTP's hideouts are located in Kandahar.

‘Mir Ali's Agreement & Afghan Taliban's Commitment’

The deep religious beliefs, family ties and historical connections that developed during the Afghan war have created a deep bond between the Afghan and Pakistani Taliban. Sources among the Pakistani Taliban told Afghanistan International that Pakistani militants have an agreement with the Afghan Taliban called "Mir Ali", which was signed before the fall of Kabul in the Mir Ali area of North Waziristan.

In this agreement, the Afghan Taliban have pledged to cooperate with the Pakistani Taliban to establish an Islamic system in Pakistan after coming to power.

"The Afghan Taliban's assistance to the TTP is based on the mutual cooperation and commitments that have been made between them during the 20 years of war in Afghanistan," Khalid Pashtoon said about the link.

In recent months, the bodies of the Afghan Taliban have been transferred from Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to the southern provinces and even Farah and Badghis and handed over to their families, he added. The militants were killed in clashes with Pakistani forces.

Gen. Sami Sadat, a former army commander, told Afghanistan International, "The Afghan Taliban are helping the TTP with military and financial equipment. Some of them even join the TTP and are killed in battles."

‘Difficult Position’

The Afghan Taliban, who enjoyed broad support from Pakistan during their two decades of war against the previous government, are in a difficult position. The Taliban does not want to lose Pakistan's support, as many Afghan Taliban leaders and families are still based in Pakistan and can return to their sanctuaries in Pakistan in case of any crisis in Afghanistan.

Now, Pakistan has repeatedly called for a crackdown on and curbs on the activities of Pakistani militants in Afghanistan. However, if the Afghan Taliban contain the Pakistani Taliban, on the one hand, it will lose its most important allies, and on the other hand, there will be discord among the Afghan Taliban.

In addition to Pakistan's pressures, the Afghan Taliban is also facing international criticism and pressure. In the Doha agreement that the Taliban signed with the United States in 2020, the group pledged not to allow Afghan soil to be used as a base for militant attacks on other countries, including Pakistan. However, the Afghan Taliban's support for the TTP and similar groups has called into question this commitment and raised global concerns.

If the Taliban fail to strike a balance between their relations with the militants and the expectations of Pakistan and the international community, it could have dire consequences for the group, analysts say.

One concern is that Pakistan and other countries are helping to topple the Taliban government, which is suffering from discord, lack of resources and international isolation.

Pakistani officials have recently accused the Afghan Taliban of colluding with India. In the past, close ties between Kabul and Delhi have led Pakistan to support Afghan insurgents against the central government.

If insurgent attacks from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province spread to other parts of Pakistan and cause widespread unrest in the country, it is not unlikely that Pakistan will take advantage of the old scenario to fend off the threat of the Afghan Taliban.

Distrust between the two longtime allies has grown. Now, the Afghan Taliban feel that Islamabad supports ISIS, and anti-Pakistan sentiment has intensified among Taliban officials.