Afghan Investors Can Obtain Residency In Free Trade Zones, Says Iranian Official

Speaking at a gathering in Balkh province, Behsudi urged the Taliban to welcome Afghanistan’s ethnic communities. Addressing worshippers at the Sarwar-e-Kainat Grand Mosque, he specifically appealed to Pashtuns, whom he described as the “elder brothers,” to embrace other ethnic groups, including Hazaras, Uzbeks, Tajiks, and others. He emphasised that no single ethnic group can withstand global and regional challenges alone.

“If we have the people with us, we have everything,” Behsudi stated, urging the Taliban to establish diplomatic ties with regional and global powers. He stressed, “Without ties with the region and the world, we cannot make progress.”

The cleric also called for the establishment of a national administration, arguing that without such an entity, Afghanistan cannot resist external threats. “We must have a national ideology, a national voice, and national movements,” he added.

Behsudi urged the Taliban to respect the customs, traditions, religion, and culture of the Afghan people and to transition from an interim administration to a fully recognised national government. He stated, “If we have a national government, the world cannot exclude, humiliate, or ignore us.”

According to him, national unity, mutual acceptance, and solidarity are now more critical than ever for Afghanistan.

Since returning to power, the Taliban has faced accusations of monopolising governance and excluding ethnic and political groups, particularly women and minority communities, from government institutions. The group has replaced many officials with its own members, drawing criticism for its lack of inclusivity.

However, the Taliban dismisses international calls for an inclusive government as foreign interference, insisting that its administration already represents all Afghans.

According to the latest figures, India’s imports from Afghanistan reached a record USD 642.29 million in 2023-24, while exports to Afghanistan have fallen to their lowest level in 16 years.

Earlier reports by Al Jazeera noted that India, once seen as a potential adversary of the Taliban, has now established robust diplomatic and trade relations with the group. The report highlighted the strategic importance of Iran’s Chabahar Port in Sistan and Baluchestan province, which offers a crucial trade corridor for India and Afghanistan by bypassing Pakistan.

In recent years, senior Indian diplomats have visited Afghanistan on numerous occasions, and reports suggest that an Indian technical team is currently stationed at the Indian embassy in Kabul.

In a further sign of warming ties, India’s Deputy Foreign Minister, Vikram Misri, recently met with the Taliban’s Foreign Minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi, in Dubai. According to India’s Ministry of External Affairs, the two officials discussed regional developments and opportunities for expanding bilateral cooperation.

According to the prosecutor, the suspect confessed during interrogation that he deliberately drove his vehicle into a crowd at a workers’ gathering. The attack, which occurred on 15 February, left 39 people injured, with some reported to be in critical condition.

German media have identified the suspect as Farhad Noori, an Afghan refugee active on social media under that name. Bavarian Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann confirmed that the 24-year-old had valid residency documents and was legally permitted to work. Herrmann explained that Noori arrived in Germany as an unaccompanied minor in late 2016, had his asylum application rejected in 2020, and was later granted a residence permit in October 2021.

Herrmann further noted that the refugee had attended school and completed a vocational training programme, subsequently working as a security officer for two security companies. He clarified that earlier reports erroneously linked Noori to shoplifting cases, asserting that he was in fact only a witness. According to Der Spiegel, no decision has yet been made regarding the extension of Noori’s residence permit, though it remains valid until further notice.

Bavarian Prime Minister Markus Söder told German media that the suspect does not appear to have a criminal record and was not subject to deportation. In reaction to the incident, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz stated that the attacker must be punished and expelled from Germany, adding that all legal measures should be taken if the incident is determined to be an attack.

During a visit to the attack site on Friday, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier remarked that the incident had shocked and deeply concerned the public. Some Afghan politicians and activists have also condemned the attack, warning of its potential negative impact on the acceptance and living conditions of Afghan refugees in Germany.

Although authorities have yet to confirm that the incident constitutes an act of terrorism, experts warn that the timing—just before the upcoming elections—could have significant repercussions on the public perception of Afghan refugees in the country.

In a statement, the Taliban quoted the Iranian ambassador as saying that Afghanistan exports goods worth over USD 50 million annually to Iran. The statement did not specify which commodities were included in these exports.

According to the Taliban’s Directorate of Information and Culture in Farah, a joint meeting was held on Saturday at the Abu Nasr Farahi port. The meeting was attended by the Taliban governor in Farah, the Iranian ambassador to Afghanistan, the Iranian Consul General in Herat, and the Iranian Deputy Economic Head of South Khorasan.

The focus of the meeting was to address trade issues between Iran and Afghanistan and to expedite the construction of the road at the Abu Nasr Farahi port. The Taliban governor emphasised the need to establish a joint committee to resolve current trade challenges and noted that trade matters would be discussed with senior Iranian and Taliban officials.

Elsewhere, the commercial attaché of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Afghanistan previously stated that trade exchanges between the two countries reached over USD 3.197 billion in the past year, reflecting an 84 percent increase. The Deputy Head of the Iran-Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce also noted that in 2023, Afghanistan’s exports to Iran reached USD 42 million, comprising various plants, dried fruits, and marble.

Beh Lih Yi, CPJ’s Asia Program Coordinator, stated that by prohibiting such broadcasts, the Taliban is attempting to completely eliminate independent media in Afghanistan. “The Taliban must allow Afghan media to operate independently,” she said. “This latest move to censor discussion, reporting, and debate on political and economic issues is yet another repressive measure that indicates the extreme steps the Taliban are taking to dismantle Afghanistan’s independent media.”

On 14 February, the Taliban’s Ministry of Information and Culture ordered domestic media outlets to cease producing and airing political and economic programmes. The directive also mandated that media organisations should only interview the group’s approved spokespersons on these matters.

Previously, the Taliban had banned the live broadcast of political programmes and required media outlets to obtain approval from their officials before publishing content. In addition, the group provided a list of approved experts, instructing the media to invite only those individuals to appear on political programmes.

Earlier reports from the Afghanistan Journalists Centre revealed that in the three and a half years of Taliban rule, the group had issued 23 directives curbing media activities, thereby severely restricting journalists and media organisations.

The ongoing violation of journalists’ rights under Taliban rule has sparked widespread criticism from international media organisations and rights groups, which have called for the repeal of these repressive orders and for the protection of independent media in Afghanistan. Despite such criticism, the Taliban has continued to intensify its restrictions on media activities.