Regional Security Blocs To Hold Talks On Afghanistan & Central Asia

Rahimzai acknowledged that irresponsible armed individuals in various districts of Badakhshan have "seized" the mines, and that such actions will no longer be tolerated. He stressed that those involved in illegal mining will face serious consequences.

Speaking on Tuesday in a mosque in Shiki district of Badakhshan, in the presence of local residents, this Taliban official said that, under the division of responsibilities among government institutions, nobody has the right to interfere in mining affairs.

Following heightened tensions between local residents and Taliban forces over mining in Badakhshan, the Taliban administration dismissed the province's former head of mines and appointed Abdul Matin Rahimzai to the post from Kabul.

In his remarks, Rahimzai said: "If anyone abuses their duty, position, or responsibility, they will face severe punishment."

He added: "Those who suck the blood of the people do not have even a minute to spare and will face the consequences of their actions. From now on, no one will be allowed to squander public funds."

Local sources say that the former head of Badakhshan's mining department had previously been dismissed and Rahimzai was appointed in his place.

Reports indicate that Shafiqullah Hafizi, the dismissed head of mines in Badakhshan, was a close associate of Qari Fasihuddin Fitrat, the Taliban's army chief of staff and a resident of Yaftal district in the province.

Local sources also say that Rahimzai is from Logar province and is one of the ethnic Pashtun figures within the Taliban's structure.

Since the Taliban's takeover of Afghanistan, mining in Badakhshan has increased to an unprecedented scale. Thousands of people are engaged in unauthorised mining and, according to local sources, a considerable portion of this activity is carried out under the control of individuals affiliated with the Taliban.

In some cases, reports have also emerged of clashes between different Taliban factions over control of the mines.

The Pakistani Prime Minister, speaking on Tuesday at a military college in Quetta, said the operation would continue against terrorist proxy groups based in Afghanistan and affiliated with the Taliban.

Following the intensification of border clashes between the Taliban and Pakistan, the Pakistani military launched Operation "Ghazab-Lil-Haq" against the Afghan Taliban. It had previously launched a similar operation under the name "Azm-e-Istehkam" against Baloch militants and Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan.

Pakistan claims that more than 700 Taliban fighters have been killed during Operation "Ghazab-Lil-Haq". The Taliban reject this figure.

During his visit to Quetta, Shehbaz Sharif praised the professionalism, operational readiness, and sacrifice of Pakistan's armed forces, saying they play a vital role in safeguarding national sovereignty, peace, and stability.

He also paid tribute to the fallen members of his country's armed forces and stressed the army's commitment to defending Pakistan.

Tensions between Pakistan and the Taliban have risen to an unprecedented level in recent months, and there is no clear indication of any improvement in relations between the two sides.

Islamabad accuses the Taliban of allowing armed groups opposed to Pakistan to operate from Afghan soil and to organise their attacks from there, an allegation that the Taliban have consistently rejected.

Following direct clashes at the border, the two sides have twice agreed on a ceasefire, but these agreements have failed to bring about a lasting reduction in tensions. Furthermore, four rounds of talks between representatives of Pakistan and the Taliban, in Qatar, Turkiye, Saudi Arabia, and the Chinese city of Urumqi, have ended without any outcome.

Pakistan has stressed that military operations will continue, and that the Taliban must provide verifiable guarantees that attacks against Pakistan will not be launched again from Afghan soil.

Meanwhile, reports indicate an increase in attacks in recent days in the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The Taliban, however, have once again rejected these accusations, stating that they do not permit the use of Afghan soil against other countries.

The group released a video claiming responsibility for the attack.

In a statement attributed to Afghanistan Green Trend, the group said: “Green Unit guerrillas skilfully planted explosive materials inside the Taliban army recruitment command in Firozkoh city, Ghor province, which were later detonated.”

At least three local sources also confirmed that an explosion occurred in Firozkoh and told Afghanistan International that the blast was heard across the city.

However, the sources did not provide details about possible casualties or damage.

Afghanistan Green Trend said the exact number of Taliban casualties and the extent of the damage remain unclear but stressed that its attacks would continue “until Afghanistan is liberated”.

This is the second time Afghanistan Green Trend, led by Amrullah Saleh, former vice president of Afghanistan, has independently claimed responsibility for an attack against the Taliban through its official channels, separate from the National Resistance Front of Afghanistan led by Ahmad Massoud.

The group had previously claimed responsibility for an attack on Taliban patrol forces in Mazar-i-Sharif on April 21.

Amrullah Saleh joined the National Resistance Front in Panjshir after the fall of the Afghan republic in 2021.

A Taliban official, responding to questions from Afghanistan International, denied that the attack had taken place.

Sources in Kandahar say Taliban officials from the Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice warned YouTubers and social media activists against publishing video content on social media platforms.

One YouTuber in Kandahar said: “We made videos about the city, historical sites, markets, traditions and people’s lives to show the world that Afghanistan is not only war.”

He added that some of his productions also raised awareness about harmful social customs, drug abuse, illiteracy and other major social issues.

Several other YouTubers said their videos had received thousands and even millions of views and had played an important role in presenting Afghan culture and daily life.

According to them, YouTube had also become a source of income for many young people.

One of the creators said: “We worked hard for years. YouTube was one of our main sources of income, but now that making videos has been banned, we are effectively unemployed.”

The young creators also pointed to rising unemployment in the country, saying the restrictions on video production currently appear to apply only in Kandahar province.

Under the Taliban’s morality law, publishing images of “living beings” is prohibited.

As part of enforcing the law, the Taliban have suspended the activities of state television and several local media outlets in multiple provinces.

International organisations have repeatedly condemned the Taliban’s ban on publishing images of living beings and called on the group to revise the policy and respect freedom of expression in Afghanistan.

Those granted Indian citizenship must surrender their previous passport within 15 days.

According to a notification recently issued by India's Ministry of Home Affairs, religious minorities from Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Bangladesh applying for Indian citizenship must declare details of any passport information they hold.

Indian officials have said that this measure was introduced after cases were identified in which some applicants for Indian citizenship were still in possession of Afghan, Pakistani, or Bangladeshi passports. India does not recognise dual citizenship.

Applicants for Indian citizenship have been instructed that, if they hold a passport, they must provide all relevant information, including the number, date of issue, place of issue, and expiry date, and hand it over to the relevant authorities.

The Indian Parliament passed the country's controversial citizenship law in 2019. Under this law, the government may grant Indian citizenship to nationals of three countries, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh, who have been victims of persecution.

Muslims are not covered by this law. Under its provisions, Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Zoroastrians, and Christians who entered India before 2015 are eligible to apply for Indian citizenship.

Since the Taliban's rise to power, the rights of ethnic and religious minorities in Afghanistan have been significantly violated. This situation has led many Sikhs to seek refuge in India, Canada, and other countries.