Taliban, Iranian Officials Hold Talks On Border Cooperation

Massoud disclosed the exchange on Saturday in a discussion on the social media platform X. He said Muttaqi had urged him to end resistance against the Taliban and return to Kabul following the group’s takeover.

The meeting took place in Tehran shortly after the fall of Kabul, when armed resistance against the Taliban began. Sources at the time told Afghanistan International that Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps had invited Muttaqi to Tehran and facilitated the talks with resistance leaders.

Massoud said he challenged Muttaqi’s rejection of elections, telling participants that if his view were correct, then Islamic countries such as Iran “must not have realised their actions were un-Islamic.”

In January 2022, Muttaqi also met in Iran with former jihadi commander Ismail Khan, Massoud and other Afghan figures. After the talks, he returned to Kabul and said resistance leaders could safely return home.

Massoud has consistently stressed the Afghan people’s right to elect their leaders. In a recent interview with Afghanistan International, he said he would be prepared to negotiate with the Taliban if the group accepted principles of elections, peace and justice.

Since seizing power, the Taliban has abolished Afghanistan’s constitution and dismantled democratic and electoral institutions. The group has ruled under its strict interpretation of Islamic law for the past four years.

Opponents of the Taliban and Western governments describe the movement’s rule as autocratic and illegitimate, with decision-making concentrated in the hands of senior leaders, particularly supreme leader Hibatullah Akhundzada.

The Foreign Ministry said the initiative was created under the directive of Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.

According to the ministry, Qatar’s armed forces, in coordination with the Foreign Ministry and the Internal Security Force (Lekhwiya), have begun transporting emergency relief supplies to Afghanistan.

On Thursday, the Minister of Interior and commander of Lekhwiya said that Qatar’s International Search and Rescue Group had started its mission to support the Afghan people.

A video released by the Foreign Ministry showed that the operation includes the deployment of field hospitals, emergency food and medical supplies, shelter materials provided by the Qatar Fund for Development, and international search and rescue teams from Lekhwiya equipped with full gear.

The signing ceremony, held at Kabul’s Intercontinental Hotel, was attended by the energy ministers of Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan and the head of Tajikistan’s electricity company.

The office of Abdul Ghani Baradar, the Taliban’s deputy prime minister, said work on projects agreed with Uzbekistan also began Saturday.

According to Breshna, the projects include boosting the capacity of the 500-kilovolt Surkhan–Pul-e-Khumri transmission line, expanding the Dasht-e-Alwan and Arghandi substations, and extending the 220-kilovolt line to the Sheikh Mesri substation in Nangarhar.

Afghanistan imports most of its electricity, primarily from Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Iran. The reliance has led to shortages and lengthy power cuts, particularly in some seasons. Four years into Taliban rule and despite repeated promises, shortages persist, with some areas receiving electricity for only 12 hours a day.

Saif Khyber, a ministry spokesperson, accused Gailani of “misusing Sufism” and said the group was carrying out “practices contrary to Sharia under the cover of religion.”

The ministry said it was responsible for the “intellectual and ideological reform of society” to prevent the spread of “false ideas and misguided beliefs.” In a statement, it added: “Every faithful Muslim is obliged to protect society from practices that contradict the principles of Sharia and the Hanafi school of jurisprudence.” The statement also claimed that Afghanistan is an Islamic country where all citizens are Muslims and followers of the Hanafi school.

That assertion does not reflect the country’s religious diversity. Afghanistan is also home to Shia Muslims, Ismailis, and Hindu and Sikh minorities. Since returning to power in August 2021, the Taliban has revoked official recognition of other faiths and sects.

Khyber published a letter on his social media account on X, bearing Gailani’s signature, in which he pledged not to engage in “acts of vice” and to align his conduct with Sharia. The letter stated Gilani would “have no right to complain” if he violated the pledge. It is unclear whether he was released after signing the letter.

The ministry warned it would not allow the “misuse of religion or Sufism” for acts deemed contrary to Islamic law.

Over the past four years, the Taliban has cracked down on individuals accused of following Salafism or holding beliefs that contradict its ideology. In some regions, residents have reported being forced to convert.

Who is Ibrahim Gilani?

Sayed Mohammad Ibrahim Gailani, known as Pir Ibrahim Baba, is the nephew of Pir Sayed Ahmad Gailani, former head of the Qadiri Sufi order. His lineage traces back to the prominent Sufi Abdul Qadir Gailani, founder of the Qadiri order.

Sayed Ahmad Gailani, a former jihadist leader, served as head of the High Peace Council during Afghanistan’s National Unity Government before his death in January 2017.

The Taliban previously detained Ibrahim Gailani in July 2022 in Paktia province.

The report, released Saturday, said the controversial law is being implemented not only by Taliban officials but also through social pressure from relatives, neighbours and community leaders. A UN survey found that enforcement by male family members has doubled over the past year, rising from 22 precent to 44 precent.

The Taliban has also expanded its official enforcement network, recruiting more than 2,300 morality police with broad authority to detain people accused of violations. These enforcers, with offices across Afghanistan, strictly monitor citizens’ behaviour, dress and public conduct.

The UN report, to be presented to the Human Rights Council, said the law has deepened gender discrimination, entrenched submission within families and spread fear throughout society.

The report stated that the Vice and Virtue law reflects the Taliban leadership’s determination to impose their vision of a pure Islamic system across the country.

The Human Rights Office warned that the law has formalised the Taliban’s strict interpretation of Islam and sharply restricted personal freedoms, particularly for women. Victims of gender-based violence, it said, face “severe obstacles” in seeking justice, while Taliban officials have also been implicated in cases of forced marriage.

The report noted that Afghans continue to face overlapping crises, including economic collapse, unemployment, limited access to healthcare and the effects of climate change. The return of more than two million migrants in the past six months has further strained resources, worsening what the UN described as an already dire humanitarian situation.