Taliban Arrests TikTok Users, Forces Public Apologies Over Online Content

Many Afghans viewed the diplomatic engagement as a betrayal of the Afghan people, warning that it signals India’s shift away from supporting democratic values in favour of geopolitical interests.

Nargis Nehan, former Afghan Minister of Mines, wrote on X: “Your enemy’s enemy is an attractive friend but will never be a reliable partner,” cautioning India against trusting the Taliban.

Responding to Jaishankar’s comments about India’s “traditional friendship with the Afghan people,” Nehan said that the Afghan people were no longer visible in India’s policy towards Afghanistan.

Prominent journalist Lina Rozbih also criticised the engagement, writing: “India is a victim of terrorism and yet it is engaging with a government like the Taliban that is consisted of terrorists!”

The backlash follows India’s warm reception of the Taliban’s condemnation of a recent militant attack in Kashmir. The attack was reportedly carried out by groups linked to Pakistan. While the Taliban had previously supported attacks on Indian embassies and personnel in Afghanistan, it has shifted its stance and now seeks improved relations with New Delhi following the collapse of the former Afghan government in 2021.

During the call, Jaishankar expressed “deep appreciation” for the Taliban’s condemnation of the Pahalgam attack and accused Pakistan of spreading misinformation aimed at driving a wedge between India and the Taliban. He referenced claims by Pakistan’s military that India had fired rockets into Afghan territory amid a recent border dispute.

Jaishankar stated on X that the two foreign ministers discussed “ways and means of taking cooperation forward.”

Bahar Mehr, a US-based Afghan political activist, described the phone call as “an embarrassing moment for India’s foreign policy,” alleging that the Taliban had manipulated India’s geopolitical calculations. “This is not realism; it is appeasement, and it betrays the people of Afghanistan,” Mehr wrote.

Fawzia Koofi, a former MP and women’s rights advocate, also weighed in, saying India had chosen to prioritise its geopolitical interests over shared democratic values.

The diplomatic exchange has reignited debate about international engagement with the Taliban, especially from countries like India that have historically supported democratic governance and civil society in Afghanistan.

Zakir Jalali, an official within the ministry, made the announcement on Thursday but did not provide further details regarding the dates or agenda of the visits.

Jalali's remarks came shortly after a phone conversation between Muttaqi and India’s External Affairs Minister. He highlighted the Taliban's "active foreign policy," noting that Kabul has recently hosted multiple foreign delegations.

On 11 May, the Chinese ambassador in Kabul met with Muttaqi and delivered a formal invitation from the Chinese government for an official visit.

The upcoming trip underscores the Taliban’s continued diplomatic outreach, despite lacking formal international recognition.

In a statement issued on Thursday, 15 May, the TJCG expressed grave concern over findings aired in the BBC Panorama programme on 12 May, which included accounts from former British Special Forces members detailing alleged extrajudicial killings of civilians, children, and detainees. The reports also accuse soldiers of staging combat scenes by planting weapons on victims.

The BBC investigation, based on eyewitness testimony and internal military documents, revealed a pattern of criminal conduct, systematic cover-ups, and a disregard for Afghan lives. The report also suggests that senior political figures including former Prime Minister David Cameron may have been aware of the abuses.

The Afghan rights group stated that if proven, these acts would constitute serious breaches of international humanitarian law, including violations of the Geneva Conventions, Article 8 of the Rome Statute, and Article 6 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

Under NATO security agreements and international law, the UK is legally obligated to investigate and prosecute those responsible. The TJCG urged the British government to broaden the scope of its ongoing investigations into the conduct of its special forces to include command responsibility, patterns of systemic abuse, and potential institutional cover-ups.

The group also called for international oversight, engagement with victims’ families, and appropriate compensation for those affected.

The BBC further reported that a senior British general, who previously withheld key documents related to the alleged crimes, later oversaw the rejection of resettlement applications from hundreds of Afghan commandos who had served alongside British forces.

The TJCG emphasised that the International Criminal Court (ICC) must investigate all parties involved in Afghanistan’s conflict including the Taliban, the former Afghan government, and NATO member states such as the United Kingdom.

Founded in 2009, the TJCG is a coalition of Afghan human rights defenders, civil society organisations, and victims’ representatives working to advance justice, truth, and accountability for survivors of war and human rights abuses in Afghanistan.

Amnesty International UK also responded to the BBC report, calling the revelations serious and deeply troubling, and urged that all those implicated be subjected to fair and transparent trials in British courts.

According to the Taliban, primary courts sentenced the accused to prison terms ranging from three months to three years, in addition to corporal punishment.

United Nations data indicates that at least 213 people have been flogged by the Taliban in the past three months alone. Among them are 169 men and 44 women.

UN experts have repeatedly raised alarm over the Taliban's use of corporal punishment, including flogging and torture, calling it a violation of international human rights norms. They have urged the Taliban to immediately cease all forms of inhumane and degrading treatment.

The Taliban, however, has rejected international criticism, insisting that public floggings constitute the enforcement of Islamic Sharia law. The group has called on international organisations to refrain from interfering in what it describes as internal religious matters.

Public floggings and other forms of corporal punishment have become increasingly common since the Taliban's return to power in August 2021, drawing widespread condemnation from human rights groups and global institutions.

Andrew Saberton, Deputy Executive Director of UNFPA, announced that a $102 million cut in US aid would leave an estimated 6.9 million Afghan women and children without access to essential health services.

Speaking to reporters in New York after visiting UN-supported health facilities in Kabul, Bamiyan, and areas near the Afghanistan–Pakistan border, Saberton underscored the severe consequences of the funding shortfall.

“I saw and understood the devastating impact the massive cuts to UNFPA will have in one of the world’s greatest humanitarian crises; a crisis that may have fallen off the news radar, but remains one of the most severe globally,” he said.

Saberton revealed that the US had recently withdrawn approximately $330 million in funding for UNFPA globally, of which $102 million was earmarked for Afghanistan. These funds were primarily allocated for family health services, mobile health clinics, and psychosocial support, all vital in a country with one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the world.

The potential closure of these clinics could drastically reduce access to life-saving care for millions of Afghan women and children.

Despite the funding setback, Saberton reaffirmed UNFPA’s commitment to staying in Afghanistan and continuing to provide critical services wherever possible.