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The commemoration took place at Kabul’s Loya Jirga Hall and was attended by senior officials, including Deputy Prime Minister for Administrative Affairs Abdul Salam Hanafi, Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani and Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi.

Several influential figures were absent, however, including Prime Minister Mullah Hassan Akhund, Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, Defence Minister Mullah Yaqub, and Intelligence Chief Abdul Haq Wasiq. Supreme Leader Hibatullah Akhundzada also remained unseen, in line with his pattern of avoiding major political gatherings and limiting appearances to small religious events in Kandahar.

Analysts pointed to several factors behind the Taliban’s caution. Previous military parades at Bagram airbase drew sharp criticism from US President Donald Trump, who demanded the return of the base and American-made weaponry. Seeking to avoid further confrontation with Washington, the Taliban refrained from staging a display at Bagram this year.

Despite their anti-US rhetoric, Taliban leaders appear wary of American reactions. On Friday, Muttaqi reiterated that the Taliban seeks better relations with Washington, though US officials have shown little interest.

On the eve of the anniversary, Taliban officials claimed to have foiled an Islamic State (ISIS) plot to attack Bagram, releasing images of a man with two rocket launchers. No event had been scheduled at the base, leading observers to suspect the claim was used to justify the scaled-down commemoration.

Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid later told local media that funds originally allocated for a military parade were redirected to support Afghan migrants expelled from neighbouring countries.

The muted tone of this year’s anniversary recalls Mujahideen Victory Day on 28 April, once a major public holiday celebrating the 1992 fall of the Soviet-backed government. Initially marked with mass rallies, the event gradually diminished to smaller official gatherings before fading from Afghanistan’s political calendar. Analysts say the Taliban’s “Victory Day” of August 15 could follow the same path.

Hayatullah, known as “Ghalchaki Tangiwal,” urged his supporters on social media to help transport the bodies of those killed in the Zhob incident and to join retaliatory attacks. “Do not leave us alone,” he appealed.

Hayatullah previously commanded the “Fatih Caravan” under Sangeen’s group in the Haqqani Network and led a combat unit in Paktika’s Zerok district.

On 7 August, the Pakistani army used drones to target a group of 33 Pakistani Taliban fighters moving from Paktika’s Warmami district toward Zhob, Balochistan, killing and wounding several.

Sources in Warmami told Afghanistan International that a day later, Hayatullah’s fighters forced doctors from clinics to treat wounded Pakistani Taliban members.

Sangeen’s faction has long been accused of fighting alongside Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) against Pakistani forces. The Afghan Taliban has reportedly placed several of the faction’s leaders, including Bilal Fatih, brother of Mawlawi Sangeen, under house arrest.

The group gathered outside the General Directorate of the Pension Fund, accusing the Taliban of ignoring their repeated demonstrations and failing to address their claims.

Abdul Wasi, one of the protesters, said he has lived without pay since 2021 and has no idea how much longer he must wait. He accused pension officials of deliberately delaying payments and evading responsibility.

The retirees said they timed their latest protest with the fourth anniversary of Taliban rule, hoping their appeals would reach the group’s leadership. Former government employees warned they will continue demonstrations until their pensions are restored.

More than 160,000 retirees regularly received pensions before the Taliban takeover, but the system has since been halted. In December 2023, Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada issued an eight-article decree instructing retirees to apply to special courts to claim benefits. The process has yet to be implemented, and no payments have been made.

In a statement, the ministry said Mamundzay praised the Taliban’s cooperation and described Afghanistan’s current security situation as significant for the country’s future.

Abdul Kabir reportedly told him that following the Taliban’s declaration of a “general amnesty,” no one would be questioned over past roles and that “no one would dare to do so.”

However, international human rights organisations have repeatedly challenged Taliban assurances, documenting cases in which former soldiers and officials have been detained, tortured or killed. Rights groups say many employees of the former government were forced to flee Afghanistan after the Taliban seized power in 2021.

In a statement on Sunday, the agency said returnees were struggling to rebuild their lives amid growing humanitarian needs inside Afghanistan.

UN Secretary-General spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said that 1.7 million Afghans have returned from the two neighbouring countries since the start of this year. He noted that most had limited ties to local communities and were finding it difficult to secure shelter and livelihoods.

Citing the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), Dujarric stressed that additional funding for Afghanistan remains urgent. OCHA had already warned in June that aid operations in the country were facing a severe budget shortfall.