Region Must Act As Afghanistan Becomes Terror Hub, Says Former Pakistani Envoy

The directives, delivered in mosques across several districts, have sparked criticism and warnings that the practice could fuel domestic tensions.

Residents told Afghanistan International that Taliban officers have recently intensified visits to neighbourhood mosques, urging families to submit women who “do not listen to male family members, go to the market without permission, or fail to observe full hijab.”

Over the past ten days, residents say the officers have repeatedly called on worshippers to follow Taliban instructions and report women who do not meet their standards. In District 9 and other areas, Taliban members reportedly locked mosque doors after evening prayers, preventing people from leaving until the officers had finished speaking.

A resident said armed men blocked anyone attempting to exit early. “We came for prayers, but then they said no one could leave,” he said. “They told us women who do not obey their husbands must be handed over to them so they can be ‘corrected’.”

Another resident in District 5 said the officers declared openly that women who disobey or fail to observe “proper hijab” must be surrendered to them. The statements have prompted strong reactions across Kandahar.

Locals say the Taliban’s demands violate family privacy and social norms. “It is extremely shameful,” one resident said. “No one will hand over his wife to be imprisoned by others.”

Another resident said the Taliban’s instructions represent “blatant interference in family affairs,” noting that similar demands have been made in several districts.

Some residents warned that the behaviour of Taliban morality officers places psychological pressure on women and could embolden men to use the Taliban’s orders as a tool of coercion at home. They cautioned that such actions are likely to increase family conflict.

The Taliban’s Supreme Court said in a statement that the punishments were carried out in the presence of the district court’s chief and members, the local police commander, officials from the Directorate of Vice and Virtue, and residents of Spin Zar district.

Sayed Mahmood Hashimi, head of the Spin Zar district primary court, reiterated the Taliban’s commitment to enforcing “Islamic Sharia,” warning that “anyone who acts against Sharia will be punished according to Sharia, and the survival of the system depends on enforcing Islamic rulings.”

Despite widespread condemnation from international human rights organisations over public corporal punishment and the mistreatment of detainees, the Taliban continue to carry out public floggings, describing them as the implementation of “Islamic Sharia.”

According to Insaf, a Peshawar-based newspaper, Afridi told reporters on Sunday that if the Taliban did not accept such an appeal, he would have “justified reasons” for taking a firm stance. He said Pakistan “belongs to us as much as we belong to Pakistan,” noting that his objections relate only to certain policies that need to be changed.

Afridi stressed that Pakistan is his country and that it is the responsibility of the national parliament and government to determine policies in the national interest. He said all issues can be resolved through dialogue and that political leaders have always emphasised negotiations.

Afridi, a member of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), was elected chief minister in October after Ali Amin Gandapur stepped down on the direction of the party leadership.

The statement follows heightened border tensions between Kabul and Islamabad and the closure of key crossings. Pakistan’s Dawn newspaper reported on 11 November that the month-long shutdown of the Torkham crossing had caused more than 4.5 billion dollars in losses to trade and to the economies of both countries.

On 18 November, the Pakistan-Afghanistan Joint Chamber of Commerce and Industry said bilateral trade had dropped from an annual 5 billion dollars to less than 1 billion because of repeated border closures.

Earlier, the Taliban’s deputy prime minister for economic affairs urged Afghan traders to use alternative trade and transit routes.

Despite this, the Taliban’s Ministry of Finance insisted that cutting trade ties with Pakistan has “not affected Afghanistan’s commerce,” saying the country’s trade with regional and global partners continues “normally and without any challenges.” The ministry said it has provided “necessary facilities” for domestic and foreign traders to operate without relying on Pakistan.

The prolonged closure of border crossings has pushed the Taliban to expand commercial cooperation with regional countries, particularly Iran and Uzbekistan. The Taliban have announced that Afghan agricultural products will be exported by air via Uzbekistan to markets in Central Asia, South Asia and Europe.

In a joint statement issued after the seventh round of the EU–Pakistan Strategic Dialogue in Brussels, Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, voiced concern over Afghanistan’s worsening social and economic conditions.

They urged the initiation of a political process within the framework of the UN-led Doha process, created following the November 2023 assessment by UN Special Coordinator Feridun Sinirlioğlu. The roadmap outlines steps toward a political process involving a broad spectrum of Afghan political actors.

According to the statement, Islamabad and the EU support a peaceful, stable and self-reliant Afghanistan that contributes to regional security. They also called on the Taliban to respect human rights, particularly the rights of women and girls, and to protect vulnerable communities.

Both sides further pressed the Taliban authorities to play a constructive role in eliminating terrorism from Afghan territory.

The joint statement said EU and Pakistani officials discussed border tensions with Afghanistan and emphasised the need for regional peace, stability and prosperity, as well as resolving disputes among neighbours through dialogue.

Relations between Pakistan and the Taliban have sharply deteriorated following Pakistani airstrikes inside Afghanistan and subsequent deadly border clashes. Islamabad accuses the Taliban of supporting and sheltering Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), a claim the Afghan Taliban deny. UN Security Council reports, however, have confirmed the significant presence of TTP commanders and fighters inside Afghanistan.