Taliban’s Overthrow a Possibility,Says Former Iranian Diplomat

A letter from the Taliban’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, leaked by the hacker group TalibLeaks, shows that the MoI has accused the group’s diplomatic missions in Pakistan of violating visa regulations by granting long-term visas to Pakistani citizens in breach of official guidelines.

The Taliban consulate in Quetta, the capital of Pakistan’s Balochistan province, allegedly issued long-term visas to 800 to 1,000 Pakistani citizens, who later applied for extensions in Kandahar.

In response, the Taliban’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has instructed all its diplomatic missions in Pakistan to issue only single-entry visas instead of business visas to Pakistani citizens.

The letter also warned that issuing long-term visas to Pakistanis could undermine the Taliban’s diplomatic credibility and devalue Afghan visas internationally.

Despite the Taliban’s lenient visa policies for Pakistanis, Pakistan has significantly restricted visa issuance for Afghans. Online visa applications to Pakistan cost $20, but there is no guarantee of approval. Many Afghan applicants face rejection, and the Pakistani government does not refund the fee for declined applications. Travel agencies in Kabul report that many visa applications are rejected arbitrarily despite payment.

Meanwhile, the process of obtaining Pakistani visas in Afghanistan has become a hub of corruption, with reports indicating that visas are sold on the black market for up to $1,500. Allegedly, some Taliban members are involved in this corruption, yet the group has not raised concerns with Islamabad.

Afghan refugees in Pakistan face increasing visa restrictions. Previously, they could extend their visas for six months, but the new policy only allows extensions for one month. Under Pakistan’s latest regulations, Afghans cannot renew their visas beyond a month, leaving many in legal limbo.

Established on 28 March 2002 under UN Security Council Resolution 1401, UNAMA’s primary mission is to support the people of Afghanistan. The Security Council reviews its mandate annually, assessing Afghanistan’s evolving needs before granting an extension.

Afghanistan has been a member of the United Nations since 1946, with UN agencies such as UNICEF operating in the country since 1949.

UNAMA’s headquarters are in Kabul, with regional offices across Afghanistan, as well as in Iran and Pakistan. The mission employs approximately 1,187 staff, including 799 Afghan nationals and 293 international personnel.

Since the Taliban’s return to power, the group has imposed severe restrictions on women’s participation in public life. This includes a ban on female UNAMA staff working with the mission, further complicating the UN’s efforts to assist the Afghan people.

Currently, Roza Otunbayeva serves as the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Afghanistan and heads UNAMA.

According to the BBC World Service, the decision was made to prevent the disclosure of potential war crimes committed during the Afghan conflict. The UK Special Forces have the authority to approve or block the relocation of Afghan forces who fought alongside them.

During a court session, the Ministry of Defence confirmed that UK Special Forces had blocked the relocation of Afghan personnel, even though these commandos had provided valid documentation proving their service with UK-supported units.

A significant number of these Afghan forces, known as the “Triples”, including CF 333 and ATF 444, were trained by UK Special Forces, participated in British-led missions, and received UK government funding. Until 2014, these units were under direct British Army control, after which responsibility was transferred to Afghanistan’s Ministry of the Interior.

Following the Taliban’s takeover, these commandos were left at severe risk. However, despite their role in combat missions alongside British Special Forces, their resettlement was blocked by their former British colleagues.

The BBC reports that British Special Forces are currently under investigation for alleged war crimes in Afghanistan. Under UK law, only witnesses residing within the country can be compelled to testify, making the presence of Afghan commandos in Britain a legal risk.

The Ministry of Defence has since resumed reviewing resettlement applications for Afghan commandos but has failed to provide updates on their cases.

In 2023, the Ministry of Defence began processing resettlement applications for 2,022 Afghan commandos, with an expected 12-week timeline. However, a year later, the review remains incomplete.

While some previously rejected cases have reportedly been approved, the British government has not yet informed the applicants.

Following the Taliban’s return to power, many Afghan special forces fled to neighbouring countries. However, those who remained face severe risks, with reports of arrests, torture, imprisonment, and even executions at the hands of the Taliban regime.

The move comes in response to the suspension of U.S. foreign aid and the subsequent decline in the value of Afghanistan’s currency. Over the past few weeks, the Taliban has injected tens of millions of dollars into the market to counteract the economic impact.

On 24 January, the U.S. State Department informed its diplomatic missions that, under an executive order by former President Donald Trump, all foreign aid—except assistance to Israel and Egypt—would be suspended for 90 days.

As a result, the afghani, which had been trading at 69 per U.S. dollar, has since weakened, exceeding 80 afghanis per dollar.

Previously, dollar injections into Afghanistan’s currency market had helped maintain relative stability in the afghani’s value. However, the recent decline has caused growing concern among Taliban officials.

On 30 January, multiple currency exchangers in Kabul told Afghanistan International that Taliban intelligence agents had been deployed to Sarai Shahzada, the country’s largest currency exchange market, to monitor and regulate exchange rates.

The latest cash injection is part of the Taliban’s broader strategy to prevent further economic instability, though concerns remain over long-term financial sustainability amid diminishing international support.

According to the reports, the summit will be attended by António Costa, President of the European Council; Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission; and the heads of state of Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan.

The agenda will focus on cooperation in transport, economic development, and security, reflecting the increasing strategic significance of EU-Central Asia relations in the wake of global geopolitical developments, including the Russia-Ukraine war and the situation in Afghanistan.

Ahead of the summit, special representatives from the EU and Central Asian nations held talks on Afghanistan in Dushanbe, the capital of Tajikistan. According to Tajikistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, discussions covered regional security challenges, emerging threats, and human rights concerns, with a particular emphasis on the rights of women and girls.

The upcoming EU-Central Asia Summit underscores Europe’s growing engagement with the region, as both sides seek to strengthen economic partnerships and address shared security concerns.