Rule Cannot Be Sustained Through Force, Says Former Top Haqqani Aide

Jackie Birov, a 35-year-old American tourist, told the Associated Press she was touched by the hospitality of Afghans during her visit. “I’m very aware that I have a lot more freedom than local women,” she said, referring to the contrasting experiences of foreign and Afghan women.

Tourism in Afghanistan remains a niche industry, attracting only a few thousand visitors annually, most of whom are adventure travellers. However, organised tours from countries including China, Greece, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom are gradually increasing.

Despite facing global condemnation over its restrictions on women and widespread human rights abuses, the Taliban is working to expand the tourism sector, seeing it as a potential source of revenue and a way to reshape its international image.

Tourist visas, typically single-entry and valid for up to 30 days, have become more accessible. The resumption of commercial flights to and from Kabul, with regular routes to cities like Dubai and Istanbul, has also made travel to the country easier.

The Taliban’s lenient approach toward foreign tourists has drawn particular interest from female travellers. In response, some tour operators have begun offering women-led tours designed specifically for female visitors.

Somaya Moniry, a 24-year-old tour guide, told the Associated Press that she hopes to present a different perspective of Afghanistan.

While tour companies emphasise the economic benefits of attracting foreign visitors, some critics argue that travel to Afghanistan under Taliban rule is ethically problematic. They point to the stark contrast between the freedoms granted to foreign women and the severe limitations placed on Afghan women and girls.

Under Taliban policies, Afghan girls are barred from education beyond grade six, prohibited from working, and restricted from entering parks or dining at restaurants. The disparity has led many to view the regime’s hospitality toward tourists as a reflection of its double standards.

In a statement posted on the social media platform X, the IOM reported that widespread flooding and avalanches in the first three months of 2025 triggered mass displacement and worsened humanitarian conditions across the country.

According to the agency, approximately 175,000 people were internally displaced during the first quarter, with 79 precent of those displacements linked to climate events and natural disasters. An additional 396,000 people were forced to migrate due to related pressures.

The United Nations said rural communities have borne the brunt of the devastation, with many losing their homes and struggling to access safe drinking water.

The IOM highlighted that food insecurity remains the most pressing concern, with 47 percent of affected communities identifying food shortages as their greatest challenge.

Afghanistan ranks among the ten countries most severely impacted by the effects of climate change, which include prolonged droughts, irregular rainfall, flooding, and declining water resources.

Earlier this year, Richard Bennett, the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Afghanistan, warned that the country is facing intensifying climate shocks and accelerating environmental degradation.

Speaking in an interview with a local pro-Taliban radio station, spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid claimed the UN operates under the influence of Western powers and no longer functions as a neutral international body.

“If the United Nations were truly independent, it would not allow someone who represents no one to occupy Afghanistan’s seat,” Mujahid said. “On whose behalf is the current representative there, and based on which principles and protocols?”

The Taliban has consistently demanded control over Afghanistan’s UN seat since seizing power in August 2021. Mujahid described the UN’s refusal to grant the seat to the group as “inappropriate and shameful”, asserting that the current mission head “speaks against Afghanistan’s security, stability and progress”.

The seat is currently held by Naseer Ahmad Faiq, a senior diplomat from the former government. Faiq represents Afghanistan at UN Security Council meetings and other sessions, and has regularly condemned the Taliban’s human rights violations, including the arbitrary detention of women and girls, killings of former security personnel, and the activities of terrorist groups operating within the country.

The UN has maintained that recognition of the Taliban-led administration is contingent on measurable changes to its policies, particularly in regard to education, women’s rights, and the treatment of ethnic and religious minorities.

Despite sustained international pressure, the Taliban has continued to enforce strict interpretations of Sharia law. In recent days, the group’s so-called morality police have reportedly detained dozens of women and girls across Kabul in a widening crackdown on female freedoms.

Compounding the diplomatic impasse, the International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued arrest warrants for senior Taliban leaders on charges related to gender-based persecution and apartheid.

The Taliban has rejected calls for reform, insisting it will not compromise on its ideological framework to gain international recognition.

Residents of Rashk village in Punjab district were ordered to leave their homes after a Taliban court decision awarded land rights to the nomadic group. Local sources told Afghanistan International that Taliban forces, accompanied by Kuchis, locked 25 homes and expelled their occupants.

The eviction took place on Monday during a visit by the Taliban’s deputy interior minister for security affairs. A delegation comprising male and female Taliban police officers and judicial staff travelled to the village and instructed residents to vacate their properties.

Sources said the delegation entered the village alongside Kuchi tribespeople, forcibly removed residents’ belongings, and padlocked their homes.

Images obtained by Afghanistan International show household items dumped outside and armed Taliban members speaking with locals.

One source said the displaced families are now living in dire conditions, spending nights outdoors and unable to return to their homes.

Another source reported that male members of the affected families had left the village in advance to avoid being coerced into signing documents legitimising the forced eviction.

The land dispute between villagers and the Kuchis dates back to the 1970s. Locals say the case was reopened after the Taliban regained power in 2021, and allege that the Taliban have repeatedly arrested villagers involved in the dispute.

Sources also claim that the legal process was biased, with some court sessions reportedly held without the presence of Rashk villagers. Appeals and complaints submitted by residents were allegedly ignored.

A resident told Afghanistan International that the villagers had been given a 15-day deadline to leave their homes before the eviction was enforced.

The document, issued by the Taliban’s Ministry of Labour, outlines available positions, most of which are categorised as non-specialised roles such as dairy workers, domestic helpers, cleaners and cooks. Only two professional positions were listed: electrical engineer and electric vehicle technician.

Several applicants said they attempted to register at designated offices, but overcrowding and a lack of organisation have hindered the process.

“There is a huge crowd, and even for low-skilled jobs, the Taliban are asking for university degrees,” said one Kabul resident.

An applicant in Nangarhar added: “Even to apply as a cook, you must be a university graduate or have experience in a five-star hotel.”

Earlier, the Taliban’s Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs announced the launch of a registration process for sending Afghan workers to Qatar in 14 technical categories. Officials said candidates could register across more than 20 provinces and regional zones.

However, the Taliban has not released further information regarding the recruitment process, selection criteria or employment conditions.

The registration began on Tuesday, and images shared with Afghanistan International showed hundreds of people gathered at registration centres.