Taliban, Pakistan, China Agree To Limit India’s Role In Afghanistan To Diplomatic Presence

According to eyewitnesses and associates, Niazi was taken from his residence in the city of Aybak at approximately 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. The assailants reportedly told him they were escorting him to a meeting. His body was discovered on Saturday evening in the Kipna Garcha Mountain area of Samangan, bearing multiple bullet wounds and signs of torture.

Niazi, a respected tribal elder, had no known personal disputes, according to his relatives. He had previously served in the same role under the former government, where he was active both as head of the district council and as a neighbourhood representative.

Friends of the deceased confirmed that he had been shot at least six times, and that his body showed clear signs of torture.

Sources also noted that one of Niazi’s sons had worked in the Samangan Provincial Finance Department under the previous government and maintained close ties with former officials in Kabul.

Family members say they have filed complaints with the Taliban’s police command in Samangan and other relevant institutions. However, no suspects have been arrested to date, and local Taliban authorities have not issued any official statement regarding the incident.

The exact date of the visit has not yet been confirmed.

In a post on X, Takal stated that during a meeting between Muttaqi and Xiaoyong, the two sides discussed political relations and economic cooperation.

According to reports from the meeting, Muttaqi expressed his appreciation for China’s ongoing support of the Taliban administration and commended the progress achieved in bilateral trade.

Takal noted that the Chinese envoy reaffirmed Beijing’s commitment to continued support for Afghanistan.

This development follows a joint visit to Kabul on Saturday by China’s and Pakistan’s special envoys for Afghanistan. During their visit, the envoys held a joint meeting with the Taliban’s Minister of Commerce and Industry to discuss regional economic cooperation and trade relations.

While neither China nor Pakistan has formally recognised the Taliban’s rule, their approaches to the regime have diverged. Over the past four years, China has maintained a more consistent and cooperative relationship with the Taliban than Pakistan, having accepted the Taliban-appointed ambassador and established an active diplomatic presence in Afghanistan.

According to an official statement released by the Taliban, Akhundzada urged intelligence officers to neutralise both the overt and covert “subversive” plans of the enemy.

In a statement issued on Saturday by Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid, Akhundzada addressed the Taliban’s General Directorate of Intelligence (GDI), instructing them not to allow any disrespect or insult toward Islamic values and religious symbols.

He further called on the intelligence services to collaborate with other governmental bodies in enforcing Sharia law and shaping public opinion in line with Islamic principles.

Despite the gravity of the event, the Taliban did not release any photographs or video footage of their leader’s attendance at the seminar.

The Taliban’s General Directorate of Intelligence is widely regarded as one of the group’s most feared and repressive institutions. Reports indicate that the majority of arrests in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan are carried out by the GDI, with detainees often subjected to brutal methods, including torture and humiliation while in custody.

Nevertheless, Akhundzada instructed intelligence officers to avoid arresting individuals based on suspicion alone, to treat people with compassion, refrain from mistreating prisoners, protect confidential information, and remain committed to enforcing Islamic law.

Multiple reports have emerged documenting the deaths of detainees in Taliban prisons, particularly in facilities run by the GDI.

Over the past four years, the Taliban have arrested thousands of individuals, including journalists, civil society activists, former military personnel, and employees of the previous government, on a variety of charges.

Last year, Richard Bennett, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Afghanistan, reported that women held in Taliban prisons had been subjected to sexual violence. According to the report, several “credible sources” testified to instances of rape and sexual assault within these facilities. Bennett expressed deep concern over the scale of sexual abuse against female detainees.

At least ten women have independently told Afghanistan International that they were subjected to sexual violence while in Taliban custody. Eight of them reported being raped, while two others stated that Taliban members filmed and photographed their naked bodies during interrogations.

Morteza Behboudi, an Afghan-French journalist who was imprisoned for seven months by the Taliban’s intelligence agency, stated that his teeth were pulled out and he was tortured with electric shocks and forced injections. He revealed that he was tortured daily during the first three months of his detention.

Sources say that national players and veteran chess figures recently approached the Directorate of Physical Education to request permission to resume activities and receive stipends. However, they were informed that chess had been banned on religious grounds.

According to these sources, officials from the Directorate stated that the Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice had issued a ruling declaring chess haram, thereby ordering an end to all federation-related activities.

Prior to the Taliban’s return to power in 2021, the Afghanistan Chess Federation had been active in both men’s and women’s divisions, organising regular tournaments throughout the country, particularly in the provinces.

The federation had already been informally suspended since November 2024 due to the absence of a president or acting head, and the failure of the Directorate of Physical Education to process its affairs. At that time, it was reported that the former federation president, Ghulam Ali Malekzada, recognised by the World Chess Federation (FIDE), had relocated to Germany.

In the wake of Malekzada’s departure, the Taliban’s Sports Authority appointed Obaidullah Quraishi as interim head of the federation. However, following a reported dispute with Nazar Mohammad Motmaeen, then-head of Physical Education under the Taliban, Quraishi ceased his involvement.

The game has now been officially banned, following in the footsteps of other sports such as mixed martial arts, which were previously outlawed under similar justifications. Decisions regarding the sanctioning or prohibition of such activities have been delegated to the Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice.

Rahil was arrested on the evening of Monday, 5 May, in the provincial capital. The reason for his detention has not been disclosed.

A local journalist, speaking on condition of anonymity, suggested that the arrest may be linked to Rahil’s recent Facebook posts addressing critical social issues, including widespread poverty in the region.

According to the AFJC, Rahil’s arrest marks the fourth case of a journalist being detained by Taliban intelligence in the past week. On 5 and 6 May, three other local journalists were reportedly detained in Taloqan, the capital of Takhar province.

The organisation stated that at least 13 journalists or media workers are currently in Taliban custody. Of those, six have been sentenced to prison terms ranging from seven months to three years.

Since returning to power in 2021, the Taliban have imposed increasingly severe restrictions on freedom of expression and media operations. Over the past four years, dozens of journalists have been detained many allegedly subjected to torture by Taliban intelligence agencies across the country.

Reflecting the deepening crisis for press freedom, Afghanistan ranked 175th out of 180 countries in the 2025 World Press Freedom Index published by Reporters Without Borders.