Iran Hands Over 164 Afghan Prisoners To Taliban

He argued that criticising the Taliban’s policies on women and girls from afar has had no impact.

The right-wing British politician, who three years ago said Afghanistan was better off under Taliban rule, wrote in an article for The Telegraph that continued isolation of Afghanistan does not serve Britain's national interests.

Ellwood argued that condemning the Taliban leadership’s decrees against women and girls from a distance has failed to influence the group's policies, and said Britain should pursue active diplomacy to prevent larger crises.

The former British Army officer said that after 20 years of military involvement, billions of dollars in spending and the deaths of 457 British service personnel, the campaign ended in failure and the Taliban returned to power.

Ellwood said severe poverty, the lack of employment opportunities and widespread despair among Afghanistan’s population of around 40 million have created conditions that could strengthen recruitment by Islamic State Khorasan (ISIS-K) and fuel increased migration to Europe.

The former chairman of the UK Parliament’s Defence Committee warned that ignoring Afghanistan would pave the way for deeper Chinese influence, arguing that Beijing is steadily expanding its access to the country’s vast mineral resources. Referring to the example of the late US Senator John McCain’s efforts to encourage American engagement with Vietnam after years of war, Ellwood said diplomacy does not amount to recognising or endorsing the Taliban but is instead a means of shaping the future.

Writing in The Telegraph, Ellwood said there are differing voices within the Taliban administration. While hardliners close to Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada appear content with Afghanistan’s isolation, others within government ministries recognise that international engagement is essential to revive the economy.

He argued that the West’s current policy towards Kabul is neither morally effective nor realistic, and called on Britain to reopen its embassy in Kabul.

Ellwood resigned as chairman of the Defence Committee in 2023 after making controversial remarks praising the Taliban.

At the time, he said Afghanistan was in a better position under Taliban rule than during the former republic and had achieved a degree of stability.

Ellwood’s latest call for engagement comes as the 2026 report by the Dutch Children’s Rights Foundation ranked Afghanistan last out of 194 countries for children’s rights, citing policies imposed by the Taliban administration.

In a statement issued on Thursday, the Taliban Justice Ministry said Sharaei described cooperation among security institutions in maintaining public order as essential and called on Kabul’s security commanders to give the matter serious attention.

Sharaei also urged greater cooperation between Taliban security officials and the commission responsible for preventing the illegal seizure of state land. He said the commission would continue recovering unlawfully occupied land with “determination and firmness”.

According to the ministry, the security commanders pledged to cooperate in maintaining public order, recovering seized state land and implementing Hibatullah Akhundzada’s directives.

The meeting came days after the Taliban justice minister ordered the detention of more than 30 Shia Muslims in his private prison for displaying Muharram flags and symbols in Kabul. On Wednesday, Sharaei released the detainees’ following instructions from the Taliban’s prime minister and interior minister.

At the same time, Taliban security forces acting on Sharaei’s orders raided the headquarters of private broadcaster Tamadon TV in Kabul and suspended its broadcasts. Officials at the station said on Wednesday that unidentified individuals were removing the broadcaster’s equipment and other property.

Sharaei is regarded as one of the Taliban’s most influential ministers. In addition to overseeing the group’s official detention facilities, he reportedly operates a private prison where several people have been detained in recent years, including over land disputes.

According to the German Press Agency (dpa), Merz made the remarks on Wednesday during a question-and-answer session in the German parliament in response to criticism from the Green Party.

Merz stressed we are not normalising this regime.

He added that diplomatic relations exist between states rather than governments, and that Germany has always maintained diplomatic relations with Afghanistan as a state.

Merz said Germany was not extending a hand of friendship to the Taliban regime but was cooperating with it only at the lowest technical level and solely in Germany’s national interest.

The chancellor said the purpose of these contacts is to facilitate the return of Afghan migrants who have committed crimes in Germany. He added that he fully and unequivocally supports the efforts of German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt in pursuing that policy.

On Monday, a spokesperson for Germany’s Foreign Ministry said up to four additional Taliban diplomats are expected to arrive in Germany to facilitate the deportation of more Afghan migrants.

According to the spokesperson, more consular staff are needed to issue additional passports. The German government, he said, will carefully vet the individuals before granting them visas.

According to the group, its fighters attacked a Taliban base in the village of Qolak, in the Alingar district, at around 1:30 pm local time on Wednesday, June 24.

In a statement, the AFF said the assault began with rocket-propelled grenades and small arms fire and lasted for about 15 minutes.

The group claimed the attack inflicted casualties on Taliban forces but did not provide specific figures for those killed or wounded.

The AFF also said none of its fighters were harmed during the operation.

Taliban local officials have not publicly commented on the reported attack or the claimed casualties. Afghanistan International has been unable to independently verify the incident or the figures provided.

The Afghanistan Freedom Front is one of several armed groups opposing the Taliban and has claimed responsibility for dozens of guerrilla attacks against Taliban personnel and officials since the group returned to power.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, Tamadon TV said any seizure, transfer, removal or interference with the network’s assets lacked a legal basis and could constitute unlawful appropriation of property.

The statement noted that the building also contains private residential units and stressed that the belongings of residents must be respected.

The broadcaster warned that any damage, destruction, loss, unauthorised transfer or harm to the station’s property or personal belongings within the building would be the legal responsibility of the Taliban Interior Ministry and other relevant authorities.

On Tuesday, Tamadon TV announced that Taliban forces had halted its broadcasts after raiding the network’s headquarters in Kabul.

A senior official at the station told the Afghanistan Journalists Center that security personnel linked to the Taliban Justice Ministry entered the premises at around midday, shut down transmissions and treated staff with what was described as insulting and degrading behaviour.

The Afghanistan Journalists Center condemned the raid and closure of the broadcaster, saying the Taliban’s actions reflected the group’s continuing efforts to suppress independent media, silence minority voices and undermine freedom of expression.

Tamadon TV was founded in 2006 in Kabul by Mohammad Asif Mohseni, the late leader of Afghanistan’s Islamic Movement Party. In addition to news programming, the channel broadcast religious content as well as films and television series with Islamic themes.

The Taliban Justice Ministry had previously suspended the station’s operations in May 2024, citing its affiliation with the Islamic Movement Party and its alleged use of state land that had been illegally seized. The ministry argued that media outlets linked to political parties are not permitted to operate.

The Taliban have also stated that Khatam al-Nabieen Seminary and Khatam al-Nabieen University, both affiliated with the now-dissolved Islamic Movement Party of Afghanistan, are not authorised to continue operating. According to the group, the institutions were built on state land that had been unlawfully appropriated and are therefore subject to closure.