Afghan Activists Urge Investors To Divest From Iran Over Racism, Deportations

The victims, identified as Hakimullah and Ahmad Ali, were reportedly arrested about ten days ago in the Abdullah Khel Valley and transferred to the central prison at Dashtak, according to residents who spoke to Afghanistan International.

Ghulam Farooq Alem, a civil activist from the district now living abroad, said the pair were repeatedly taken from the prison into the surrounding mountains as Taliban fighters searched for alleged hidden weapons. “They were accused of stashing arms, but no evidence was produced,” Alem told the broadcaster.

Alem and another local source, who asked not to be named for security reasons, said the two men were executed by firing squad on Saturday, 5 July, and that their bodies have not been returned to their families. The second source stressed that neither man had any links to the National Resistance Front (NRF), an anti-Taliban group active in the region.

The Malam-Khak mountains are regarded as strategically significant. In the summer of 2022, Haji Malik Khan, a former Taliban commander who joined the NRF, was killed there alongside dozens of fighters.

Taliban officials in Panjshir have not commented on the latest allegations. Rights groups have previously accused the Taliban of carrying out extrajudicial killings in the province, a charge the group denies.

“We, of course, will take a decision keeping in view our national interest. I can tell you there is no hurry,” the official told The Express Tribune on condition of anonymity.

The remarks come just days after Russia became the first country to formally recognise the Taliban as the official government of Afghanistan raising its flag over the Afghan embassy in Moscow. Some analysts believe the move could open the door for other regional powers to follow suit.

According to the report, Pakistani officials were not surprised by Russia’s decision, noting that Moscow had already signalled its acceptance of Taliban rule, seeing no viable alternative. Russia’s decision is also understood to be driven by its desire to counter terrorist threats and safeguard strategic interests in the region. Analysts say the Kremlin is concerned that disengagement could leave a vacuum to be filled by rivals such as the United States.

At a press briefing on Friday, a spokesperson for Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs responded cautiously to Russia’s announcement, stating that such matters are between two sovereign states. While Islamabad has not yet formally recognised the Taliban regime, it has agreed to upgrade diplomatic ties.

Last month, following a trilateral meeting in Beijing involving the foreign ministers of Pakistan, Taliban, and China, Islamabad and Kabul agreed to elevate their diplomatic engagement, including the formal appointment of ambassadors in both capitals. China reportedly played a key role in brokering the agreement, hoping to promote regional stability and security.

Despite progress, one major factor behind Pakistan’s hesitation to formally recognise the Taliban is the ongoing concern over terrorist safe havens in Afghanistan. However, recent Taliban actions have been viewed by Islamabad as constructive. These include steps against Afghan nationals affiliated with Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and a decree from the Taliban’s supreme leader banning Afghans from participating in “jihad” against Pakistan.

There are also unconfirmed reports that the Taliban have disarmed militant groups near the Afghan-Pakistan border following recent terrorist attacks in North Waziristan.

Sources suggest the Taliban now see it in their interest to address the security concerns of Pakistan and other neighbouring countries.

Bilateral relations have gradually improved since Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar’s visit to Kabul in April, with increased high-level exchanges underway. Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi is expected to visit Islamabad later this month to review bilateral ties and follow up on commitments made during Dar’s visit. His trip had been postponed due to the recent Iran-Israel conflict.

In a statement issued Sunday, the commission said 12574 individuals entered Afghanistan through the Islam Qala border crossing, while 13746 crossed via Pul-e Abrisham in Nimruz province.

The commission stated that the deported migrants collectively received 40.7 million Afghanis in humanitarian assistance. Of those returned, 1257 individuals have so far been relocated to seven northern provinces: Baghlan, Kunduz, Takhar, Balkh, Jowzjan, Badakhshan and Sar-e Pol.

Separately, the Taliban governor’s office in Nimruz reported that at least 65000 Afghan migrants entered the country through the Pul-e Abrisham crossing over the past week alone.

Iran has intensified its deportation of undocumented Afghan nationals in recent months, citing border security and economic pressures. Rights groups and humanitarian organisations have raised concerns about the scale of the returns and the lack of support services for returnees amid Afghanistan’s ongoing humanitarian crisis.

According to eyewitnesses, unidentified gunmen stormed Paeez’s home on the evening of Friday, 4 July, forcibly dragged him outside, and executed him. Graphic images obtained by Afghanistan International show his bloodied body at the scene.

Local Taliban authorities have not yet commented on the killing.

This marks the second targeted killing of individuals affiliated with the Ismaili community in recent months, fuelling concerns over mounting pressure and persecution faced by the religious minority since the Taliban’s return to power.

Last month, Sayed Qiyamuddin, a resident of Yamgan district in Badakhshan and an employee of the World Health Organization, was reportedly tortured and killed in Jalalabad under similar circumstances.

Multiple reports have surfaced in recent years alleging that members of the Ismaili community in Badakhshan have been harassed, threatened, and in some cases, forced to convert. Last year, Taliban-appointed district governor Jumakhan Fateh in Nusa was accused of coercing dozens of Ismailis into renouncing their faith.

Sources in the province claim the Taliban have also established “jihadist schools” in Ismaili-populated areas and deployed Sunni clerics to pressure the community into religious conformity.

Prince Karim Aga Khan, the spiritual leader of Ismaili Muslims worldwide, passed away last year in Portugal and was buried in Egypt. While international leaders, including the UN Secretary-General, issued public condolences, the Taliban offered no official response.

The targeted violence against the Ismaili minority in Afghanistan has drawn increasing concern from human rights groups, who warn that religious pluralism in the country is under grave threat.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Saturday, Bennett expressed disappointment over Moscow’s decision, arguing that recognising a regime with a record of systemic human rights abuses particularly against women and girls risks legitimising repression.

“Disappointed by Russia’s recognition that sets a dangerous precedent, emboldening regimes in Afghanistan & beyond that violate human rights with impunity,” he wrote.

Russia formally recognised the Taliban as the government of Afghanistan earlier this month, raising the group’s flag over the Afghan embassy in Moscow, becoming one of the first major powers to take such a step since the group seized control in August 2021.