Taliban Clerics Impose New Restrictions On Funerals In Balkh

Witnesses said the arrests began when Taliban forces detained Dawood Kalantar, a shopkeeper who joined Tuesday’s protest. Other shopkeepers who went to inquire about him were also taken into custody.

Residents said the protest broke out after Taliban officials attempted to demolish stores in the city’s auction market. Shopkeepers resisted, arguing that the Taliban had collected taxes from the same businesses for years but were now seeking to destroy them without notice.

Several shopkeepers said the properties have been in their families for more than four decades and demanded that the Taliban provide alternative business sites before carrying out demolitions. They warned that hundreds of families would lose their livelihoods if the shops were destroyed.

Haji Zaid, spokesperson for the Taliban governor in Balkh, said the demolition was ordered under a decision by Taliban authorities in Kabul, which had contracted the land to be redeveloped into a commercial market. He said local officials were holding talks with the protesters to address their concerns.

In an interview with Al Jazeera, Mujahid said Taliban relations with the United States are primarily focused on political and economic issues. He recently travelled to Doha, where he expressed solidarity with Qatar and met local officials.

The United States lists the Taliban as a “global terrorist organisation,” and several of its senior leaders remain under sanctions. Washington froze Afghanistan’s central bank assets after the Taliban seized power in 2021 and has said normalising ties depends on fundamental changes in the group’s human rights record.

Taliban leaders have repeatedly demanded recognition from foreign governments, including the United States, and pressed for sanctions relief. So far, only Russia has formally recognised the group.

Since March, US delegations have visited Afghanistan at least twice. Visitors have included Adam Boehler, presidential envoy for hostage affairs, and Zalmay Khalilzad, Washington’s former special representative for Afghanistan. Talks with Taliban officials have focused largely on the release of American hostages.

the Taliban defense minister reaffirmed the group’s commitment to the Doha Agreement, saying Afghan soil would not be used to threaten other countries. He also highlighted efforts to build a conventional army, claiming “significant steps” had already been taken.

The sources said Akhundzada insists that his loyal representatives must attend all meetings between Taliban officials and foreign envoys. His dissatisfaction grew after Baradar’s 16 September meeting in Kabul with Adam Boehler, the US president’s special envoy for hostage affairs, according to sources in Kabul and Kandahar.

One source in Kandahar questioned why the US delegation met Baradar instead of Taliban Prime Minister Mullah Hassan Akhund.

Akhundzada has reportedly instructed that senior figures including the ministers of Hajj and Religious Affairs, Mines, Justice, or Higher Education, the chief justice, the governors of Kandahar or Balkh, or the prime minister must participate in any talks with foreign officials. All are expected to follow his directives fully.

Several Taliban ministers, including Mines and Petroleum Minister Hedayatullah Badri, the ministers of finance and economy, Deputy Interior Minister Ibrahim Sadr, and the Taliban-appointed central bank chief, later travelled to Kandahar to deliver the US delegation’s message on American prisoners.

At the Kabul meeting, Boehler told Baradar that both sides had adhered to the Doha Agreement. Baradar briefed the Americans on Afghanistan’s economic conditions, unemployment, and efforts to combat narcotics, and urged Washington to pursue engagement rather than confrontation. Baradar’s office said Boehler confirmed that Washington and the Taliban would exchange prisoners.

But sources said Akhundzada views the talks between Baradar and other Taliban officials with Boehler and former US envoy Zalmay Khalilzad as unauthorized. He has accused some officials of disobedience.

“He removed Khairullah Khairkhwa from the Ministry of Information and Culture for failing to fully carry out his instructions,” one source said. “He is now looking for an excuse to sideline Baradar as well and may reassign him to another post.”

The Taliban has not issued an official comment.

According to the sources, about a year ago in Kandahar, Akhundzada asked the Taliban’s council of clerics to find a “religious justification” for banning smartphones. The aim, they said, was to prevent criticism of the Taliban, halt negative publicity and silence voices the group described as “corrupt.”

A source in Kandahar said the clerics responded that banning smartphones was impossible because millions of dollars had been invested in the sector. They argued the move would cause severe disruption to daily life, commerce and education.

After the council’s refusal, the Taliban began efforts to filter the internet, observers said. But experts note such measures exceed the group’s technical and financial capacity, requiring advanced infrastructure, specialist engineers and significant resources.

About a month ago, a decision was made in Kandahar to cut fibre optic services first, followed by strict limits on mobile internet. The move aimed to prevent people from expressing views freely through global networks and social media, the sources said.

Several Taliban ministers reportedly travelled to Kandahar to warn Akhundzada about the damaging social and economic consequences of an internet shutdown, but he rejected their appeals and insisted on carrying out the plan.

One source said the Taliban leader has now ordered the formation of a new company to provide internet services to government institutions and diplomatic missions. Analysts believe this would both help the Taliban restrict public access to information and create economic benefits for figures close to the leadership.

Experts warn the move will have far-reaching effects, severely impacting daily life. They say it will not only restrict freedom of expression but also harm education, trade, healthcare and Afghanistan’s overall connection with the outside world.

The ministry said in a statement Wednesday that Taliban commerce minister Nooruddin Azizi met in Kabul with Mohammad Atabak, Iran’s minister of industry, mining and trade, and his delegation to discuss expanding trade ties and easing transit.

According to the statement, the two sides discussed signing trade and investment agreements, addressing customs and non-tariff barriers, and lifting restrictions at border crossings. They also highlighted the need to resolve transit challenges for Afghan goods at the Milak, Dogharoon, Chabahar and Bandar Abbas crossings.
Taliban officials asked for regular meetings of the joint economic committee, the reactivation of the joint commission, and solutions to banking problems affecting cross-border trade.

Atabak, leading the Iranian delegation, has so far met with several Taliban officials. The visit was described as focused on expanding bilateral trade, improving transit facilities and strengthening joint investment projects.

Although Tehran does not formally recognise the Taliban administration, Iran is its largest trading partner. Current trade between the two countries exceeds $3 billion annually, according to Mohammadreza Modoudi, head of the Dogharoon Free Trade and Industrial Zone.