China, Pakistan, Taliban Agree To Extend CPEC Into Afghanistan

The sentences range from three to five months and are reportedly linked to the instructors’ work teaching English and computer skills.

According to the sources, the teachers were arrested for offering these courses at the centre, although it remains unclear whether their detention was directly related to teaching female students. However, previous similar incidents suggest this may have been a factor.

In January of this year, Taliban intelligence in Sang Takht Wa Bandar district of Daikundi arrested four instructors from another educational centre for teaching English and computer classes to girls. Those teachers were detained briefly and released on bail, and the centre was subsequently shut down.

Sources confirmed that on Monday, 19 May, Raziq Taqipour and Habib Roshan, both computer instructors at Ofuq-e Nowin, were sentenced to five months in prison. Meanwhile, English instructors Asif Rahish, Rashid, Esmat, and Najaf received three-month prison sentences from the court.

These instructors had previously been arrested in January last year, at which time their educational centres were closed. They were released on bail but were summoned again to the district administration office on Monday, where the current sentences were handed down.

Since returning to power nearly four years ago, the Taliban have imposed sweeping restrictions on girls’ and women’s education. Girls have been banned from attending school beyond the sixth grade, and all female students have been barred from universities and other higher education institutions.

Her remarks came during the inaugural Termez Dialogue on Central and South Asia Connectivity, which began on Tuesday, 20 May.

The high-level forum gathered approximately 200 participants from Central and South Asia, Europe, the Commonwealth of Independent States, Asia, the United States, and the Middle East.

The event was organised by the Institute for Strategic and Regional Studies under the Presidency of Uzbekistan, in partnership with the country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Speaking at the opening session, Otunbayeva emphasised the importance of constructive regional engagement in addressing the challenges facing Afghanistan. “Efforts by neighbouring countries to resolve the Afghan crisis must be recognised and supported,” she stated.

Mohammad Naeem, Deputy Minister of Finance and Administration of the Taliban’s Foreign Ministry, also addressed the conference. He reiterated the Taliban’s commitment to regional stability, saying, “Afghan soil will not be used against any other country, and we expect the same from others. We want to utilise Afghanistan as a hub for connectivity, transit, and commercial, transit, and cultural cooperation.”

Highlighting the Taliban's growing engagement with Uzbekistan, Naeem pointed to several joint infrastructure and economic initiatives, including the Afghan-Trans railway project, a 500-kilovolt power transmission line, and a series of agreements valued at $2.5 billion in energy, agriculture, and industry.

He urged the international community to view the Taliban as “a trustworthy partner” and to invest in Afghanistan’s reconstruction and development.

The Termez Dialogue is intended to serve as a multilateral platform for advancing the goals of the 2022 United Nations General Assembly resolution, “Strengthening Connectivity between Central and South Asia.” The conference will continue over the next two days, with discussions focused on enhancing economic integration, transit, and cooperation across the region.

Although Uzbekistan has not formally recognised the Taliban government, it has maintained steady diplomatic and economic engagement with the group since their return to power in 2021.

According to local sources, the protest was dispersed by police, and the Torkham crossing resumed operations on Tuesday afternoon.

The demonstration began earlier that morning in the Jamrud area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where dozens of protesters, including women from the Afridi tribe, blocked the highway. They accused the Pakistani government of the "unjust detention" of Kokikhel and called for his immediate release.

Malik Nasir Ahmad Kokikhel, a prominent tribal leader and member of the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM), was reportedly arrested last week after convening a tribal jirga (council) in the Khyber region. Authorities have charged him with "disturbing public order."

Speaking to local media, one protester said, “Our leaders are being targeted and arrested without any justification. This is part of the state’s continued oppression of tribal people.” The protesters vowed to resume their demonstrations if Kokikhel is not released promptly.

The Torkham crossing is a critical commercial artery, linking Pakistan with Afghanistan and Central Asia. Any disruption to its operation poses significant economic implications for cross-border trade and regional connectivity.

Authorities have not issued an official statement regarding the charges against Kokikhel or the status of his detention.

Atabak made the remarks during a recent meeting with Hedayatullah Badri, the Taliban’s Minister of Mines and Petroleum, where both parties stressed the importance of strengthening bilateral economic and mining cooperation.

“Iran is prepared to deepen bilateral ties through the creation of joint industrial zones, investment initiatives, and the transfer of technical knowledge,” Atabak stated. He described the mineral wealth of both Iran and Afghanistan as a strategic opportunity for regional economic development and noted that specialised committees have been established to focus on the exploration, extraction, and processing of mineral resources.

The discussions took place during Badri’s visit to Iran’s Alborz province, where he participated in the Second International Mineral Processing Researchers Symposium.

In his address at the symposium, Badri also highlighted the need to expand cooperation in the economic and mining sectors, emphasising the potential for mutual benefit in resource development and technological collaboration.

During a recent visit to Herat province, Mohammad Khalid Hanafi, Minister for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, urged local clerics and community leaders to cooperate in the enforcement of the group's interpretation of Islamic law. He emphasised that without their assistance, the ministry would struggle to curb what it considers immoral behaviour.

Hanafi, whose ministry has implemented some of the Taliban’s most stringent measures particularly those targeting women, asserted that all regulations introduced are rooted in Islamic rulings, Hadiths, and Hanafi jurisprudence. He invited scholars and religious leaders from across the Islamic world to scrutinise these measures and offer feedback, stating the group is prepared to “respond” to any concerns raised.

Since August of last year, the ministry has introduced a series of increasingly strict regulations, drawing widespread criticism from both domestic and international observers. These include enhanced restrictions on women’s freedoms and prohibitions on the publication of images depicting living beings, which have affected media, advertising, and cultural expressions.

Hanafi’s remarks in Herat suggest a noticeable reluctance among Afghan clerics to endorse or actively support the ministry's controversial policies, highlighting potential internal divisions within the broader religious community over the Taliban’s approach to governance and moral enforcement.