Legal Overhaul Based On Islamic Principles Almost Done, Says Taliban

According to the EU agency women and girls, in particular face disproportionate hardships under Taliban rule.

In a video message posted on the social media platform X, the agency expressed deep concern over the growing number of Afghan returnees and the increasing challenges they encounter in accessing aid and basic services.

Gioia Benedetti, a staff member with the EU agency in Afghanistan, said that approximately 4.8 million people are at risk of forced deportation, many from Pakistan and Iran.

“Every day we are witnessing hundreds of families returning from Pakistan and Iran,” she said. “They arrive with few belongings and face dire conditions.”

The agency highlighted the worsening situation for Afghan women and girls, who continue to be denied access to education and employment under Taliban-imposed restrictions.

The warning follows a joint appeal by five UN-affiliated agencies urging urgent action to address Afghanistan’s worsening nutrition crisis. The UN organisations noted that the country ranks among the 15 worst globally for child malnutrition, with four in ten women suffering from undernutrition.

On Tuesday, the Ministry of Mines and Petroleum announced the termination of the Amu Darya oil field contract, originally signed in January 2023. Ministry spokesperson Homayoun Afghan stated that the cancellation followed a formal investigation by a joint committee, which found Afchin had committed multiple breaches of the agreement.

“The contract was annulled due to repeated violations by the contracting company of its commitments,” Afghan wrote on X (formerly Twitter). He added that the decision was approved by the Taliban Prime Minister’s Office following a recommendation from the group’s Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs.

The contract was initially signed in the presence of Abdul Ghani Baradar, the Taliban’s deputy prime minister for economic affairs, and China’s ambassador to Afghanistan. It involved a joint venture between China’s state-linked Central Asia Petroleum and Energy Company (CPEIC) and Afghanistan’s state-owned oil and gas company, with the Chinese side holding a 75 percent stake.

The agreement covered oil extraction from a 4,500-square-kilometre area spanning the northern provinces of Sar-e Pol, Jowzjan, and Faryab. It was expected to scale production from 200 tonnes of oil per day to 20,000 tonnes over time, with an initial Chinese investment of $150 million, rising to $540 million within three years.

Key provisions required the company to construct a refinery inside Afghanistan and banned the export of crude oil. Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid previously confirmed that the deal included a clause for automatic cancellation if obligations were not fulfilled within a year.

The Ministry of Mines and Petroleum has not publicly disclosed the specific violations that led to the cancellation. However, officials have now invited international companies with oil sector expertise to review the legal and financial documents of the voided agreement and formally express interest in the project.

In a statement issued this week, ministry spokesperson Saif-ul-Islam Khyber warned that individuals who violate the directive will face serious legal consequences. “No one should misuse social media,” he said, adding that online platforms must be used solely for “sharing accurate information, business, education, and public awareness.”

The announcement marks the latest in a series of restrictions the Taliban have imposed on digital platforms. The ministry, in coordination with the Taliban’s intelligence agency, has previously detained and reportedly tortured several social media users accused of spreading anti-Taliban content.

Since regaining power in August 2021, the Taliban have sharply curtailed freedom of expression in Afghanistan. Special monitoring teams have been established to surveil online behaviour, track dissenting voices, and enforce digital compliance with the regime’s strict ideological rules.

Yerkin Tokumov, an experienced diplomat and academic, was named to the post by direct order of the president, according to an official statement from the presidential office. Tokumov has previously served at the Kazakhstan Institute for Strategic Studies, working under the supervision of the president.

Born in 1973, Tokumov holds advanced degrees in international relations and philosophy, and has long been involved in foreign policy and regional affairs.

While Kazakhstan does not officially recognise the Taliban government, it maintains ongoing diplomatic and economic relations with the group. In January 2024, Kazakhstan removed the Taliban from its list of designated terrorist organisations, signalling a shift in its approach to Afghanistan.

The ship, which arrived on Saturday, 14 June, carried 20,000 tonnes of diammonium phosphate (DAP) fertiliser from Townsville, Australia, destined for Afghanistan.

“This is part of our sustained efforts to operationalise Gwadar Port as a strategic trade gateway for landlocked Afghanistan,” Chaudhry said in a statement.

Irfan Ahmed, head of Gwadar Port, confirmed that the berthing and unloading operations were completed efficiently and without incident.

The first Afghan transit cargo vessel arrived at Gwadar Port on 3 February 2025. The latest shipment was facilitated by a private company.

This development comes shortly after Pakistan’s Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) removed the requirement for bank guarantees on trade with Afghanistan , a move aimed at facilitating smoother bilateral commerce and strengthening regional connectivity.