Taliban Must Prevent Militants From Using Afghan Soil, Says Pakistani FM

In a statement to Afghanistan International, Federal Interior Ministry spokesperson Elena Singer said the decision had been taken in light of changes to the availability of passport applications at Afghan diplomatic missions, international legal requirements and recommendations issued by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).

Singer said foreign nationals entering or residing in Germany must, under Section 3(1) of the Residence Act, possess a valid and recognised passport or an approved substitute travel document.

The ministry clarified that Afghan passports extended before 1 August 2026 will not be affected by the new policy.
It also said applicants seeking to renew their residence permits in Germany must present a valid and recognised travel document.

However, Germany’s local immigration authorities will continue to assess individual cases to determine whether it is reasonable for an Afghan national to obtain a passport from an Afghan diplomatic mission.

If the relevant authority concludes that applying for a passport through an Afghan mission is not reasonable or possible, the individual may be issued a Travel Document for Foreigners instead.

The ministry stressed that Afghans recognised as refugees under the 1951 Geneva Refugee Convention are not required to approach Afghan diplomatic missions. These individuals can fulfil Germany’s legal travel document requirements by obtaining a refugee travel document.

The Federal Interior Ministry said it does not have data on how many people are likely to be affected by the new regulation. It added that applications for newly issued Afghan passports remain possible.

The ministry also stressed that the decision is unrelated to the presence of Taliban-appointed diplomats in Germany or the German government's programme to deport Afghan nationals.

The ministry said in a statement on Thursday, 23 July, that the drugs had been carefully concealed in a vehicle and that the traffickers intended to transport them to an unknown location.

The statement said the detainees remain in Taliban custody. The Taliban police command in Takhar said they would be handed over to judicial authorities after preliminary investigations are completed.

The Taliban has repeatedly claimed that poppy cultivation and opium production have fallen to zero across Afghanistan.

However, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime said in its 2026 World Drug Report, released in late June, that Afghanistan’s existing opium stockpiles were expected to last until the end of this year.

The agency added that the unprecedented decline in Afghanistan’s opium production, alongside the expansion of synthetic opioids, is reshaping the global drug market.

The agents also seized the organisation’s equipment, documents and work materials. There is still no information about where the six employees are being held or what has happened to them.

Sources said no information has yet emerged about the fate of the six detainees. Two of those arrested are relatives of Zarqa Yaftali, the organisation’s head, who lives outside Afghanistan.

Yaftali is a women’s rights activist who last year received the 2026 Zayed Award for Human Fraternity from the United Arab Emirates.

According to information obtained by Afghanistan International, the families of those detained have expressed concern and called for clarification about their relatives’ situation, their place of detention and their wellbeing.

The Women and Children Research Organisation has worked in education, advocacy, research and the preparation of investigative reports about women and children.

Since the Taliban returned to power, many civil society organisations, particularly those working on women’s rights, have faced extensive restrictions.

Several activists in this field have also been detained or forced to suspend their work.

The aid agency said its teams are carrying out urgent assessments in affected areas to determine the scale of the damage and identify communities’ immediate needs.

It also said emergency assistance is being prepared for rapid delivery to affected families.

According to initial reports, the floods have killed 23 people across parts of Nuristan, injured others and damaged homes and vital infrastructure.

The International Organization for Migration warned that Afghanistan has faced increasingly severe and frequent natural disasters linked to climate change in recent years.

Changing weather patterns and phenomena such as El Niño can alter climate conditions and increase the risk of heavy rainfall and flash floods in some areas.

El Niño is a climate phenomenon caused by unusual warming of surface waters in parts of the equatorial Pacific Ocean and can affect rainfall patterns around the world.

Experts say Afghanistan’s high vulnerability to climate change leaves it at greater risk of floods, droughts and other extreme weather events.

The International Organization for Migration said that as climate-related disasters become more severe in Afghanistan, it remains committed to supporting emergency relief operations.

Motiur Rahman was introduced as Shuhada district governor on Monday, 13 July. Relatives and friends placed flower garlands around his neck and posted congratulatory messages on social media, but his title lasted little more than a week.

On Monday, 20 July, the Taliban appointed Mawlawi Karamuddin Rahib as the new district governor of Shuhada.

Local sources in Badakhshan say the move reflects deep Taliban mistrust of its local allies in the province. Motiur Rahman is not the only district governor to have held office for a short period. Earlier, Sayed Ahmad Modaqiq served less than three full months as district governor of Nusay.

86 Days in a Troubled District

Sayed Ahmad Modaqiq was appointed district governor of Nusay on Sunday, 26 April.

He took the post after the Taliban transferred Juma Khan Fateh to Zabul as deputy governor. The district governor’s position had remained vacant for about a month.

During Modaqiq’s charge, Nusay became a focus of Taliban attention and media coverage after Fateh returned from Zabul about a month later and tensions grew between the local commander and the Taliban leadership.

Less than three months later, the Taliban removed Modaqiq from his post. Qari Samiullah Rasouli began work as Nusay district governor on 19 July.

Following the appointment of the new district governor, the Taliban ordered armed men in Nusay and Shekay who do not hold official positions in the Taliban administration to surrender their weapons.