Built 23000 Religious Seminaries, 269 Schools in 3 Years, Says Taliban

In a statement broadcast on Monday, via state-run Radio Television Afghanistan (RTA), which is now under Taliban control, ministry spokesperson Saif-ul-Islam Khyber declared that no individual or institution is permitted to use social media platforms in ways the group deems inappropriate.

“Social media should be used to disseminate verified news, promote religious and contemporary sciences, foster unity among the Muslim community, and encourage mutual respect,” the statement read. “It must not be a platform for promoting prejudice, disrespect, moral deviation, or intellectual distortion.”

The ministry further noted that it is actively monitoring online content and pursuing legal action against pages, accounts, and networks it accuses of undermining religious beliefs, public morality, and societal values.

The announcement comes amid continued activity by Afghan users posting content the Taliban considers religiously unacceptable or “illegitimate” under its strict interpretation of Islamic principles.

Citing a reliable source within the Taliban’s Foreign Ministry, the report stated that Muttaqi has tasked the group’s diplomatic missions with engaging the Kenyan government to ensure Qadir’s rights and legal protections are upheld.

Zahir Qadir was arrested on 18 April in Nairobi, Kenya, on charges of “attempted drug trafficking” and “illegal transport of weapons,” reportedly at the request of the United States. A Nairobi court has ordered that he remain in custody while extradition proceedings to the US are prepared.

On 8 May, Qadir’s family announced that his scheduled extradition hearing had been postponed, with a new court date yet to be confirmed.

Meanwhile, Zaker Jalali, an official at the Taliban’s Foreign Ministry, posted on X (formerly Twitter) that Muttaqi had met with members of Qadir’s family and directed the Taliban’s diplomatic mission in Doha to pursue the matter through the Kenyan Embassy.

Jalali added that the Taliban “defend the rights of every Afghan without discrimination.”

The meeting marks the first time Haqqani has hosted a high-level foreign delegation at the Ministry of Interior following a prolonged public absence.

On Sunday, 11 May, Abdul Mateen Qani, spokesperson for the Taliban’s Interior Ministry, announced that Haqqani held talks with Yue Xiaoyong, China’s Special Envoy for Afghanistan, and Mohammad Sadiq, Pakistan’s Special Envoy, along with their respective delegations.

The discussions reportedly focused on strengthening regional ties through engagement and mutual respect. Haqqani emphasised the Taliban’s view that political and economic cooperation, as well as broader regional understanding, could be fostered through constructive dialogue.

According to Qani, both delegations pledged to convene the sixth trilateral foreign ministers’ meeting in Kabul, as part of the ongoing diplomatic engagement between the Taliban, China, and Pakistan.

The meeting follows a report by the Express Tribune, a Pakistani media outlet, which cited informed sources as saying that during earlier talks with the Taliban’s Foreign Minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi, the parties agreed to limit India’s role in Afghanistan strictly to diplomatic representation.

The report highlights that over 380 million Christians worldwide face varying levels of persecution, violence, and discrimination due to their religious beliefs. Afghanistan ranks tenth on the list, following countries such as North Korea, Somalia, Yemen, Libya, Sudan, Eritrea, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Iran.

North Korea tops the list as the most repressive country for Christians, while the remaining nine are all Muslim-majority states. The report states that nearly 70 per cent of the world’s most severe cases of Christian persecution occur in Muslim-majority nations.

Regarding Pakistan, the report notes: “Roughly a quarter of all blasphemy accusations [in Pakistan] target Christians, who make up just 1.8 per cent of the population.”

In the case of Afghanistan, the report states: “In Afghanistan, leaving Islam and converting to Christianity is punishable by death under Islamic law. This has been increasingly enforced since the Taliban assumed power in 2021.”

It further explains that most Afghan Christians are converts from Islam, making it nearly impossible for them to practise their faith openly. “If converts are discovered, the family, clan or tribe may try to preserve its ‘honour’ through pressure, violence, or even murder,” the report adds.

The report also notes that discovery by the authorities often forces Afghan Christians into exile, with women and ethnic minorities facing disproportionately harsh treatment.

Human Rights Watch has previously described the state of religious freedom in Afghanistan as dire. It warned that under Taliban rule, the country has become a “nightmare” for religious freedom and broader human rights. Shia Muslims, Sufis, Ahmadis, Hindus, Sikhs, Christians, and other religious minorities all face threats of violence and systemic persecution.

According to Gatestone Institute figures, more than 4400 Christians were killed for their faith in 2024. Over 4700 were unlawfully detained, and more than 7600 churches or Christian institutions were attacked or destroyed globally.

Citing informed diplomatic sources, the outlet stated that the Taliban supported Islamabad’s position on conducting an impartial investigation into the recent Pahalgam attack and chose to maintain its distance from the Indian bloc.

The report, published on Sunday, 11 May, indicated that the meeting focused on a regional reassessment and the potential expansion of the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) into Afghanistan. The Taliban were said to have quietly backed Pakistan’s stance amid ongoing tensions between Islamabad and New Delhi.

The closed-door trilateral meeting took place on Saturday at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Kabul and was hosted by the Taliban’s Foreign Minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi. According to Taliban sources, discussions centred on economic and security cooperation, as well as broader regional stability.

It was also reportedly agreed that the Taliban would host the sixth round of the trilateral dialogue between China, Pakistan, and the Taliban in Kabul. This would mark the first time such a meeting is held at the foreign ministerial level under the Taliban’s administration.