Head Of Local Radio In Logar Freed After Two Weeks In Taliban Custody

In a statement posted on X on Wednesday, the Taliban morality ministry spokesperson described reports linking its agents to the abuse of women as “baseless”.

Khybar said there was no credible evidence connecting the woman seen in the video to the institution or confirming that she was an official employee. However, the spokesperson did not clarify whether she may have been working informally with the ministry.

The Taliban described the incident as a personal and family dispute, saying it resulted from internal disagreements within the family.

The ministry also claimed that a relative of the assaulted woman had confirmed the incident was a private matter, though it provided no evidence to support the assertion.

Earlier, at least five sources in Kabul told Afghanistan International that Taliban morality police had detained several women in the city for allegedly failing to wear face veils or comply with the group’s dress code.

Male inspectors from the ministry are commonly seen in Afghan cities wearing white clothing and turbans. The Taliban have not officially confirmed whether women work within the ministry.

However, United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan reported last year that female morality inspectors were operating in Pul-e-Khumri city of northern Baghlan province.

According to the UN mission, the Taliban have also informally paid women in Kandahar and Nangarhar provinces to monitor compliance with morality laws.

There have also been reports of female inspectors operating in Parwan province.

In a post on X, she said such a process could reinforce rather than weaken the Taliban.

She argued that if European countries return young Afghan men to Afghanistan amid severe poverty and widespread despair, they may be forced to join Taliban structures to survive, securing basic needs such as food and shelter.

According to Neumann, these structures may include Taliban-linked networks or religious schools that in some areas provide not only education but also basic living support.

She added that authoritarian systems maintain power through violence, economic dependency, social control and enforced loyalty.

In her message addressed to Friedrich Merz, Chancellor of Germany, Neumann warned that any coordinated return of Afghan migrants could increase the Taliban’s power while also contributing to the group’s normalisation and international legitimacy.

She concluded that such policies would not improve security in Afghanistan but would instead strengthen extremist and governing structures linked to the Taliban.

The Taliban Ministry of Mines and Petroleum said on Wednesday that the meeting addressed unfulfilled commitments in the Aynak contract. According to the ministry, the Chinese side pledged to carry out remaining obligations under the agreement.

However, China continues to act cautiously and has delayed practical progress on the project, with little tangible advancement in recent years despite repeated assurances.

Security concerns and attacks targeting Chinese nationals in Afghanistan appear to be key factors behind this caution. In January, a suicide attacker detonated explosives at a restaurant frequented by Chinese nationals in Kabul, killing several people, including one Chinese citizen.

Following the attack, China advised its citizens to avoid travelling to Afghanistan. A report by Foreign Policy also highlighted the Taliban’s inability to guarantee the safety of Chinese workers.

According to the report, between November 2024 and February 2026, Chinese nationals were targeted in at least seven incidents near the Afghanistan–Tajikistan border, leaving at least nine dead and 10 others injured.

Nearly 18 years have passed since the $2.9 billion Aynak copper contract was signed between Afghanistan’s former government and China’s Metallurgical Corporation of China. The project was halted after the discovery of archaeological remains, with extraction postponed pending their preservation and relocation.

The Taliban now prioritise mining as part of their economic strategy, citing limited financial resources, and have repeatedly expressed frustration over delays at Aynak copper mine.

Earlier reports indicated that the Chinese company had also proposed plans to protect the site’s historical artefacts alongside extraction. However, the project remains suspended and uncertain.

Since returning to power, the Taliban have repeatedly stressed the need to begin and accelerate work at Aynak, but China’s reluctance to move forward appears to remain a major obstacle, fuelling frustration in Kabul.

The Taliban Justice Ministry said on Tuesday that it had held an entrance examination for issuing licences to defence lawyers.

Speaking to applicants, Haidar said there was a shortage of defence lawyers in districts where Taliban courts operate and that the examination aimed to expand legal services in remote areas.

However, he also urged lawyers to “appropriately represent” the Justice Ministry and the Taliban system once licensed.

Legal experts warn that requiring defence lawyers to align themselves with Taliban authorities would undermine their professional independence.

They say lawyers operating under such conditions would no longer function as independent defenders of clients’ rights, but instead as representatives of Taliban interests within the judicial system.

Critics argue that this approach could further weaken access to independent legal representation for Afghan citizens.

Taliban courts have continued to issue punishments, including flogging and prison sentences, across various provinces, while defendants reportedly have limited access to independent lawyers.

The Kandahar governor’s office said on Wednesday, May 6, that governors, police chiefs, intelligence heads, military court officials and brigade commanders from Zabul, Helmand, Uruzgan and Daikundi attended the meeting.

Mullah Shirin Akhund said ensuring security is the Taliban administration’s top priority and urged officials to intensify efforts to improve it further.

According to the statement, he stressed coordination and cooperation among all Taliban officials in the south-west zone, adding that development work carried out in one province should be replicated across others in the region.

Shir Mohammad Sharif, Governor of Zabul, Amanuddin Mansoor, Governor of Helmand, Abdul Rahman Muslim Kunduzi, Governor of Uruzgan, and Torjan Ahmadi, Governor of Daikundi were among those present.

Officials presented their achievements to Mullah Shirin Akhund, though no images of the meeting were released.

Other topics included enforcing the decrees of Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada, ensuring security, preventing land grabbing, curbing the cultivation, trafficking and trade of narcotics, and tackling begging.

The Kandahar governor’s office said the meeting also emphasised price controls, aid to the poor, strengthening religious and formal education, and enhancing ties between the public and Taliban authorities.

Mullah Shirin Akhund and Yousuf Wafa, Balkh’s Governor, are considered close and trusted figures of the Taliban leader and have previously chaired similar regional meetings in southern and northern Afghanistan.