Taliban Seek US Recognition, Call Moscow’s Decision An ‘Achievement’

Saif-ul-Islam Khyber, spokesperson for the ministry, urged the UN to assess women’s issues “based on Islamic values and Afghanistan’s cultural sensitivities.”

In an audio statement released Saturday, Khyber claimed that women’s rights in Afghanistan are “protected under Islamic Sharia” and that Afghan women enjoy their Islamic and legal rights, with their dignity and security safeguarded.

He said the Taliban has taken steps to prevent forced marriages, ensure payment of dowries and inheritance, and curb harmful social practices. Khyber also called on the UN to focus on “the massacre of women and children in Palestine” if it is serious about defending women’s rights.

The remarks came two days after UN Women warned that Afghan women and girls returning from abroad face poverty, early marriage, harassment and abuse, urging immediate international action to protect them. The UN report also cited Afghanistan’s worsening economic crisis, climate challenges, and unprecedented restrictions on women and girls.

Earlier, UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Afghanistan Richard Bennett accused the Taliban of weaponising the country’s legal and judicial system to oppress women and girls, describing the practice as “a crime against humanity.”

In a statement on Saturday, the ministry said the new surveillance system is aimed at improving security, preventing customs violations and reducing accidents.

Previously, security cameras had only been installed at the Islam Qala and Torghundi customs posts.

The Taliban’s Ministry of Interior has separately announced the installation of thousands of cameras across Kabul “to strengthen security and prevent crime.” Reports suggest the group now monitors life in the capital using 90,000 CCTV cameras.

Amnesty International has warned that such surveillance, carried out under the pretext of security, undermines freedoms and violates citizens’ privacy, particularly that of women.

Media reports have also indicated that Chinese technology company Huawei is assisting the Taliban in installing the systems.

Speaking at a press conference, Motamedian said the figure includes both voluntary returnees and migrants who were arrested and deported by security forces.

The governor described the number of deportations during this period as significant, noting that last year about 220,000 Afghan migrant students were enrolled in schools in Tehran province. Following the implementation of the deportation plan, that figure has fallen to 80,000.

He said roughly 6,000 classrooms that had been allocated to migrant students are now available to Iranian pupils without the need for additional school construction.

According to Motamedian, about half of all Afghan migrants in Iran were living in Tehran province. The process of identifying undocumented migrants began with the start of President Masoud Pezeshkian’s administration, he said.

Deported Afghans have reported that Iranian police have detained and expelled them despite holding valid residency documents, including visas. Some have alleged that deportations were carried out with violence.

The expulsions are ongoing, and several international organisations have condemned the mass return of Afghan migrants from Iran as a violation of international law.

Marking the third anniversary of Habibi’s detention, Ahmad Shah Habibi said his brother had no ties to the CIA and had never cooperated with the agency.

The Taliban detained Habibi in connection with the 2022 killing of al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri in Kabul, though he had returned to the Afghan capital from the United Arab Emirates five days after the operation. Ahmad Shah said US agencies failed to warn his brother or prevent his return.

He claimed the CIA continues to provide funding and intelligence to the Taliban’s General Directorate of Intelligence, the same body he alleges is responsible for his brother’s detention.

The Taliban denies holding Habibi, but US officials believe he is in their custody. Washington has offered a $5 million reward for information on his whereabouts. Ahmad Shah said repeated requests to meet with CIA officials have gone unanswered, and he urged the agency to use its contacts to negotiate his brother’s release.

He warned that if his brother dies in Taliban custody, the CIA will bear responsibility.

Mansoor had claimed that Pakistan could not tolerate a strong central government in Afghanistan and viewed the Taliban no differently from the Mujahideen. He also alleged that Islamabad feared an independent, self-reliant Afghanistan under any leadership.

Speaking at a press briefing on Friday, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan said no country has a greater stake in Afghanistan’s stability than Pakistan. He added that the Pakistani government would raise Mansoor’s remarks directly with the Taliban administration.

Diplomatic Ties Upgraded

Khan also announced that Pakistan’s diplomatic relations with the Taliban have been elevated to the ambassadorial level under a bilateral agreement. He said the Taliban envoy in Pakistan now enjoys full ambassadorial protocol and that “no further action is required.”

The spokesperson confirmed that Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi will visit Pakistan, though no date has been set.

Earlier, a US source told Afghanistan International that Washington had blocked Muttaqi’s planned visit in response to the Taliban’s continued denial of detaining Mahmood Shah Habibi, an Afghan-American citizen. The source added that US pressure on the Taliban was “only just beginning.”