Taliban Delegation To Travel To Türkiye For Fresh Round Of Talks With Pakistan

The organisation said the Taliban continue to detain, harass, and imprison journalists in Afghanistan without charge.

Nai reported that Pakistani police had arrested Afghan journalist Fatima Hamnawa, who lives in Pakistan, along with her two children. The organisation expressed concern that she may be deported to Afghanistan.

Hamnawa, like many other Afghan refugees, had been living in Pakistan on a temporary visa and was detained after her visa expired.

The Pakistani government has stopped extending visas for Afghan migrants and has deported hundreds of thousands over the past year. Human rights and press freedom groups have repeatedly warned that activists and journalists are among the most vulnerable and should not be forced to return to Afghanistan.

Nai called on the Pakistani government to release Hamnawa and allow her visa to be renewed.

The organisation also reminded authorities that Pakistan had previously pledged not to arrest or deport Afghan human rights defenders and journalists. It urged Islamabad to honour that commitment and prevent the forced return of vulnerable individuals.

In a separate statement on Tuesday, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said Taliban intelligence agencies continue to suppress, detain, and humiliate independent journalists, treating them “like criminals.”

The suspension is reportedly in protest against new Taliban restrictions on female employees.

According to the sources, the suspension followed a directive from the Taliban’s Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, which imposed new limitations on women’s employment in the border region of Islam Qala, along the Iranian frontier.

At least four credible sources said that last Thursday, Taliban enforcers from the ministry visited aid agencies in Islam Qala and announced that women were no longer permitted to work in the health sector or with any charity or humanitarian organisation. Officials reportedly warned that even in health services, women could only work if fully covered, including burqa, mask, and gloves.

On Saturday, another group of Taliban officers returned and issued a new order allowing only one or two female doctors to continue working, while all other female employees including vaccinators, health trainers, and humanitarian staff were told to leave their workplaces immediately.

Sources said that a meeting was later held between representatives of the Taliban’s Foreign Ministry, the Vice and Virtue Ministry, and international organisations. During the meeting, it was decided that only four women would be allowed to continue working in health services across all Islam Qala border camps.

UN and aid agency representatives reportedly warned that if the restrictions persisted, they would halt their operations entirely. Following these objections, humanitarian aid and assistance programmes in Islam Qala have been suspended until further notice.

The development comes as hundreds of Afghan returnees from Iran continue to cross daily into Afghanistan through the Islam Qala border.

Afghanistan dominated the first half, scoring six goals to Tajikistan’s two, and added three more in the second half while Tajikistan managed three.

In the first half, Mahdi Nowruzi, Seyyed Murtaza Hosseini, Seyed Mojtaba Hosseini, and Akbar Kazemi each scored once, while Abbas Haidari netted twice. During the second half, Murtaza Hosseini added two more goals and Kazemi scored again to seal the victory.

The sixth edition of the Islamic Solidarity Games futsal tournament is taking place in the Saudi capital, featuring two groups. Afghanistan is in Group B alongside Iran, Morocco, and Tajikistan, while Group A includes Saudi Arabia, Uzbekistan, Libya, and Azerbaijan.

Afghanistan is scheduled to face Iran on 6 November and Morocco on 8 November.

Migrants said police extortion has intensified, with demands in some cases reaching up to 100,000 Pakistani rupees.

Samiullah (a pseudonym), an Afghan migrant in Islamabad, said his younger brother was arrested two nights ago but released after paying 20,000 rupees. “Almost every night, police patrol different parts of the city and arrest Afghans,” he told Afghanistan International. “They mostly detain young men and demand money along the way.”

Another Afghan migrant, Aman (a pseudonym), said police have become increasingly demanding. “Previously, police would release Afghans for 20,000 rupees,” he said. “Now they won’t accept less than 100,000.”

Migrants claim police are aware of their residences and are targeting neighbourhoods where recently arrived Afghans live.

The allegations come amid growing reports of mistreatment and extortion of Afghan migrants by Pakistani authorities. In recent months, Islamabad has also suspended visa extensions for Afghans who entered the country legally, leaving many at risk of deportation.

Following heightened border tensions with the Taliban, Pakistan has announced plans to expel all undocumented Afghan migrants from the country.

According to Die Welt, this is the fourth relocation flight since the new German government took office in May. Just last week, 14 Afghan citizens arrived in Germany under the same programme.

Following the Taliban’s return to power four years ago, Germany’s previous government launched a humanitarian admission programme for at-risk individuals including former local staff, human rights defenders, and journalists.

The current coalition government in Berlin has said it plans to scale back such voluntary resettlement initiatives and is reviewing whether previous commitments remain legally binding.

According to the German Interior Ministry, around 1,900 Afghan citizens currently in Pakistan are awaiting completion of their transfer process to Germany. Islamabad has reportedly given Berlin until the end of this year to finalise their cases.

Previously, three groups of Afghans under the same programme were relocated to Hanover via Pakistan and Istanbul.