States Ignoring Legal, Moral Duties In Afghan Deportations, Says UN Special Rapporteur

According to eyewitness accounts, Taliban fighters used armed force over the past two days to evict residents from the Keshro valley, targeting families in the villages of Sang-e Shura, Darwaza, Dahane Ghori, Jireh Gak, Narmtab, and Hajiabad.

Local sources said villagers held a protest on Friday, after being ordered to leave their homes without due process. They reported that most of the displaced families were members of the Taymani tribe, who have long-standing land disputes with the Khanzada tribe, also known as Sardar Khel.

The conflict reportedly escalated after Ahmad Shah Din Dost, the former Taliban governor of Ghor, issued a ruling last year under the pretext of resolving the dispute. The decision required Taymani residents to vacate their homes and surrender their property to the Sardar Khel tribe.

Din Dost, currently serving as commander of the Taliban’s 205 Al-Badr Army Corps, is accused of deploying armed fighters to forcefully expel residents from the area. Local sources said Taliban forces previously carried out similar forced evictions in Jireh Gak and Hajiabad following Din Dost’s ruling.

Local council reports estimate that roughly 600 families reside in the six affected villages.

A source familiar with the matter said Din Dost holds a personal grudge against the Taymani tribe, who had resisted Taliban forces, particularly his faction, during the previous government and inflicted significant casualties.

Sources also claim that the Taliban's provincial council of religious scholars in Ghor issued a ruling last year calling for the land to be divided between the two tribes. However, Din Dost allegedly rejected the decision and instead ordered the entire area be awarded to the Sardar Khel tribe.

Reports suggest the dispute may have been influenced by personal ties: one of Din Dost’s wives is reportedly from the Sardar Khel tribe in the Keshro valley.

According to local accounts, the conflict between the Taymani and Sardar Khel tribes has already resulted in dozens of deaths. Among the victims was a Taymani elder, Senator Ahmad Khan, who was reportedly killed after the Taliban came to power, a killing attributed by sources to members of the Sardar Khel tribe.

He emphasised Uzbekistan’s continued support for Afghanistan’s deeper integration into regional and global processes that promote peace, stability, and development.

On Thursday, Saidov shared photos of his meetings with senior Taliban officials, including Acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, Acting Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani, and the group’s Prime Minister, Mullah Hassan Akhund.

Saidov said the political consultations took place during his meeting with the Taliban’s foreign minister, though he did not provide further details. He reaffirmed Uzbekistan’s commitment to regional connectivity, shared water management, economic cooperation, educational support, and the cultural revival of Afghanistan.

Security Cooperation

During his Kabul visit, the Uzbek foreign minister held separate meetings with Taliban leaders. In his meeting with Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani, Saidov said the two sides discussed growing cooperation in the fields of security, law enforcement, and regional stability. While he did not elaborate, he acknowledged concerns over the infiltration of extremist groups and drug trafficking, particularly along the country's 144-kilometre shared border.

Writing on X (formerly Twitter), Saidov said he commended the Taliban’s Interior Ministry for “significant improvements” in Afghanistan’s overall security situation and efforts to combat drug production.

Economic Cooperation

Expanding economic ties was another major focus of Saidov’s visit. He confirmed that he discussed trade, humanitarian cooperation, and economic engagement with Taliban Prime Minister Mullah Hassan Akhund.

Saidov highlighted the signing of the Trans-Afghan Railway feasibility study agreement between Uzbekistan, the Taliban, and Pakistan, calling it a vital step toward Afghanistan’s regional integration. The Taliban’s Foreign Ministry previously confirmed that the agreement had been signed by the Taliban’s Ministry of Public Works, Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Transport, and Pakistan’s Ministry of Railways.

Amir Khan Muttaqi described the project as more than a transit corridor, calling it one of the first steps toward strategic connectivity. Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, who also attended the signing, said the agreement, linking Central Asia to Pakistani ports via Afghanistan, was the outcome of intensive negotiations and sustained engagement.

Dar noted that the proposed Uzbekistan–Afghanistan–Pakistan railway is expected to create a new corridor for trade between Central and South Asia, significantly contributing to regional commerce and economic growth.

Saidov also stated that Uzbekistan is prepared to strengthen cooperation with Afghanistan in infrastructure, transport, energy, and education. He added that Afghanistan should serve as a bridge between Central and South Asia.

Invitation to Taliban Prime Minister

Hamidullah Fitrat, deputy spokesperson for the Taliban administration, provided additional details of the meeting between Saidov and Mullah Hassan Akhund on X.

According to Fitrat, the Uzbek foreign minister extended a formal invitation to the Taliban prime minister to visit Uzbekistan. Citing Saidov, he added that hundreds of meetings have already taken place between Uzbekistan and the Taliban, reflecting strong ties between the two sides.

The Taliban prime minister was quoted as saying that Uzbekistan understands problems are best resolved through dialogue and engagement, and has therefore adopted a “constructive approach” to its relationship with the Taliban.

Despite deepening political and economic ties, Tashkent has not formally recognised the Taliban government.

In a statement issued on Friday, the AFF condemned the arrests as a violation of moral values, human rights, and Afghanistan’s deeply rooted religious and cultural traditions. The group warned that the Taliban and its enforcers would bear direct responsibility for the consequences of what it called “inhumane actions” and pledged retaliation.

The announcement follows the detention of nearly 100 young women by Taliban forces in the Shahr-e Naw area of Kabul on Wednesday. According to sources who spoke to Afghanistan International, the women were taken from streets, markets, and hospitals and transferred to facilities operated by the Taliban’s morality police.

The AFF condemned the mass arrests as a deliberate attack on personal freedoms, stating: “Violating personal boundaries, trampling on human dignity, social status, and women’s fundamental rights and freedoms is neither legitimate, justifiable, nor tolerable.”

The group vowed continued resistance against what it described as the Taliban’s “violent, inhumane, and criminal behaviour.”

The Taliban has not issued a formal statement explaining the motive behind the mass detentions. Human rights groups have repeatedly criticised the group for its treatment of women and the expansion of morality policing across Afghanistan.

According to the Interior Ministry, all individuals had been ordered to leave and were identified as having criminal records or being a threat to public security.

The group was flown from Leipzig Airport to Kabul on Friday via a Qatar Airways flight. This marks the first large-scale deportation of Afghan nationals under the new German government led by Chancellor Friedrich Merz.

The Interior Ministry said the action is part of the government’s coalition agreement, which prioritises the deportation of foreign nationals convicted of crimes or deemed dangerous. Officials stressed that public safety remains the top priority in implementing the policy.

German media reported that the deportees were transported to Leipzig Airport in several buses, with at least one individual reportedly restrained with leg shackles.

Under former Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Germany carried out a similar deportation in which 28 Afghan nationals with criminal records were returned to Afghanistan.

Separately, German politician Alexander Dobrindt recently stated he is open to negotiating with "those in charge" in Afghanistan to facilitate further deportations of Afghan criminals.

Germany’s Foreign Ministry has confirmed that Berlin maintains only technical-level contact with the Taliban and has no formal diplomatic relations with the group.

Dar made the remarks during a meeting in Kabul with Sirajuddin Haqqani, the Taliban’s acting interior minister. According to a statement from the Taliban’s Ministry of Interior, the talks focused on three key issues: regional security, counter-narcotics efforts, and the development of cross-border economic initiatives.

Dar stressed that sustainable regional growth cannot be achieved without addressing security threats and improving coordination at the borders. He also highlighted the importance of closer security cooperation between Pakistan and Afghanistan.

The meeting coincided with the signing of a feasibility study agreement for the Trans-Afghan railway project, a joint initiative between Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Uzbekistan. Officials from all three countries have stated that the success of the railway, intended to boost regional trade and connectivity, depends on long-term stability along the proposed transit routes.

In a separate meeting, Haqqani met with Uzbek Foreign Minister Bakhtiyor Saidov and Transport Minister Ilhom Makhkamov to discuss progress on the railway project. The Taliban’s Interior Ministry said the two sides also explored ways to expand political, economic, and cultural ties between Kabul and Tashkent.

Saidov noted that trade between Afghanistan and Uzbekistan has nearly tripled over the past year. He also reaffirmed Uzbekistan’s support for Afghanistan’s participation in international forums, assistance in resolving the Afghan migrant crisis, and efforts to unfreeze the country’s central bank assets.