Taliban Pressured Family Of Dead Herat Teen To Blame Protesters, Say Sources

Responding to criticism of Islamabad’s approach towards the Taliban, Asif said the Pakistani government had repeatedly attempted to engage in dialogue with the group.

According to him, he personally travelled to Kabul twice alongside the head of Pakistan’s military intelligence agency, while further talks with Taliban officials were held in Qatar and Türkiye.

Khawaja Asif stated that they agreed to everything during the negotiations, but insisted the Taliban could not provide any written guarantees.

He also revealed that Pakistan had proposed spending 10 billion rupees to relocate militants to remote areas of Afghanistan. However, the plan was abandoned because there were no assurances that the fighters would not return to Pakistani territory.

Criticising Pakistan’s past policies towards Afghanistan, particularly during the 1980s and under General Pervez Musharraf, former president of Pakistan Asif said Pakistan became a battleground for America’s proxy war. Those who used us left behind weapons and destruction and departed, and for two generations we have been paying the price for those decisions.

In recent months, Pakistan has continued its large-scale deportation campaign against Afghan refugees. Pakistani officials say nearly three million Afghan nationals have been expelled from the country.

Asif concluded by urging members of parliament not to use insecurity as a tool for political gain and stressed the need for a collective solution to the security crisis in Balochistan and the border regions.

UNICEF’s Children’s Climate Risk Report 2026, released on Tuesday, June 16, states that 41 percent of Afghanistan’s roughly 21 million children are exposed to hazards including floods, droughts, heatwaves, extreme heat, and sand and dust storms.

The report’s data show that more than 1.7 million Afghan children are also at risk from river flooding.

According to UNICEF, Afghanistan has the highest level of child vulnerability among South Asian countries. The agency said this reflects deep gaps in essential services needed to cope with, adapt to, and recover from climate shocks.

Tajudeen Oyewale, UNICEF’s representative in Afghanistan, said: “Children in Afghanistan are already living on the frontlines of the climate crisis”. He added “What makes this especially dangerous is that climate hazards are overlapping with high child vulnerability…”.

He stressed that strengthening climate-resilient systems and services in health, nutrition, water and sanitation, education, child protection and social support is vital to protect children today and secure their future.

The report notes that droughts, floods and extreme heat are weakening food systems and reducing access to safe water. UNICEF said these factors are increasing the risk of acute malnutrition.

Millions of children under the age of five in Afghanistan currently require treatment for acute malnutrition, while nearly half of the country’s children live in severe food poverty.

UNICEF has called for urgent investment in climate-resilient services to protect children before, during and after climate-related crises.

According to the document, received by Afghanistan International on Tuesday, June 16, deputy head of the Taliban military court, instructed the heads of the group’s military courts across eight zones to enforce the order in their respective provinces.

The document states that employees who fail to comply will face “legal and religious punishment”, while their smartphones will be confiscated and destroyed. It also specifies that the order will take effect from the first day of Muharram, corresponding to June 16.

Afghanistan International has also obtained an audio message from a Taliban member informing staff that the ban applies not only in workplaces but also inside their homes.

In the recording, the Taliban official says all employees of the administration are prohibited from using touchscreen phones both at work and in their private lives, and that violators will be referred to military courts.

He stresses that the order applies to everyone receiving a salary from the Taliban administration.

According to the official, the decision was made following instructions from the Taliban leadership during an administrative meeting.

Afghanistan International previously reported that, under a verbal order attributed to Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada, the use of smartphones had been banned for Taliban members and government employees.

To monitor enforcement, the Taliban have reportedly introduced a special form requiring details including an individual’s name, position, workplace, mobile network and phone number.

Following publication of that report, Afghanistan International also obtained audio recordings of Taliban security officials instructing members to destroy their smartphones.

The messages further stated that, after destroying their devices, individuals must submit their personal details through designated forms so that compliance with the order can be fully monitored.

Laurens Soenen, spokesperson for Belgium's Foreign Ministry, said European institutions decide which meetings to hold and whom to invite.

Soenen emphasised that some of these meetings may include representatives from institutions or regimes that Belgium does not recognise. However, their presence in Brussels does not mean recognition by Belgium or constitute a direct invitation from the country.

The spokesperson added that if Belgium were to judge the appropriateness of invitations issued by European institutions during their activities, it would undermine Brussels's status as an international and diplomatic capital.

In recent days, Afghan citizens and human rights activists have held protests in several countries, including Afghanistan, Iran, Germany, France, Canada, Sweden, Austria, Spain and Belgium. The demonstrations are largely in response to the widespread and systematic human rights violations in Afghanistan, especially the situation of women and girls. Protesters have urged European institutions to cancel or reconsider the invitation to Taliban representatives.

Concerns have been expressed about a technical meeting scheduled in Brussels on June 22-23, which is reportedly expected to discuss the return of Afghan migrants without legal residence in Europe.

No visa requests from the Taliban have been received so far

Belgium's Foreign Ministry has also confirmed that no visa applications have been received from Taliban delegation members in relation to the European Commission's invitation.

It was stressed that such requests must be made by the individuals concerned and are subject to security checks. The ministry noted that the list of potential delegation members was received several weeks ago, and security screenings have been ongoing since then.

The spokesperson emphasised that any such trip would not amount to a recognition mission, and no individual cases would be examined during the meetings in Brussels.

Meanwhile, more than 80 international human rights organisations, including Human Rights Watch, along with some Members of the European Parliament, have warned against this engagement. Critics say it could be seen as legitimising the Taliban amid ongoing severe repression of women. Prominent figures such as Malala Yousafzai have also opposed such interaction. Some MEPs have called for a review of the visa process for this meeting.

Emphasis on a common European migration policy

In another section of the response, Belgium's Foreign Ministry stressed the need for a joint European policy on illegal migration.

According to the email, the ministry stated that ignoring the problem will not make it disappear and called for a structural solution within a clear European framework.

The Ministry also stated that such an approach must both safeguard fundamental rights and allow for the management of return procedures and relations with countries of origin.

The statement further stressed that Belgium should maintain a policy that is fair, coherent and in line with international obligations.

It added that the policy should be fair because it should not create de facto immunity for people residing illegally solely on the basis of Afghan nationality; coherent because it must be defined within a European framework; and consistent with Belgium’s legal principles, which are based on respect for human rights and the rule of law.

Afghans and civil society activists in 14 cities worldwide rallied under the slogan “Education, Work and Freedom”, calling for an end to repression and restrictions in Afghanistan.

The demonstrations in Herat, which started last week in Jebrail township, have now become a symbol of global solidarity with Afghan women.

From Tehran to Brussels and from Helsinki to Vancouver, protesters gathered to demand an end to the suppression of women and girls in Afghanistan.

Germany witnessed some of the largest rallies in support of the women of Herat. Demonstrators gathered in Hamburg, Berlin, Nuremberg and Stuttgart, calling for the suspension of diplomatic engagement with the Taliban and an end to restrictions imposed on Afghan women and girls.