CPJ Urges Taliban to Lift Ban on Political Programmes in Afghan Media

Afshin stated that technology projects will transform Iran and Afghanistan into a shared scientific ecosystem, describing Afghan elites as a valuable opportunity to build a joint scientific and technological network with Iran.

Meanwhile, Hossein Rouzbeh, Head of the Iranian Organisation for the Development of International Scientific and Technological Cooperation, highlighted the possibility of registering Afghan knowledge enterprises in Iran under the same criteria as their Iranian counterparts. He explained that in Iran, companies must meet specific standards and obtain scientific qualifications to be recognised as knowledge enterprises.

According to ISNA, Rouzbeh added that the scientific and technological potential of Afghan migrants and students studying in Iranian universities is a reliable resource. He further stated that his organisation aims to leverage these capacities, export Iran’s innovation and technology ecosystem, and sees Afghanistan as a significant opportunity in this regard.

The first Afghan Elites Conference was held on 15 February in Tehran, an event that, according to Iranian media, sought to harness the potential of Afghan elites and students.

In a post on X, he noted that the meeting, chaired by Afghan women rights activists, Fatima Gailani, was attended by 40 participants who focused on discussing the challenges facing Afghanistan.

Barakat stated that despite their differences, all participants unanimously rejected any return to war. As part of the Intra-Afghan Dialogue, he previously helped facilitate a meeting between 45 Afghan political and civil activists and a Taliban delegation on 20 October 2020 in Qatar.

On Saturday, Barakat further stated on his X account that during a session held from 12 to 14 February, 40 influential Afghans from various political and ethnic groups, both from within and outside Afghanistan, deliberated on the country’s pressing challenges. Key topics included efforts to lift the Taliban’s ban on girls’ education and the state of Afghanistan’s economy, particularly in light of the suspension of aid by the Trump administration.

He also mentioned that the forum had presented its proposals to Qatari diplomats, and Qatar has agreed to review them.

Speaking at a press conference on Friday, Khan stated that Pakistan has raised this concern with the Taliban and insists that the matter must be resolved before any meaningful bilateral cooperation can be achieved. He emphasised that while Afghanistan is a neighbouring country, the existence of TTP safe havens on its soil continues to hinder regional stability and economic potential.

Khan warned that the long-term prospects for cooperation and the overall welfare of both nations will remain compromised unless the issue of TTP sanctuaries is addressed. He noted that this matter is at the forefront of Pakistan’s ongoing dialogue with the Taliban.

Earlier, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif reiterated Pakistan’s expectation that the Taliban should actively collaborate with Islamabad in the fight against terrorism rather than contribute to its proliferation. Pakistan has consistently accused the Taliban of providing support and shelter to militant groups opposing Islamabad, particularly the TTP, allegations that the Taliban have repeatedly dismissed as baseless.

In late December 2024, President Vladimir Putin signed a law permitting the temporary suspension of terrorist groups’ activities. This legislation allows Russian courts to conditionally remove organisations such as the Taliban from the terrorist list. However, no such action has been taken regarding the Taliban to date.

Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister, Andrey Rudenko, recently explained that the process of suspending the Taliban’s designation is time-consuming, reflecting Moscow’s cautious approach. The delay appears to be driven primarily by security considerations rather than legal obstacles.

In related developments, Russia’s Ambassador to Pakistan highlighted Islamabad’s growing alarm over rising terrorist activities. In an interview with TASS, he reaffirmed Moscow’s support for Pakistan in its counterterrorism efforts and stressed the need for stronger cooperation with Afghanistan.

Although Russia has established diplomatic ties with the Taliban and even transferred control of the Afghan embassy in Moscow to them, it has yet to officially recognise the group. This measured stance is shaped by regional security threats, particularly from ISIS-Khorasan.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov recently discussed Afghanistan’s security situation with his Tajik counterpart, expressing concerns over the expanding influence of ISIS-K in northern Afghanistan. Additionally, Russia’s UN envoy warned that American weapons left in Afghanistan could pose a serious global security threat.

While Russia remains open to economic and diplomatic engagement with the Taliban, it is unlikely to remove the group from its terrorist list until all security threats are fully addressed.

In an interview with Afghanistan International, TalibLeaks claimed that hacking into Taliban ministries is “very easy” and that exposing such data serves as a warning to the group, emphasising that the Taliban cannot conceal its operations.

TalibLeaks reported that various Taliban factions operate independently in the digital realm, resulting in widely varying cybersecurity standards. The group noted that while the Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada’s faction is more difficult to infiltrate—largely due to its reliance on paper-based communication rather than digital platforms—the Haqqani Network maintains relatively robust security, a strength attributed more to its minimal use of the internet than to advanced protective measures.

With over a decade of cybersecurity experience, TalibLeaks asserted that penetrating most Taliban ministries remains remarkably simple. The exposure of the cybersecurity chief’s email password, “12345678,” serves as a prime example. The hacker group also claimed to have repeatedly infiltrated Taliban servers, at times discovering evidence of previous breaches by other hackers.

Leaked documents indicate that TalibLeaks has gained access to the emails of numerous Taliban officials and government employees. Although the Taliban’s Ministry of Telecommunications has acknowledged that documents from dozens of Taliban-run agencies have been leaked, the group has not commented on the extent of the breach or the security vulnerabilities exposed by TalibLeaks.