Russia’s Supreme Court Suspends Taliban’s Terrorist Designation

Noor is reportedly being held at Directorate 40 of the Taliban’s intelligence agency. The reason for her detention has not been disclosed. This marks the second time Noor has been arrested by the Taliban, following a previous detention and subsequent release in early 2022.

Known for her outspoken presence online, Noor last posted a video message on 9 February 2025, in which she appealed to the Taliban to show compassion towards the Afghan people.

In the video, she said "My dear. I feel sorrow for my people and for you, which is why I say these things. When you go around in your Rangers, don’t point your weapons at the people like that... Tomorrow, that same gun might fire back at you. If you win the hearts of the people, love between us and you will grow."

Noor heads a charitable organisation that supports girls’ education in Afghanistan. She returned to the country from Canada in 2019 and has since been engaged in advocacy and humanitarian work.

Her arrest comes amid an ongoing pattern of Taliban repression targeting women’s rights activists, human rights defenders, journalists, and former security personnel of the previous Afghan republic. Many have reportedly been detained, tortured, or have disappeared without a trace.

Speaking at a joint press conference with Hungary’s Foreign Minister in Islamabad, Dar said his upcoming trip to Afghanistan would aim to strengthen diplomatic engagement between the two countries. Pakistani media have reported that the visit is expected to take place on Saturday, 19 April.

This will mark Dar’s first visit to Kabul since assuming the role of foreign minister, and the second by a Pakistani foreign minister since the Taliban’s return to power in August 2021.

Previously, former Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi travelled to Kabul in October 2021, shortly after the Taliban takeover. In November 2022, then-Deputy Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar also visited Afghanistan for high-level talks.

Representative Yassamin Ansari announced the appeal on Monday, saying she led the effort and shared a copy of the lawmakers’ letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio on social media.

“Proud to lead 40+ of my colleagues in calling on Secretary Rubio to reinstate the US Refugee Admissions Programme,” Ansari wrote in a post on X. “People fleeing violence and persecution deserve to be welcomed. This is a promise our nation has made—and one I intend to help fulfil.”

The bipartisan letter described how the abrupt halt to the refugee programme has left tens of thousands of individuals stranded in dangerous conditions abroad. It also noted that many newly arrived refugees in the United States have been deprived of access to vital, life-saving services.

One of the first flights cancelled under the suspension, on the morning of 22 January 2025, included four Afghan child refugees en route to reunite with their parents in Massachusetts. The youngest among them was just seven years old.

The lawmakers argued that the refugee admissions freeze starkly contradicts American values and the nation’s long-standing humanitarian commitments. They criticised the administration’s termination of agreements with resettlement agencies, calling it a deliberate attempt to dismantle the US refugee infrastructure.

According to the letter, as of 15 April 2025, more than 22,000 refugees who have passed all required security and medical screenings remain in limbo, awaiting resettlement in the US.

The lawmakers further warned that recent decisions by the federal government not only undermine the country's reputation for compassion but also carry broad social and economic consequences.

In their appeal, the signatories demanded that the Trump administration immediately reinstate the refugee admissions programme, rebook cancelled refugee flights, resume cooperation with humanitarian and resettlement organisations, and release frozen funds earmarked for refugee services.

According to the commission, 3,500 individuals crossed back into Afghanistan via the Torkham border in Nangarhar province, while another 1,636 were deported through the Spin Boldak crossing in Kandahar province.

In its statement, the commission detailed that 625 Afghan families were registered upon arrival at Torkham and 303 families at Spin Boldak. Simultaneously, 535 Afghan migrants—comprising 144 families—were deported from Iran and returned to Afghanistan through the Islam Qala border crossing.

To support the returnees, the Taliban-led commission stated it had distributed a total of 6,481,000 Afghanis (AFN) in aid among the returning families.

This follows an earlier announcement by the commission on Tuesday, 15 April, confirming the deportation of 4,339 Afghan nationals from Pakistan—3,235 via Torkham and 1,104 via Spin Boldak.

Meanwhile, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) raised alarms on Wednesday over the rapidly increasing deportations. The organisation stated that over 60,000 Afghan migrants have been deported from Pakistan in the past two weeks alone.

Mutya Izora Maskun, IOM’s Deputy Chief of Mission for Operations, stressed the critical need for immediate humanitarian assistance, noting that many returnees arrive in Afghanistan with almost no belongings and face uncertain futures. “They are tired, scared and extremely vulnerable,” Maskun said.

The IOM has urged the international community to step up support and not remain indifferent to the growing humanitarian crisis facing deported Afghan migrants.

As reported by The Express Tribune, this marks a significant development in bilateral ties following months of strained relations between the two neighbours.

Members of the Pakistani delegation observed that, for the first time, the Taliban appeared to be taking Islamabad’s security concerns seriously. “Everyone in the delegation noted a change in the Afghan Taliban’s stance towards the TTP,” a member of the visiting team told The Express Tribune.

While the delegation did not disclose specific actions taken by the Taliban, they described the overall response as “positive,” suggesting that the Taliban authorities are beginning to act on Pakistan’s longstanding demands. “Let’s see the outcome of those steps in the coming days. At least, they have shown seriousness,” the official added.

Sources attribute this apparent shift in approach to multiple factors, including Afghanistan’s deteriorating economic conditions, the continued suspension of US aid, and increasing diplomatic pressure from Pakistan.

The Pakistani delegation visited Kabul on Wednesday, 16 April, where they held meetings with senior Taliban officials. Pakistan’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, Mohammad Sadiq, met with Taliban acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi and participated in the 7th round of the Afghanistan–Pakistan Joint Coordination Committee. The meeting was held privately, behind closed doors.

Senior Taliban military leaders, including Deputy Minister of Defence Mullah Abdul Qayyum Zakir, were also present at the talks. Upon returning to Islamabad, Mohammad Sadiq described the discussions as vital for addressing “sensitive and strategic matters.”

In a statement posted to his X (formerly Twitter) account, Sadiq wrote: “Regular and sustained engagement through such mechanisms is essential to ease tensions, dispel doubts, and strengthen mutual understanding in bilateral ties.”

Both sides reportedly agreed to refrain from using provocative language or engaging in public blame games — a move seen as a step towards deescalating tensions.

This was the first meeting of the Joint Coordination Committee in over 15 months. The last round took place in Islamabad but was suspended amid worsening tensions over the Taliban’s alleged harbouring of TTP elements.

Pakistan has consistently urged the Taliban to prevent the TTP from operating within Afghan territory and launching cross-border attacks. The Taliban, for their part, have publicly denied the presence of TTP fighters on Afghan soil.

Coinciding with the Pakistani delegation’s visit to Kabul, a high-level Taliban delegation led by Industry and Commerce Minister Nooruddin Azizi travelled to Islamabad. The group included officials from the ministries of foreign affairs, finance, agriculture, refugees, administrative affairs, and civil aviation.

The primary aims of the Taliban delegation’s visit were to address trade barriers, extend the Afghanistan–Pakistan Transit Trade Agreement, and discuss the status of Afghan refugees residing in Pakistan.