Russia May Temporarily Remove Taliban From Terrorist List, Court To Review In April

The security measures were reportedly prompted by perceived threats against Akhundzada. In addition to the military deployment, the Taliban imposed a strict ban on mobile phones inside the mosque. Sources confirmed that Taliban forces closely monitored worshippers and cracked down on any violations of the phone ban.

Elite members of Akhundzada’s security detail were stationed both inside and around the mosque in the days leading up to Eid, effectively restricting public access to the area. Civilians were barred from entering or moving near the premises as part of the heightened security protocol.

Akhundzada, who has remained largely out of public view since the Taliban’s return to power in 2021, is known to meet only with a limited inner circle. His rare public appearances are tightly controlled and heavily guarded.

Sources noted that the type of heavy weapons deployed around the mosque were typically reserved for large-scale combat operations. The move is seen not only as a precautionary security measure but also as a deliberate show of force by the Taliban leadership.

In a statement, the SDC announced that the office resumed operations at its former location in mid-March. The agency stressed that Afghanistan remains one of the world’s most severe humanitarian crises, with nearly half the population still dependent on aid.

With this renewed presence, Switzerland aims to gain a clearer understanding of conditions on the ground and strengthen collaboration with local and international organisations to deliver targeted support. The office currently employs four international experts and ten local staff members.

The SDC’s primary focus areas include humanitarian aid, support for Afghan civil society—particularly women and girls—and improving food security in rural communities.

Swiss-led initiatives in Afghanistan are being implemented in cooperation with international NGOs, the Red Cross, UN agencies, and the World Bank. The office operates with an annual budget of 25 million Swiss francs (approximately $28 million), covering both programme delivery and staffing costs.

The SDC also maintains similar humanitarian operations in the Central African Republic, Haiti, and Syria, as part of Switzerland’s broader commitment to long-term development in priority countries.

While the Taliban aligned its Eid declaration with Saudi Arabia and held prayers across the country on 30 March, many Shia communities in Kabul gathered in mosques a day later. Reports received by Afghanistan International indicate that mosque attendance in areas such as the Al-Zahra Mosque was notably high, reflecting widespread adherence to the Shia tradition of confirming Eid based on separate moon-sighting criteria.

This is not the first time Eid has been observed on different days across Afghanistan. Such divergences occurred even under previous governments, but under Taliban rule, celebrating Eid on an alternate date can carry political and social risks.

According to recent reports, Taliban forces in some districts—including Malistan in Ghazni province—attempted to compel Shia residents to break their fast on Sunday. Over the past four years, there have been several cases of the Taliban pressuring Shia communities to conform to its Supreme Court’s Eid announcements. In some instances, Taliban members reportedly used force or coerced Shia clerics into leading prayers on dates dictated by the group.

Despite this pressure, the tradition among Shia communities in regions such as Herat, Mazar-e-Sharif, and the central highlands is to follow religious rulings issued by Shia scholars, which typically align with Iran’s announcement of Eid.

This year, no incidents of forced Eid observance were reported in Hazara and Shia-majority areas of Kabul or other provinces. However, there are accounts suggesting Taliban intelligence operatives relayed instructions through village elders in central provinces, insisting that Eid be celebrated according to the Taliban’s timetable.

Meanwhile, Taliban leaders held their own Eid prayers on Sunday. Supreme Leader Hibatullah Akhundzada led prayers in Kandahar’s Eidgah Mosque, while other senior officials prayed at the Arg (Presidential Palace) and Sapedar Palace in Kabul. However, the separate gatherings by different factions highlighted internal rifts within the Taliban’s leadership.

Of note is the recent demotion of Abdul Kabir, formerly a deputy prime minister, who was reassigned as acting minister of refugees. Despite the change, Kabir reportedly continues to operate from the Sapedar Palace, underscoring ongoing political tensions within the Taliban ranks.

Afghan imports from Pakistan fell sharply by 67 percent, dropping from $2.1 billion in the previous fiscal year to just $729 million during the current period. Afghan exports to Pakistan also declined by 46 percent, decreasing from $46 million to $25 million.

The total volume of bilateral transit trade shrank from $2.24 billion last year to only $754 million this fiscal year. In February 2025 alone, year-on-year trade dropped by 7 percent, falling from $82 million to $77 million. From July 2024 to January 2025, the cumulative decline stood at 69 percent, though the rate of contraction eased slightly to 66 percent in February.

This follows a 59 percent drop in the previous fiscal year, and reports from March 2024 indicated that Afghanistan’s transit trade through Pakistan had declined by a staggering 84 percent over the course of one year.

The dramatic decrease comes amid escalating tensions and frequent disruptions at key border crossings, including the Torkham crossing—one of the main trade routes between the two countries—which was closed for nearly a month, further hindering commercial flow.

The ceremony, held in Khujand, Tajikistan’s Sughd province, marked the activation of the 500-kilovolt Datka–Sughd transmission line, connecting the two Central Asian nations.

The launch was attended by energy ministers from both countries, with Tajikistan’s Presidential Office announcing that official documents for the project were signed prior to the inauguration.

The CASA-1000 project, first launched in Tajikistan in 2016, aims to export surplus electricity from Central Asia to South Asia, particularly to Pakistan, via Afghanistan. The project’s route includes seven Afghan provinces and, once complete, will enable the transmission of hydropower from Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan to energy-scarce regions in South Asia.

Funded by major international institutions—including the World Bank, the Islamic Development Bank, the European Investment Bank, and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development—the initiative carries an estimated cost of $1.2 billion. Originally slated for completion by March 2022, the project has faced delays, particularly due to instability in Afghanistan.

Following the Taliban’s return to power in August 2021, work on the Afghan section of CASA-1000 was suspended. However, in August 2024, Farhad Mahmoudi, Head of Programmes at the Taliban’s Ministry of Energy and Water, confirmed that talks with the World Bank had resumed and that practical work on the Afghan portion would begin soon. He projected that the Taliban-led administration could earn up to $65 million annually in transit revenue once the project becomes operational.

Tajikistan’s Minister of Energy and Water Resources, Daler Juma, stated in January 2025 that the full CASA-1000 project is expected to be operational by 2027, pending the completion of the Afghan segment. He noted that the primary obstacle remains the halted funding for infrastructure development in Afghanistan.

According to Juma, work on Pakistan’s portion of the transmission line is expected to be finalised by mid-2025.

In February 2024, the World Bank confirmed that, at the request of participating countries—Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Pakistan—it would resume construction in Afghanistan. However, the Bank stipulated that all financial transactions for the Afghan segment would be managed externally and kept separate from the Taliban’s administrative systems to ensure transparency and accountability.