Pak Presidential Spokesperson Calls Taliban 'Brainless' After Grave Desecration Report

In a statement issued on Sunday, the movement said five of its 17 leadership council members opposed provisions of the organisation’s charter and decided to separate from the group.

The statement said several leadership council members and some ordinary members disagreed with the movement’s strategy of pursuing a political solution and building national consensus.

It added that the leadership council had held hours of discussions in recent weeks in an effort to uphold the charter’s objectives and preserve unity within the organisation.

According to the statement, a majority of the founding council and members voted to continue pursuing the two strategies.

Last week, a statement circulated in the movement’s name expressing support for armed struggle against the Taliban. The National Movement for Peace and Justice later described that statement as fabricated.

The group said it believes a lasting and fundamental solution to Afghanistan’s complex crises lies within the framework of a political settlement. Such a solution, it said, should include a guaranteed intra-Afghan agreement and an accord between Afghanistan and the international community to establish a legitimate political system, strengthen security and achieve durable peace.

The anti-Taliban political movement stressed that the first step toward this goal is building consensus and unity among political forces. According to the statement, several members who opposed this core strategy and policy have now left the movement.

The movement was founded in late 2022 by several former Afghan government officials. Prominent members include Atmar, a former foreign minister, and Mohammad Masoom Stanekzai, who previously led the former government’s negotiating team.

Part of the interview was published on Sunday, 15 February, on the Pashto-language website of Iran’s state radio.

Speaking in a cautious tone, Mujahid said the Taliban does not support war but could assist the Iranian nation in dealing with the consequences of such an attack.

The Pashto website quoted him as saying that Iran had also emerged victorious during a previous US attack and would succeed again.

He appeared to be referring to a 12-day aerial confrontation between Israel and Iran, in which the United States also participated in what it described as “Operation Midnight Hammer”. During the operation, the US targeted several nuclear facilities in Iran.

Iran’s Pashto radio also quoted Mujahid as saying that the Islamic Republic’s success stemmed from the capabilities of its political system, adding that Iran has the right to defend itself.

Although Tehran has not formally recognised the Taliban as Afghanistan’s official government, it has maintained contact and engagement with the group.

The agency said it requires $216 million to support returnees and internally displaced people, but only 8 percent of the needed funding has been secured so far.

According to UNHCR figures, more than 150,000 Afghan migrants have returned from neighbouring states since the beginning of this year. The organisation warned that aid efforts, amid the arrival of thousands of people each day, are under severe strain and beyond existing capacity.

UNHCR representative Arafat Jamal told a press conference in Geneva on Friday that the speed and scale of the returns have pushed Afghanistan deeper into crisis. Afghanistan is already facing worsening hunger, intensified by mass deportations from Iran and Pakistan, declining foreign aid and continuing economic turmoil.

Jamal said the return of millions of people equivalent to about 12 percent of Afghanistan’s population has pushed the humanitarian response system to the brink.

A recent World Bank report found that rapid population growth driven by returns contributed to a 4 percent decline in per capita GDP in 2025. A new UNHCR survey also found that more than half of returning families lacked identity documents, while over 90 percent were living on less than $5 a day.

The survey showed that 5 percent of returnees plan to leave Afghanistan again, and more than 10 percent reported that a relative or community member had already departed again after returning.

The United Nations said that, given the severe humanitarian situation and the rapidly growing population, urgent additional support will be needed in 2026 to expand aid programmes and invest in reintegration efforts.

Speaking to the Islamic Republic News Agency, Ansari said the minimum water allocation to Iran under the 1973 agreement on the Hamoun wetlands must be ensured, and that Tehran is seriously pursuing implementation of the arrangement.

She stressed that Iran’s water share should be delivered in a structured and reliable manner.

Ansari said Iran’s Sistan and Baluchestan province, near the Afghan border, is currently facing water shortages because of insufficient supply, affecting people’s livelihoods.

In a statement posted on X, the group said its fighters targeted “a watchtower at the entrance to the border brigade of the Taliban’s 219th division stationed in the Qalatak area of Baharak district, Badakhshan province.” The group added that none of its fighters were harmed in the attack.

Local sources earlier confirmed to Afghanistan International that an explosion had occurred in the area. According to the sources, Taliban forces blocked roads leading to their base following the incident.

Taliban officials have not yet commented on the claim.