China Optimistic About Progress In Taliban-Pakistan Talks

The report details cases of torture and mistreatment of detainees, stating that journalists and human rights activists especially women have been subjected to abuse, including sexual violence, in Taliban detention centres.

Severe Discrimination Against Women

The AHRC said some of the harshest restrictions on women and girls were enforced over the past year, with the Taliban’s Promotion of Virtue law increasing pressure on women.

It said women in Afghanistan live in constant fear of arrest, harassment and mistreatment. Some women’s rights activists have reportedly been tortured in detention, with cases of sexual abuse recorded.

The report warned that if the ban on girls’ education beyond primary school continues until 2030, around four million girls could be deprived of secondary and higher education.

It added that women have been among the primary victims since the Taliban’s return to power.

Detention And Torture

According to the report, detainees, particularly former security personnel, civil society activists, women’s rights defenders, journalists and those accused of links to armed opposition groups, have faced widespread mistreatment and torture over the past year.

It said Taliban intelligence facilities, especially Directorate 40, have become key sites of abuse, with some detainees reportedly dying in custody.

The report also highlighted the detention of journalists, noting that 17 media workers were arrested last year. Since the Taliban takeover, at least 165 journalists have been detained, some of whom were subjected to torture.

Judicial System Concerns

The report said changes introduced by the Taliban have undermined access to justice, with the current system lacking independence and issuing rulings based on a strict interpretation of Islamic law.

Women have been entirely excluded from judicial and legal institutions.

It added that the Promotion of Virtue law grants Taliban enforcers broad powers to detain, threaten and punish individuals, including holding them for up to three days without due process.

The report criticised the Taliban’s penal code, saying it weakens the rule of law, institutionalises discrimination and expands the use of harsh punishments.

Punishments And Executions

The report said the Taliban carried out hundreds of floggings last year, with 1,087 people punished across various provinces.

Most punishments were carried out in public, with the majority of those flogged being men. Women were mainly punished on charges of extramarital relations and “running away from home”.

Five people were executed on murder charges during the same period.

Musa Mahmoudi said the Taliban had carried out widespread and systematic human rights violations, with torture becoming a common method used against detainees.

Civilian Casualties

The report said 310 people were killed and 974 injured over the past year.

It added that more than 90 per cent of civilian casualties were linked to border clashes between Taliban and Pakistani forces, as well as Pakistani airstrikes inside Afghanistan.

The report stressed that civilians continue to bear the brunt of the conflict.

Children Under Taliban Rule

The report said children face serious challenges, including poverty, hunger, lack of access to education and healthcare, sexual abuse, forced and underage marriage, trafficking and recruitment into armed groups.

It noted that worsening conditions have left 8.7 million people facing emergency levels of food insecurity. About 45 per cent of child deaths are linked to malnutrition, with acute malnutrition exceeding emergency thresholds in most provinces.

The report added that authorities have not introduced or enforced measures to prevent the recruitment of children into armed groups.

Economic Crisis Deepens

The AHRC said economic, social and cultural rights have deteriorated since the Taliban takeover, with many gains from the previous government lost.

An estimated 9.5 million people face food insecurity, while around 4.6 million mothers and children suffer from malnutrition.

A 2025 World Bank report found that one in four young people is unemployed.

The report said rising unemployment is driven by governance changes, lack of private sector growth, capital flight, reduced foreign investment and the return of millions of Afghan migrants.

It added that although inflation is relatively lower than in some neighbouring countries, declining incomes have weakened purchasing power.

Citing international sources, the report said more than half of Afghanistan’s population, about 24.4 million people, require humanitarian assistance.

Education And Cultural Restrictions

The report said both access to and the quality of education have declined sharply due to reduced international aid, lack of investment and Taliban policies.

Schools face poor infrastructure and a shortage of qualified teachers.

It also noted restrictions on cultural life, with celebrations such as Nowruz observed quietly due to Taliban measures. Cultural and religious sites, including shrines in Kabul and Mazar-i-Sharif, were closed, and traditional celebrations were curtailed.

Under the Promotion of Virtue law, cultural events such as Nowruz and Yalda night are considered contrary to Islamic law and are banned.

China is seeking to reduce tensions, reopen trade routes and border crossings, and establish a ceasefire between the two sides.

At the same time, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said the Taliban and Pakistan, as China’s neighbours, should resolve their disputes through dialogue.

Meanwhile, the Taliban claimed on Thursday that Pakistani artillery attacks had continued in three eastern provinces.

Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry stressed that progress in the peace process requires clear, verifiable and written guarantees, saying verbal commitments are not sufficient.

In previous rounds of talks in Doha, Istanbul and Riyadh, Islamabad also demanded written assurances, but the Taliban refused to provide any, contributing to the failure of earlier negotiations.

Taher Andrabi, spokesperson for Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry, accused the Taliban of failing to honor the Doha agreement with the United States, saying the group had adhered neither to its text nor its spirit.

Observers say Pakistan is taking part in the Urumqi talks under pressure from China.

Former Pakistani envoy Asif Durrani also said Islamabad joined the talks at China’s request.

In contrast, the Taliban Foreign Ministry said on Thursday that its delegation is participating in the Urumqi talks with a balanced and principled approach, aiming for comprehensive discussions on good neighbourly relations, trade expansion and effective management of security issues.

Observers believe China, due to its significant economic interests in the region, including infrastructure projects and major investments, is keen to maintain stability between Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Concerns over security threats from Afghan territory, including militant activity and potential instability along border areas, are also driving Beijing’s active role in these negotiations.

Subhanullah Azzam, the Taliban’s head of information and culture in Khost, said the fighting took place in the Ghulam Khan area of Gurbuz district.

No details have yet been released about possible casualties or damage. However, local sources reported that gunfire was also heard in border areas of Alisher, Tirazayi and Zazi Maidan districts.

The clashes come as China seeks to bring Pakistan and the Taliban to the negotiating table. Sources say Beijing aims to reduce tensions, reopen trade routes and potentially secure a ceasefire.

Uzbekistan also called on Pakistan on Thursday to continue negotiations with the Taliban.

Yousuf Hammad, spokesperson for the Taliban’s disaster management authority, said on Thursday, April 2, in a video that heavy rain and flooding had continued over the past 24 hours in 18 provinces.

He said the rainfall had caused floods that completely destroyed 348 homes, while a further 798 houses were damaged.

Flooding also damaged 244 kilometres of roads and 3,048 hectares of agricultural land across various provinces. According to the authority, 201 families have been displaced.

The provinces affected include Kabul, Panjshir, Paktika, Khost, Logar, Maidan Wardak, Ghazni, Kandahar, Zabul, Uruzgan, Herat, Faryab, Badghis, Jawzjan, Baghlan, Badakhshan, Nangarhar and Laghman.

Abdul Qahar Balkhi, spokesperson for the Taliban Foreign Ministry, said in a statement on Thursday, April 2, that the talks are being held at China’s request and based on mutual respect and constructive engagement with Pakistan.

He said the Taliban delegation would take part based on a balanced and principled approach and intends to hold comprehensive and responsible discussions with the other side on good neighbourly relations, strengthening trade ties and the effective management of security issues.

Balkhi added that the Taliban believe diplomatic engagement grounded in mutual respect, non-interference and constructive understanding can provide practical and lasting solutions to existing issues with Pakistan and help create conditions for stability and cooperation in the region.

At the same time, Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson said a delegation of senior officials had been sent to Urumqi for talks with the Afghan Taliban. He said the delegation is there to explore a sustainable solution to cross-border terrorism from Afghanistan.

Informed sources in the Taliban Foreign Ministry told Afghanistan International on Wednesday that the group had sought China’s help to bring Pakistan to the negotiating table.