Taliban Have Made Afghanistan a Regional Terrorism Hub, Says US Think Tank

Sources told Afghanistan International that at least two patrol vehicles belonging to the Taliban’s Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice were present on Herat’s 64-Metre Road, where several women were detained.

According to the sources, the vehicles were filled with detained women, although the exact number remains unclear.

Among many residents of Herat, 64-Metre Road is also known as Juma Bazaar, where new and second-hand household goods are auctioned every Friday.

Images obtained by Afghanistan International show two Taliban vehicles transporting a number of women from the area.

The wave of arrests of women in Herat began in mid-June.

Residents of Jebrail township took to the streets on Tuesday, June 9, to protest the detentions. Demonstrators chanted “Education, Work, Freedom” and “Woman, Life, Freedom”.

Taliban forces dispersed the protest by opening fire and beating demonstrators.

At least two teenage boys were killed, and more than 20 people were injured.

Several protesters were also detained.

Three days later, on Friday, June 12, a group of Herat residents gathered outside the Taliban governor’s office. Protesters again called for an end to the detention of women and demanded the right to education and work.

Before the protest began, the Taliban deployed hundreds of armed personnel and military vehicles across the city. Taliban forces fired on the crowd, dispersed the demonstrators and detained several participants.

The detention of women and the suppression of protests in Herat prompted demonstrations in nearly 30 cities worldwide. Afghans and supporters of women’s rights gathered in parts of Europe, Canada, the United States, Australia and other countries.

Chanting “Education, Work, Freedom”, demonstrators called for an end to the detention of women, a halt to the crackdown on protesters and urged governments not to normalise relations with the Taliban.

In a statement released alongside the award, the Orwell Foundation said Afghan women judges had played a vital role over the past two decades in tackling corruption and handling cases involving violence against women and children. However, after the withdrawal of Western forces and the Taliban’s return to power, their lives were placed at grave risk, as the Taliban released thousands of prisoners, including people convicted by those same judges.

Accepting the award, Bartlett said being shortlisted had come as a surprise and that the honour belonged to Afghanistan’s women judges, whom she described as extraordinarily brave.

She also criticised the situation in Afghanistan, saying that while she was able to live and write freely in Britain, Afghan women and girls had been deprived of basic rights, including access to work, education and freedom of movement.

Rohan Silva, chair of the Orwell Prize judges, praised the book, published by Duckworth Books, for its powerful storytelling, deep empathy, and clear prose. He said it had succeeded in bringing global attention to an important story, highlighting in particular the experiences of Reyhana Atayi, who served as a judge in Nangarhar under dangerous and difficult conditions.

Status of the Evacuated Women Judges

According to the International Association of Women Judges, which coordinated the rescue and relocation effort, nearly 180 of Afghanistan’s approximately 260 women judges have so far been evacuated with their families to safe countries.

They are now living in countries including the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, Australia, Brazil and several other European nations. Canada accepted 40 families under its government refugee resettlement programme, with most now living in Toronto and surrounding areas.

However, official reports indicate that around 45 women judges remain in precarious circumstances. Some are hiding inside Afghanistan, while others are living in Pakistan with expired visas and fear deportation.

Taliban Policies Against Women

After returning to power, the Taliban dismantled Afghanistan’s previous judicial system and removed all women judges from their positions.

Over the past five years, the group has issued dozens of restrictive decrees banning girls from education beyond the sixth grade and university, while imposing sweeping restrictions on women's employment.

Women in Afghanistan are now barred from working in government institutions, non-governmental organisations and UN offices, as well as from entering many public places, including parks, recreational areas and sports stadiums. Many international organisations and human rights advocates describe these policies as a form of gender apartheid.

Provincial authorities have completed preparations for the operation, and security agencies have compiled lists of Afghan migrants living in different parts of Peshawar.

According to Pakistani media, Peshawar police have finalised the details of those covered by the plan and requested support from federal forces. Police said the operation will officially begin after the conclusion of the polio vaccination campaign.

In the first phase, Afghan families living in Peshawar and surrounding areas will be transferred to the Nasir Bagh transit centre. After registration and completion of administrative procedures, they will be deported to Afghanistan through the Torkham border crossing.

Peshawar police have gathered information on Afghan migrants from various parts of the city, including Afghan Colony, Charsadda Road, Bakhshu, Ring Road, Nasir Bagh, Board Bazaar, Rashid Garhi, Panj Katha Chowk, Shero Jhangi, Khazana and Warsak Road. Separate lists have also been compiled for Afghan nationals working in the fruit market, vegetable market, Sheba Bazaar, Khyber Bazaar and other markets and factories across the city.

Last month, Pakistan’s Interior Ministry instructed the governments of the country’s four provinces, as well as Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan, to detain all undocumented Afghan migrants from July 10. The move forms part of Islamabad’s latest nationwide campaign to arrest and deport undocumented Afghan nationals.

Naseer Ahmad Faiq, Afghanistan’s representative to the United Nations, described the nomination as a positive development but said its success would depend on the Taliban’s cooperation. Nasir Andisha, Afghanistan’s ambassador in Geneva, argued that the Bangladeshi diplomat would not be able to pull UNAMA out of what he described as its current deplorable situation.

A UN official confirmed to Afghanistan International that Secretary-General António Guterres had formally nominated senior Bangladeshi diplomat Rabab Fatima as his new special representative for Afghanistan and head of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) in a letter sent to the UN Security Council.

The Security Council has not yet formally approved the nomination, but members are expected to announce their decision within the next 24 hours. If confirmed, Fatima will succeed Roza Otunbayeva at the helm of UNAMA during one of Afghanistan’s most challenging political and humanitarian periods.

The appointment comes shortly after the UN Security Council unanimously voted to extend UNAMA’s mandate for another year.

Faiq welcomed the appointment of a woman to the post, saying it reflected the important role women continue to play at both regional and global levels.

He said Fatima’s success in the role would depend on three factors: strong backing from the Security Council, cooperation from the Taliban despite existing challenges, and her own commitment to carrying out the mission in line with the UN Charter.

Meanwhile, Andisha said discussions over the appointment had been under way for months and that there had been broad agreement the position should be filled by a woman, a Muslim and someone from the region.

He described the nomination as a serious and clear message to the Taliban, which has imposed sweeping restrictions on the rights and freedoms of Afghan women and girls since returning to power.

However, Andisha expressed scepticism about whether the leadership change would improve UNAMA’s performance. Asked whether the new head could pull the mission out of what he called its deplorable situation, he replied, unfortunately not.

Who Is Rabab Fatima?

Rabab Fatima is a veteran Bangladeshi diplomat with extensive experience at the United Nations. She has previously served as president of the UNICEF Executive Board, president of the UN Women Executive Board and vice-president of the Executive Board of the UN Development Programme. She is widely recognised for her work in development, human rights and multilateral cooperation.

A Mission at a Critical Time

UNAMA was established in 2002 under UN Security Council Resolution 1401 following the fall of the Taliban’s first regime. Its mandate is to support peace efforts, reconstruction, institution-building and the promotion of human rights in Afghanistan.

If approved by the Security Council, Fatima will assume leadership of the mission as Afghanistan continues to face a humanitarian crisis, political deadlock, international isolation and sweeping restrictions on women’s rights. Her success or failure is therefore expected to depend not only on her diplomatic abilities, but also on the level of Security Council support and the Taliban’s willingness to engage with the United Nations.

In a statement issued on Thursday evening, the NRF said one Taliban military vehicle was also destroyed during the operation and that neither civilians nor its fighters were harmed.

The group reiterated that its forces would continue carrying out targeted attacks against Taliban positions until the people and the country are freed from Taliban rule.

The Taliban have not yet commented on the reported attack.