Despite criticism over deporting asylum seekers with criminal records to Afghanistan, Alexander Dobrindt, Germany’s interior minister, said the policy will continue firmly, calling such offenders a security threat.
He told the broadcaster ARD on Sunday evening that those opposing deportations should explain whether Germany would be safer if such individuals remained in the country.
According to published information, at least 138 Afghan asylum seekers have been deported from Germany to Afghanistan over the past year.
Reports also indicate that the German government has reached an arrangement with the Taliban to facilitate regular deportations. In return, the Taliban have been allowed to send two diplomats to Germany.
Human rights organisations and those politicians, who are critic of the move, argue that Afghanistan is not a safe destination for deportations under Taliban rule.
The Taliban have tightened restrictions on Abdullah Abdullah, a former head of high council for national reconciliation.
A source close to him told Afghanistan International on Monday that, due to these pressures, Abdullah has halted his media activities. Sources say phone access to him has also become increasingly difficult in recent weeks.
A review of Abdullah’s social media accounts (Facebook and X) shows that he has had no activity since around 10 April (late March 2025).
He did not even offer condolences on the death of the wife of Yunus Qanuni, former vice president a close friend and political ally, while Hamid Karzai, former president, and many other political figures issued messages of sympathy.
Abdullah Abdullah, Hamid Karzai and Gulbuddin Hekmatyar are three prominent political figures who remained in Kabul after the Taliban’s return to power in August 2021.
Initially presented by the Taliban as symbols of “general amnesty” and “national unity”, the three have in recent years faced increasing restrictions.
Pressure On Remaining Political Figures
Abdullah Abdullah has not given any interviews or public speeches in the past five years and is the only senior figure from the former government to have adopted complete media silence. While he has had limited permission to travel to New Delhi to visit family, his public and media activities have been severely restricted.
Hamid Karzai, despite regular meetings with Taliban officials and foreign diplomats, has also faced growing limitations, including reported pressure for forced exile and restrictions on his public role.
Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, leader of the Hezb-e-Islami, who initially welcomed the Taliban’s return, has in recent years come under heavier pressure, including orders to shut down all Hezb-e Islami offices nationwide, arrests of party members, confiscation of property and equipment, and eviction from a government residence in Darulaman.
Fawzia Koofi, former MP, has also faced serious pressure. Months ago, the Taliban confiscated her home in Kabul, and more recently 28 April 2026, raided her family’s new residence and detained several relatives and associates in Badakhshan.
These actions are seen as an attempt to pressure her over her international advocacy against the Taliban.
The restrictions are part of a broader Taliban policy to eliminate independent political voices and consolidate exclusive control.
The Taliban have declared all political parties illegal.
This escalation comes as the Taliban continue to call on political opponents abroad to return to Afghanistan.
Shahabuddin Delawar, former minister of mines and Noorullah Noori have recently spoken of general amnesty, citing Abdullah, Karzai and Hekmatyar as examples.
This contradiction, inviting returns while increasing pressure on figures inside Kabul and their families, comes amid serious regional challenges for the Taliban, including strained relations with Pakistan, reports of a shift in Russia’s policy towards the group, and international pressure over women’s rights and regional stability.
The Taliban authorities have not yet provided an official explanation for these new restrictions, and the international community and the United Nations have so far not responded.
On 3 December 2001, Awal Gul, commander of the 4th Armoured Brigade in Nangarhar, was ordered to direct his tanks towards al-Qaeda positions in Tora Bora. Instead, he found himself facing former jihadist allies.
Awal Gul sent an envoy to Osama bin Laden with a message: “If I remain in my post, I will fire shoot at locations that you are not in them.” Bin Laden accepted, although Ayman al-Zawahiri was reportedly skeptical of the arrangement.
Tora Bora, a rugged mountainous area in Pachir wa Agam district of Nangarhar, was at the time al-Qaeda’s last major stronghold. Bin Laden, al-Zawahiri and more than 300 mostly Arab foreign fighters were positioned in caves and high-altitude peaks, some reaching 14,000 feet. Coalition airstrikes were intense, at times reaching up to 100 attacks per day, including the use of 15,000-pound bombs.
Role of Afghan Commanders & Old Ties
The siege of Tora Bora was complex because many Afghan commanders had previously worked closely with Arab mujahideen.
Awal Gul of Hezb-e Islami party led by Mawlawi Yunis Khalis had once been Bin Laden’s neighbour at Najm al-Jihad camp and hosted safe houses for Arabs in Jalalabad.
Mawlawi Noor Mohammad Haqpal also played a role in passing messages and facilitating the escape of fighters.
Hazrat Ali and Hajji Mohammed Zaman aka Zaman Ghamsharik led ground forces, but local rivalries and old ideological ties complicated the battle.
According to sources present at the time, Afghan fighters were often reluctant to engage directly with “former mujahideen”. Meanwhile, the Americans were wary of fuelling anti-US sentiment and preferred to rely on air power and local forces. Proposals such as sealing the Durand Line by James Mattis, the then US navy commander, were not seriously pursued.
Bin Laden’s Escape
By mid-December, as pressure mounted, tribal networks and local commanders opened escape routes. Bin Laden and al-Zawahiri were first moved to a safe area in a blacked-out vehicle with the help of Awal Gul and then handed over to Mawlawi Noor Mohammad. From there, they crossed the Kunar River and were taken to the homes of Haji Khan Jan and Kashmir Khan, commanders linked to Hezb-e Islami, in Dangam.
During this period, a brief ceasefire and a five-kilometer withdrawal of US forces also facilitated the escape of some fighters. Many fled through mountainous routes such as Zeran Kando, Ghorak and Lalpur towards Pakistan’s Waziristan.
Later Hideouts & Life in Hiding
Bin Laden and al-Zawahiri remained for a time in the homes of Haji Khan Jan and Kashmir Khan, commanders of Hizbe Islami, in Kunar, then hid in Jandol locality. Later, they moved to Ziarat Talash and eventually to the compound near the military academy in Abbottabad. Bin Laden continued to rely on old Hezb-e Islami and tribal networks for movement and communication until he was killed on 2 May 2011.
Conclusion
The siege of Tora Bora became a symbol of the complexity of the Afghan war: a mix of old jihadist loyalties, local rivalries, political calculations and strategic missteps. Bin Laden did not make a last stand but instead exploited these divisions and networks to escape and live in hiding for years.
Note: This report is based on interviews with Haji Din Mohammad, former governor of Nangarhar, Hazrat Ali, individuals close to Awal Gul’s family and Haji Khan Jan, a former Taliban official, residents of the Tora Bora area, as well as written sources and statements by al-Zawahiri.
Khawaja Asif, Pakistan defence minister, has accused India of waging a proxy war against Pakistan using Afghan soil, claiming that Afghanistan is effectively acting on India’s behalf.
The Pakistani defence minister also alleged that both the Pakistani Taliban and the Afghan Taliban receive support from India.
Khawaja Asif said Pakistan seeks stability and peace in the region and aims to maintain relations with neighbouring countries based on mutual respect and cooperation.
He added that Pakistan’s policy is grounded in peaceful coexistence and that the country sees itself as a responsible neighbour committed to regional coordination.
Since the Afghan Taliban returned to power, Pakistan has repeatedly accused the group of providing sanctuary to members of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and other armed groups on Afghan soil, allowing them to carry out attacks against Pakistan.
The Taliban reject these allegations, saying they do not allow Afghan territory to be used against any country. They also describe Pakistan’s insecurity as an internal matter.
Tensions between the Taliban and Pakistan have in recent months escalated into open conflict.
Kazakhstan’s Transport Ministry said on Monday that grain exports to Afghanistan have risen fourfold. In the first quarter, shipments reached 302,000 tones, a 4.2-fold increase compared with last year.
The ministry said there had also been significant growth in exports to Uzbekistan and Russia, with shipments to Afghanistan showing a 4.2-fold rise.
Afghanistan is considered one of the main regional destinations for Kazakh flour and wheat.
The sharp increase in exports to Afghanistan comes as Kazakhstan has in recent years sought to expand its transit routes towards the south.
The Taliban administration, since taking power and especially after cutting trade ties with Pakistan, has prioritised strengthening economic relations with Central Asian countries.
The Taliban say Pakistani army strikes on Dangam district in Kunar province killed three civilians, including women and children, and injured 14. A Taliban district official said two schools, a clinic and two mosques were destroyed.
Taliban officials have not yet provided details about the exact timing of the attacks.
Mohammad Omar Sadiq, Taliban district governor in Dangam, said the Pakistani army has lost the ability to confront directly and has turned to targeting civilian facilities.
He added that 80 head of livestock were killed in the strikes, and that since the start of Pakistani attacks on Kunar province, 12 schools have been destroyed.
Pakistan has not yet commented on the Taliban’s claims.
Last week, Pakistan also targeted several locations in the center and various districts of Kunar province. In one of the attacks, Kunar University in the city of Asadabad, the provincial capital, was also struck.
According to Taliban figures, at least seven people were killed and more than 90 others injured in these attacks, including women and children among the wounded.
United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan said, without naming Pakistan, that dozens of casualties from the recent attacks in Kunar province, including the strike on Kunar University, have been recorded and documented.
Border tensions between the Taliban and Pakistan have now continued for more than two months. During this period, the two sides announced only a temporary ceasefire over Eid al-Fitr at the request of Turkiye, Saudi Arabia and Qatar, after which clashes resumed.
Despite mediation efforts by several countries, including China, the two sides have so far failed to reach an agreement to halt the fighting.