Taliban Seizes Former Badakhshan MP’s Home In Kabul, Say Sources

She said girls must be able to continue their education and contribute to Afghanistan’s development and progress.

During a visit to Istalif district in Kabul province, the UN official toured a girls’ primary school and said the Taliban continued to prevent girls from pursuing education beyond the primary level.

A video released by UNAMA also showed Gagnon meeting local Taliban officials and community elders to discuss the district’s challenges, economic needs and educational issues.

She also visited a computer laboratory established with UN support at a girls’ primary school and stressed the importance of giving girls access to information technology and digital skills.

After returning to power in August 2021, the Taliban suspended education for girls above the sixth grade. In December 2022, it also banned women and girls from attending universities.

Afghanistan is now the only country in the world where girls are barred from secondary and higher education.

According to the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, more than 2.5 million girls in Afghanistan are deprived of education. The figure could exceed four million by 2030 if the ban remains in place.

The UN Children’s Fund has warned that continuing the restrictions until 2030 could leave Afghanistan short of more than 20,000 female teachers and 5,400 female health workers.

UNICEF has also said that depriving girls of education damages the education system, increases the risk of early marriage, reduces the number of qualified women working in education and healthcare, and contributes to higher maternal and infant mortality.

According to the sources, unidentified gunmen opened fire on Fitrat’s home in the village of Istrap from a nearby mountain overlooking the property.

They said the attackers used light and heavy weapons, including PK machine guns.

The sources added that guards at the house returned fire, leading to a brief clash between the two sides. The attackers reportedly fled after the exchange of gunfire.

No casualties or damage have been reported, and no group has claimed responsibility for the attack.

After the Sepah-e Mihan Front briefly seized Yaftal district, the Afghanistan Freedom Front also attacked Taliban positions in Zebak district.

Sporadic clashes between the Taliban and opposition forces have continued over the past week.

Following the attacks, the Taliban’s army chief travelled to Badakhshan and took charge of military operations against opposition groups.

In recent days, the Taliban’s director of information and culture in Badakhshan was killed in an attack by armed assailants.

Sources say the situation in the province remains tense and that the Taliban has deployed additional forces to the area.

In a statement issued on Thursday, the front claimed that the attack had caused heavy casualties and damage to the Taliban but said the exact number of dead and wounded was not yet known.

The front also said the Taliban had intensified the deployment of forces and equipment to areas under its influence in recent days.

Taliban officials have not commented on the attack.

Badakhshan province has seen an increase in attacks by Taliban opponents in recent days. Afghanistan Freedom Front forces and the Taliban have clashed for several days in the province’s Zebak district.

Speaking at a news conference on 30 July, Andrabi cited persistent security threats and stressed the need for stronger border monitoring, measures against smuggling, and valid passports and visas for cross-border travel.

He said security and stability in Afghanistan were vital for the entire region and that Islamabad expected Kabul to fulfil its security commitments.

Pakistan says the Taliban administration is sheltering Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan and that the group uses Afghan territory to carry out attacks inside Pakistan.

The Taliban has denied the allegation.

Mujahid announced the appointments on Thursday, 30 July.

The changes affect senior positions in the Supreme Court, the Finance Ministry, the Ministry of Mines and Petroleum, the Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, the Central Darul Ifta and several provincial institutions.

Mohammad Gul Sayad, formerly head of the Kandahar zone military court, was appointed deputy chief justice for military affairs of the Supreme Court.

Sardar Mohammad Abul Faizan, the former deputy chief justice for military affairs, was named director-general of the Central Darul Ifta, the Taliban body responsible for issuing religious rulings.

Khair Jan Khairkhah, the former head of the Central Darul Ifta, was appointed deputy minister for military affairs at the Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice.

Nematullah Hassan, previously technical and professional deputy at the General Directorate for Municipal Affairs, was named deputy finance minister for revenue and customs.

Several senior appointments were also made at the Ministry of Mines and Petroleum.

Mohammad Ishaq Sahibzada, the former deputy minister of public works was appointed deputy minister for finance and administration.

Abdul Matin Saeed, previously deputy finance minister for revenue and customs, was named deputy minister for geological surveys.

Mahmoud Shah Zahid, the former deputy at the General Directorate of State-Owned Companies, was appointed technical deputy minister.

Hesamuddin Sabiri, a former deputy minister at the Ministry of Mines and Petroleum, was transferred to the General Directorate for Municipal Affairs as a deputy director for technical and professional affairs.

Mohammad Sadiq Enqelabi, the former deputy governor of Kandahar, was appointed head of security at the Ministry of Mines and Petroleum.

Akhundzada also appointed Azizur Rahman Sharif, the former head of public works in Kandahar, as head of the Oil and Gas Operations Company.

Abdullah Mutasim, previously commercial director of the state-owned oil and gas company, was named the company’s deputy director for financial affairs.

Saifuddin Taib, the former deputy for coordinating government affairs at the Administrative Office of prime minister, was appointed deputy governor of Kandahar.

Further changes were made within the Central Darul Ifta and the Supreme Court.

Saeed Ahmed Shahidkhel, the former military affairs deputy minister at the Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, was appointed deputy head of the Central Darul Ifta.

Sheikh Abdul Zahir, previously a deputy director at the Central Darul Ifta, was named a member of the directorate.

Abdul Rashid Saeed, the former director-general of the Supreme Court secretariat, was appointed administrative affairs head of the Central Darul Ifta.

Rahmatullah, formerly an administrative official at the Central Darul Ifta, was named head of the Supreme Court secretariat.

As part of the judicial reshuffle, the former intelligence-section judge at the Kabul zone military court was appointed head of the Kandahar zone military court.

The former judge of Shahrak district in Ghor was named judge of the intelligence section at the Kabul zone military court.

The Taliban also appointed the former head of the department responsible for monitoring decrees and orders in Kandahar as chancellor of Paktika University.

A former member of the Kandahar Ulema Council was named head of that monitoring department, while Abdul Ghaffar Maiwandi was appointed its deputy.