Men styling themselves God’s soldiers are using sexual violence on captive women to inflict punishment not just on individuals but to intimidate all Afghan women from any role in society.
As the world marks the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, the United Nations has reiterated the need for equal opportunities for women and girls in all scientific and technical fields.
However, this call comes against the backdrop of over 1,000 days of educational deprivation for women and girls in Afghanistan.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, UNESCO, the UN’s educational, scientific, and cultural organisation, highlighted that only one-third of the world’s scientists are women and that many girls face discouragement in pursuing studies in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).
The International Day of Women and Girls in Science, designated by the UN General Assembly, aims to promote and strengthen female participation in STEM education and careers.
While the UN continues to advocate for increased access to scientific fields for women, millions of Afghan girls and women remain barred from education beyond the sixth grade, including higher education at universities.
On this occasion, the ban on education for girls beyond the sixth grade in Afghanistan has reached 1,242 days, while the prohibition on women’s university education has lasted 782 days.
Despite widespread domestic and international condemnation, the Taliban continue to uphold their restrictions on female education, claiming that the current situation in Afghanistan is unsuitable for reopening schools and universities to women and girls.
The prolonged education ban has drawn global criticism, with rights organisations warning of its devastating impact on Afghanistan’s social and economic future. However, efforts to reverse these policies have so far yielded no results.
Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has expressed concern over two unidentified flying objects (UFOs) observed travelling from Afghanistan toward Pakistani territory in July 2024, according to leaked Taliban documents.
The ministry reported that these unidentified aerial objects were detected at an altitude of 1,000 feet, originating from the Mandi area of Afghanistan and moving toward Pakistan.
In a letter to the Taliban embassy in Islamabad, the Pakistani Foreign Ministry stated that on 26 July 2024, two unidentified flying objects were observed crossing the border from Mandi, Afghanistan, into Pakistani airspace at a height of 1,000 feet.
The letter noted that the first object moved towards Watch Tower 12 / Ehsan Tower, and the second object headed in the direction of Rehan Fort.
In addition to the unidentified flying objects, the ministry reported that a vehicle was also spotted moving from the Mandi area of Afghanistan toward Rehan Fort, at a distance of approximately 1.5 to 2 kilometres.
Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs described the incident as a border violation, expressing serious concerns over the breach. The ministry urged the Taliban embassy in Islamabad to relay the information to relevant Taliban authorities for a thorough investigation and to take necessary measures to prevent such occurrences in the future.
In response, Sardar Ahmad Shakib, the chargé d’affaires of the Taliban embassy in Islamabad, formally conveyed Pakistan’s concerns regarding the unidentified flying objects in a letter to the Taliban’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Kabul on 9 September 2024.
Mohammad Reza Bahrami, the former Iranian ambassador to Kabul and a known critic of the Taliban, has been appointed as Director General for South Asia at Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The announcement, reported by IRNA on Tuesday, stated that Bahrami was appointed to the position by Abbas Araghchi, Iran’s Minister of Foreign Affairs.
Bahrami is a seasoned diplomat who has twice served as Iran’s ambassador to Afghanistan. His first term began in the final years of President Mohammad Khatami’s administration (August 2003) and continued until 2007, during the first term of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s government.
According to IRNA, before his departure from Kabul, Hamid Karzai awarded Bahrami the prestigious “Ahmad Shah Massoud” government medal in recognition of his diplomatic contributions.
A decade later, in 2013, Bahrami was reappointed as Iran’s ambassador to Afghanistan, a role he held until November 2019.
Prior to his ambassadorial appointments, Bahrami served as Iran’s Consul General in Jalalabad and Kandahar, further deepening his diplomatic engagement in Afghanistan.
His expertise in Afghan affairs was evident when he accompanied Abbas Araghchi during the Iranian Foreign Minister’s first visit to Afghanistan following the Taliban’s return to power.
As the U.S. President signed an executive order intensifying economic pressure on Iran, the Indian government reaffirmed the significance of Chabahar Port for Delhi’s trade connectivity with Afghanistan and Central Asia.
The new directive from Donald Trump could potentially revoke India’s exemption from U.S. sanctions on Iran, threatening its cooperation in the development of Chabahar Port.
According to The Times of India, the White House has instructed U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio to review or revoke exemptions for countries engaging with Iran, including those related to the Chabahar Port project.
Speaking ahead of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s meeting with Donald Trump, Jaideep Mazumdar, a senior Indian foreign ministry official, emphasised that the development of Chabahar Port aligns with the shared strategic interests of India and Iran.
He stressed that India-Iran relations play a crucial role in enhancing regional connectivity, describing India’s long-term agreement with Iran for Chabahar Port’s development last year as a milestone in bilateral ties. He also underscored the port’s capacity to boost regional trade and its humanitarian significance in facilitating aid to Afghanistan.
During his first term in 2018, Donald Trump had granted Chabahar Port an exemption from U.S. sanctions on Iran, recognising its vital role in Afghanistan’s reconstruction efforts.
However, with the political shift in Afghanistan and Trump’s renewed push to counter Iran’s missile and nuclear programmes, it remains unclear whether the White House will extend this exemption.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to meet Trump in Washington on Thursday, though it is still unknown whether the Chabahar Port issue will be on the agenda.
Chabahar Port provides India with crucial trade opportunities in Afghanistan and Central Asia, while also bypassing Pakistan, offering Afghanistan an alternative and reliable trade route.
Vasily Nebenzya, Russia’s Ambassador to the United Nations, has warned that the rise in ISIS-K activity in Afghanistan is a direct consequence of U.S. weapons left behind following NATO’s withdrawal.
Speaking at a UN Security Council meeting on Monday, Nebenzya criticised the international community for failing to address the issue of terrorist groups acquiring advanced U.S. military equipment.
The Russian envoy argued that the hasty withdrawal of NATO forces from Afghanistan led to a large cache of weapons falling into the hands of ISIS.
Referring to the escalating activities of terrorist groups in Afghanistan, he stressed “The situation in Afghanistan cannot be ignored.”
Nebenzya also accused the United States and its Western allies of globally distributing weapons that ultimately end up in the hands of terrorist organisations. He claimed there is a direct link between the abandoned U.S. weapons in Afghanistan and the increasing ISIS attacks.
Russia is among the few nations publicly expressing concern over militant groups obtaining advanced weaponry left behind by the former Afghan army, which had been supported by the United States.
India has also raised alarms over this issue. Indian security officials recently discovered U.S.-made M4 rifles in the possession of Pakistan-backed insurgents in Jammu and Kashmir.
On 12 November last year, India Today reported that three militants killed in a clash in Akhnoor were found with U.S.-manufactured firearms, prompting an investigation into how these weapons reached from Afghanistan to the region.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump had previously expressed his intention to retrieve American military equipment left in Afghanistan. However, the Taliban has refused to return these weapons, declaring them “spoils of war.”
Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry has also raised concerns about the presence of advanced U.S. weaponry in Afghanistan, warning that such arms pose a direct threat to Pakistan’s security.
On 29 January, Shafqat Ali Khan, spokesperson for Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry, stated that the presence of these weapons remains a serious concern for Pakistan’s national security and the safety of its citizens.
Following a series of ISIS attacks in Iran and Russia, as well as disrupted terror plots in Europe and the U.S., the United Nations Security Council convened on Monday to assess the evolving threat posed by ISIS.
Council members expressed growing alarm over the expansion of ISIS operations, particularly across Asia and Africa, calling for stronger international efforts to curb the group’s resurgence.
