Abdul Zahir Qadir, a former member of the Afghan Parliament, has reportedly been arrested at Dubai International Airport, according to his nephew, Jalal Qadir, who spoke to Afghanistan International.
Jalal Qadir stated that his last contact with his uncle was on 15 April, during a phone call from Dubai Airport. Since then, there has been no further communication, and all of Abdul Zahir Qadir’s phone numbers have been unreachable. The circumstances surrounding his arrest remain unclear.
“A few days ago, Abdul Zahir Qadir left for a foreign trip. Unfortunately, during our last call, he told us he had been detained by US intelligence officials at Dubai Airport,” said Jalal Qadir. “He has not contacted us since and is now effectively missing.”
The government of the United Arab Emirates has not yet issued any official statement or comment regarding the alleged arrest.
Habibullah Badr, deputy head of the Taliban's prison administration, has confirmed that Allah Gul Mujahid, a former member of the Afghan parliament, is currently imprisoned in Pul-e-Charkhi prison in Kabul on charges of murder.
He stated that Mujahid, like other detainees, is permitted to meet with his family.
In a televised interview, Badr explained: “The case of Allah Gul is a personal matter related to murder; his accusers have referred the case to the court, and the court may issue a sentence of imprisonment or execution. He is currently in prison with us.”
Badr did not disclose when Mujahid was detained by the Taliban. However, documents obtained last month by Afghanistan International revealed that a primary court in Kabul had sentenced Mujahid to 17 years in prison for the premeditated murder of Qari Saeedullah, a Taliban intelligence officer. Mujahid’s son was also sentenced to one year in prison in connection with the case.
He also revealed that between 100 and 130 foreign nationals are currently held in Taliban prisons for various offences, most of whom are citizens of neighbouring countries. He did not specify which nations were involved.
According to Badr, around 12000 individuals are currently incarcerated in Taliban-run prisons, including approximately 1400 women and 300 Taliban members. He denied reports of torture or mistreatment in these facilities, despite ongoing allegations from international organisations regarding human rights abuses and the treatment of prisoners under Taliban rule.
Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada has ordered a 20 percent reduction in the group's security personnel as part of a sweeping downsizing initiative driven by a deepening budget crisis.
The directive prioritises the dismissal of guards and mercenary fighters, placing them at the top of the list for cuts.
Under the plan, 20 percent of staff in Taliban security institutions are to be placed in a state of "active reserve," effectively removing them from duty while maintaining nominal affiliation with the institutions.
In an introduction to the downsizing plan, Akhundzada explained that the decision followed extensive internal consultations and was made in light of “certain important interests.” The directive outlines a tiered system for reductions, with non-professional personnel placed in the third tier, units in stable or threat-free areas in the fourth, and advisors, deputies, and technical experts in the fifth.
The plan also targets individuals recruited after the Taliban’s return to power in 2021, including family members of fallen fighters, households with multiple siblings in service, elderly or disabled individuals, those without clearly defined roles, and absentee personnel.
Additionally, the plan mandates the consolidation of departments with overlapping responsibilities and the elimination of excess staff. It proposes reducing the number of deputies within each office, assigning department heads to take on dual roles to streamline operations.
If these measures fall short of achieving the 20 percent reduction target, further cuts will be made in regions deemed secure and less dependent on active security presence.
Those dismissed as part of the restructuring—whether Taliban fighters, collaborators, family members of deceased members, or recent recruits—will receive a monthly compensation of 5,000 Afghanis. The plan also includes a provision granting reemployment priority to those laid off, should future organisational expansion occur.
In recent days, audio recordings of Taliban fighters have circulated on social media, revealing grievances over the dismissals. Many claimed that frontline guards, who played a critical role in establishing and maintaining the regime’s control, were disproportionately affected by the cuts.
Akhundzada's decision comes amid a continued suspension of international aid, particularly from the United States, and ongoing complaints from government employees regarding unpaid salaries.
Serik Zhumangarin, Deputy Prime Minister of Kazakhstan, arrived in Kabul on Monday, 21 April, leading a high-level delegation for talks with Taliban officials focused on bilateral relations and economic cooperation.
Speaking to reporters upon his arrival, Zhumangarin announced that an economic agreement between Kazakhstan and the Taliban administration would be signed during the visit.
The agreement is expected to be formalised between Zhumangarin and Abdul Ghani Baradar, the Taliban’s Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs.
Among the key issues on the agenda is the proposed Afghan-Trans railway, a project aimed at enhancing regional connectivity and trade.
Zhumangarin described his visit as “special” and highlighted the frequency of bilateral engagements, noting that he meets with Taliban officials at least twice a year.
He also stated that both Kazakh and Taliban delegations have conducted multiple reciprocal visits to Kabul and Astana in recent years.
Germany’s Deutsche Welle has reported that Nazira Khairzad, an Afghan female footballer who fled Afghanistan following the Taliban’s return to power, now faces the risk of deportation to Italy.
Her lawyer is actively working to prevent her separation from her family, who are currently residing with her in Germany.
Khairzad, formerly the goalkeeper for Afghanistan’s national women’s football team, fled the country with her sister in 2021 after the Taliban banned women’s sports. She initially lived alone in Italy for around three years before reuniting with her family in Frankfurt in early 2024.
“When I received the letter telling me I might be sent back to Italy, I was overcome by a deep sense of hopelessness, fear and uncertainty,” she told DW. “I was very sad and shocked. Since then, my mum has lived in constant fear and stress.”
Her family fled Afghanistan separately, and since reuniting in Germany, Khairzad has been rebuilding her life—learning German and returning to football.
Her lawyer, Elke Gabsa, noted that under EU law, “if someone is recognised as a refugee in one country, it is fundamentally impossible to request protection in another EU member state.” However, she argued that forcing Khairzad to leave her dependent family would constitute “a violation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.”
Now 21, Khairzad remains hopeful that the court will rule in her favour and allow her to stay in Germany permanently with her family.
Since the Taliban’s return to power, nearly all Afghan female athletes have been forced into exile, as women’s sports are entirely banned under the regime.
The Department of Education in Tehran has announced that Afghan migrant students holding census registration documents or “return-to-Afghanistan” papers will no longer be permitted to enrol in Iranian schools for the upcoming 1404 academic year (March 2025 – March 2026).
According to the statement, all Afghan students who possess these specific documents are now officially barred from receiving formal education in the Islamic Republic.
Yousof Baharloo, Director General of Education for Tehran’s counties, issued a directive instructing school administrators not to enrol migrant students with either census registration documents or exit documents. He further advised that the parents of such students should not be referred to the central education office.
Reports indicate that around two million Afghan migrants residing in Iran possess census documentation. While Nader Yarahmadi, Deputy Minister of Interior and Head of the Centre for Foreign Nationals and Migrants Affairs, recently reported that over 610,000 migrant students are currently enrolled in Iranian schools, he did not specify how many of them fall under this restricted category.
Despite the lack of detailed figures, numerous Afghan students have reportedly been denied access to education. This development has sparked concern, particularly among families who migrated to Iran in search of educational opportunities for their children—especially after the Taliban government in Afghanistan imposed a ban on girls’ education beyond primary level.