Pakistani Islamist Leader Calls For Reopening Afghan Border Crossings

Local sources in Kandahar Province told Afghanistan International on Sunday that Taliban intelligence forces and officials from the Taliban information and culture department had shut down the local radio stations “Tahsin-al-Quran”, “Sanga” and “Zama Zeewar”.

The Taliban’s information and culture department in Kandahar said the stations were closed because they lacked official licences, had unpaid taxes and broadcast what it described as non-standard programmes.

However, the Afghanistan Media Support Organisation, citing reliable sources, said the renewal of licences and administrative procedures for the stations had been delayed by Taliban authorities in Kabul and had not been completed on time.

The organisation stressed that silencing media outlets because of administrative delays is unreasonable and unjust.

At the same time, one of the managers of the stations told the Afghanistan Journalists Center that the Taliban’s claims regarding tax debts and non-standard broadcasts, particularly concerning “Sanga” and “Zama Zeewar”, were false and merely a pretext to shut down independent media outlets.

The Afghanistan Media Support Organisation called on the Taliban to allow the three radio stations to resume operations as soon as possible and to end restrictive measures against the media.

The organisation also warned that closing media outlets amid the country’s severe economic difficulties not only deprives citizens of access to information but also threatens the livelihoods of many journalists and media workers by exposing them to unemployment.

Over the past week alone, the Taliban have suspended the operations of four local media outlets.

Earlier, the group also shut down a local radio station in Bamiyan province over what it described as a lack of proper licensing.

Zamir Kabulov, the Russian president's special envoy for Afghanistan, made the remarks in an interview with the Russian newspaper Izvestia while commenting on the future of the UN mission in Afghanistan.

He said: “Yes, of course its mandate will be extended, but with certain conditions, because there are questions regarding the mission's activities. We hope all of these issues will be taken into account.”

Kabulov did not provide further details.

The Russian envoy also referred to the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan and said the international community must move beyond statements and declarations towards practical action, whether through the United Nations or bilateral efforts.

In late March 2026, the United Nations Security Council extended UNAMA’s mandate in Afghanistan until 17 June 2026 under Security Council Resolution 2818.

This time, the mandate was extended for only three months, whereas in previous years it had usually been renewed for one year.

Yousuf Hammad, spokesperson for the Taliban's disaster management authority, said in a video statement on Saturday that severe rainfall, storms and lightning over the past two days affected 989 families in several provinces.

He added that around 100 families had been displaced by the disasters.

According to the authority, natural disasters on Thursday and Friday caused casualties and damage in the provinces of Kabul, Parwan, Kapisa, Khost, Paktia, Maidan Wardak, Uruzgan, Kandahar, Herat, Badghis, Samangan, Sar-e Pol Province, Baghlan, Takhar, Badakhshan, Laghman and Kunar.

The spokesman said at least 10 kilometres of roads were destroyed during the period, while around 966 acres of agricultural land ruined, and the crops of around 400 acres of orchards lost.

The authority added that since March 26, at least 285 people have been killed and 354 injured in natural disasters across Afghanistan.

During the same period, 874 homes were completely destroyed and 7,028 others damaged.

The Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Investment said the delegation travelled to the city of Namangan.

Aryan Zelgi Azimi, the chamber's deputy head, is leading the delegation.

The main objectives of the visit were described as expanding bilateral trade ties, exploring joint investment opportunities and increasing exports and imports between the private sectors of both countries.

The visit comes as Afghanistan’s trade relations with Central Asian countries, particularly Uzbekistan, have expanded significantly in recent months.

Following repeated border disruptions and closures with Pakistan, which sharply reduced trade with its southern neighbour, Kabul has shifted its focus towards diversifying trade partners and strengthening links with northern countries.

Tashkent has in recent years become one of Afghanistan’s key trading partners.

Previously, the two sides signed agreements worth hundreds of millions of dollars covering flour imports, cement, industrial products and the development of transit cooperation.

Earlier, Abdul Ghani Baradar, the Taliban deputy prime minister for economic affairs, expressed hope that travel between Afghanistan and Uzbekistan could eventually take place without visas.

The visit by the large Afghan trade delegation to Namangan is seen as another practical step by Afghanistan’s private sector to make use of emerging opportunities in Central Asian markets.

In a message on X on Saturday May, 23 addressed to Pina Picierno, Vice-President of the European Parliament, and to Members of the European Parliament, he wrote that values must not be sacrificed.

Massoud said that, at a time when the rules- and values-based international order is increasingly being weakened and forgotten, Europe must remain committed to the principles it has for years claimed to defend.

Massoud listed these principles as human rights, democracy, human dignity, and the rule of law, saying: "These values must not be sacrificed in the name of pragmatism or appeasement toward a terrorist regime."

In one part of his message, Ahmad Massoud said: “History will remember those who stood on the side of justice, freedom, and human dignity during one of the darkest chapters in our nation’s history.”

The European Union's invitation to the Taliban has been met with a wave of criticism and political protest.

The European Commission has confirmed that, in cooperation with Swedish authorities, it is planning to host technical meetings with a Taliban delegation in the Belgian capital over the coming summer, though the exact date of the visit has not yet been finalised.

This will be the first time that the European Union has officially hosted Taliban officials since the fall of Kabul in August 2021.

Markus Lammert, a spokesperson for the European Commission, confirmed to the media that EU migration officials and Sweden's Ministry of Justice had sent a letter to the Taliban to ascertain their readiness to attend this technical meeting in Brussels.

Pina Picierno, Vice-President of the European Parliament, warned that any agreement with the group would amount to recognising a regime committing crimes against humanity against women.

According to her, Members of the European Parliament oppose any normalisation of relations with the Taliban.

Hannah Neumann, another Member of the European Parliament, also sharply criticised the term "technical” meetings, stressing there is nothing 'technical' about opening doors to extremists while those who fought these extremists are stuck in Afghanistan, Iran or Turkiye, waiting years for visa appointments. Neumann also expressed concern that Taliban officials have now taken control of Afghanistan's consulates in Germany.

This controversial invitation comes after the International Criminal Court in The Hague, in July last year, issued arrest warrants for Mullah Hibatullah Akhundzada, the Taliban's leader, and Abdul Hakim Haqqani, the head of the group's Supreme Court, on charges of the systematic persecution of women and girls.

The Taliban at the time described these warrants as a sign of enmity towards Islam and baseless. Zabihullah Mujahid, the Taliban's spokesperson, had stated: "We do not recognise anything called the International Court, and we do not consider ourselves bound to carry out its orders."

It is not yet clear whether the Taliban delegation sent to Brussels will include individuals who are subject to European Union sanctions.

The Taliban have not yet officially confirmed or denied their attendance at the meeting or the criticism surrounding it.