Taliban Leader Calls Intelligence Agency ‘Backbone’ Of The Regime

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.

The disruption on Friday left a significant number of Afghan migrants stranded on both sides of the border.

Quraishi Badloon, head of the Taliban’s Directorate of Information and Culture in Nangarhar, stated on Saturday, 10 May, that the closure was due to rainfall that affected Pakistan’s National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) office near the crossing.

According to Badloon, normal operations for passenger movement resumed on Saturday. While pedestrian traffic was temporarily suspended, freight transport remained unaffected.

Following Friday’s downpour, hundreds of Afghan migrants were forced to wait for hours at the border. Despite the closure for foot traffic, commercial goods continued to move across the crossing.

According to Dawn newspaper, over 450 cargo trucks transporting import and export goods, along with approximately 250 empty vehicles, crossed the border on Friday.

Decline in Migrant Returns

Pakistani border officials at Torkham also reported to Dawn that the number of Afghan nationals returning, many of whom hold Afghan Citizen Cards (ACC), has declined in recent weeks.

In early April, an estimated 1500 Afghans were returning daily. That figure has now dropped to around 650 per day over the past two weeks.

Torkham remains one of the busiest and most vital border crossings between Afghanistan and Pakistan, serving as a central route for both commercial trade and cross-border movement of people.

According to a statement released by the group, the attack targeted a Taliban checkpoint that had allegedly been used to harass local residents. The operation took place around 8:00 p.m. on Friday near the former headquarters of Police District 4 in Kunduz city.

The AFF reported that the assault was carried out without any casualties among its fighters or local civilians.

Local sources confirmed to Afghanistan International that they heard an explosion in the Bandar-e Khan Abad area on Friday night. As of now, the Taliban have not issued any official statement regarding the incident.

The Afghanistan Freedom Front is an anti-Taliban political and military group known for carrying out guerrilla-style operations. On the third anniversary of its founding, the group claimed responsibility for 87 targeted attacks in the past year, in which it alleges 821 Taliban fighters were killed.

The extension follows mounting concern over the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) April decision to terminate TPS for thousands of citizens from Afghanistan and Cameroon. That decision had placed approximately 14600 Afghan nationals, previously eligible for TPS, at imminent risk of deportation by May.

The revocation of TPS raised alarms not only among current status holders, but also within broader Afghan communities in the US, including asylum seekers and lawful permanent residents, many of whom fear the continued influence of Trump-era immigration policies on their legal standing.

Under the Trump administration, the State Department had disbanded the Office of the Coordinator for Afghan Relocation Efforts (CARE) and its accompanying initiative, Operation Enduring Welcome, significantly disrupting efforts to resettle Afghans who had been evacuated following the Taliban’s return to power in 2021.

Tricia McLaughlin, Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs at DHS, previously confirmed to Afghanistan International that the TPS designation for Afghans had been rescinded. She explained that the decision followed an inter-agency review, in which the Secretary of Homeland Security, after consultation with the State Department and other federal agencies, determined that Afghanistan no longer met the legal requirements for a continued TPS designation.

Additionally, DHS documents reveal that some Afghan TPS holders are currently under administrative investigation on grounds of alleged fraud, threats to public safety, and potential national security concerns.

The 60-day extension provides temporary relief for thousands of Afghan nationals while advocacy groups continue to push for more permanent legal protections and resettlement pathways.