Peshawar High Court Denies Asylum To Two Former Afghan Officers

The appeal is contained in the “International Declaration on Gender Apartheid and Its Destructive Consequences”, which is due to be launched on August 13.

The authors of the document said its aim was to support Afghan women and girls in their struggle against what they described as the Taliban’s systematic repression and to strengthen efforts to criminalise gender apartheid under international law.

According to the organisers, the declaration is the result of 18 months of consultations among international lawyers and Afghan women’s rights advocates.

More than 50 prominent figures have signed it, including Nobel laureates, former international court judges, former United Nations officials, and human rights activists from Afghanistan and South Africa.

The declaration calls on the international community to explicitly include the prohibition of gender apartheid in the proposed Convention on Crimes Against Humanity and to use existing mechanisms of international law to confront it.

The signatories said that although all Afghans face political, security, economic and humanitarian crises under Taliban rule, women and girls bear the greatest burden.

They said the Taliban had created a system based on gender discrimination by barring girls from education, restricting women’s employment and participation in public life, and imposing wide-ranging limitations on their freedoms.

The declaration also cites the detention of dozens of women in Herat over alleged violations of dress regulations and the suppression of subsequent protests as examples of the continuation of these policies.

The signatories also criticised efforts by some international actors to normalise relations with the Taliban.

They called for accountability for those responsible for what they described as “gender apartheid” and for reparations for victims.

The declaration is scheduled to be launched virtually on August 13, hosted by the University of Michigan Law School.

Women’s rights activists, legal experts and international figures are expected to speak at the event.

The source said recent remarks by Iran’s deputy ambassador in Kabul, who stated that Tehran did not regard fighting the Taliban as “resistance”, had angered many Fatemiyoun members because they considered resistance against the group necessary.

Mashkoor Kabuli, a cleric close to both the Islamic Republic and the National Resistance Front, said this was not merely one person’s view.

He said all Fatemiyoun members cared deeply about Afghanistan but had been threatened and placed under pressure.

Seyed Hassan Mortazavi, Iran’s deputy ambassador in Kabul, recently said the Islamic Republic did not support any political or military group opposing the Taliban.

He said Tehran did not regard armed conflict against the Taliban administration as “resistance”.

Mortazavi added that an “Islamic government” had been established in Afghanistan and urged all parties to resolve the crisis through dialogue.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid welcomed the Iranian diplomat’s remarks, but the comments have intensified dissatisfaction among Fatemiyoun fighters.

A Fatemiyoun commander told Afghanistan International that after the Taliban returned to power in 2021, militia members sought to join the fight against the group, but the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps told them to wait.

The commander said the IRGC had promised Fatemiyoun members that they would eventually become a powerful military and political force in Afghanistan, similar to Hezbollah in Lebanon. He said the promise was never fulfilled.

According to the commander, Iran’s warm relations with the Taliban, the exclusion of Shias and Hazaras from Afghanistan’s power structure, discrimination against Afghans in Iran and the Fatemiyoun’s heavy losses in Iran-backed regional wars had caused fighters to lose faith in cooperation with the IRGC.

The source, who requested anonymity for security reasons, said many Fatemiyoun members were seeking opportunities to join anti-Taliban groups.

He said that if an opposition front provided the necessary logistical support, Fatemiyoun fighters would join it.

How Iran Prevents Military Activity Against the Taliban

Fatemiyoun members are not the only ones dissatisfied with Iran’s close relations with the Taliban. Members of armed anti-Taliban fronts have also complained about Tehran’s ties with the group.

Interviews with several sources close to Taliban opposition groups indicate that although Iran hosts some opposition leaders, it has not allowed them to conduct military activities.

A senior official from Afghanistan’s former Defence Ministry confirmed to Afghanistan International on Thursday that Iranian authorities had detained and questioned several former Afghan security and defence personnel in recent months.

He said Tehran possessed biometric records, including fingerprints, of former security personnel and had imposed restrictions at border crossings to ensure they did not return to Afghanistan to fight the Taliban.

Iranian officials have not commented on the allegation.

Informed sources previously told Afghanistan International that Iranian authorities had pressured members of the National Resistance Front to halt attacks against the Taliban.

According to those sources, Iranian officials had even warned that firing on the Taliban would be considered equivalent to firing on Iran.

A source close to Mohammad Ismail Khan, a former jihadi commander and prominent figure within the National Resistance Front, said Iran’s domestic and external vulnerabilities could partly explain its efforts to prevent armed activity by Taliban opponents.

He said Iran’s recent conflict with the United States, security and economic pressures, and concerns about opening a new front along its eastern border had made Tehran more cautious.

He added that Iran’s fatigue with developments in Afghanistan had also influenced this policy.

The source said Iran had invested heavily in Afghanistan politically and militarily over the past three decades but had failed to gain the level of influence it expected.

He said Iran supported various figures and groups during the anti-Soviet jihad, the civil war and resistance against the Taliban.

However, after the formation of the former Afghan government, several figures who had received Iranian support distanced themselves from Tehran and moved closer to the United States.

He said some members of the former Northern Alliance had even avoided meeting Iranian officials and diplomats after coming to power because they feared a negative US response.

In his view, that experience had made Tehran reluctant to invest again in forces opposing the Taliban.

Hostility Towards the US as Common Ground

The source close to Ismail Khan said the IRGC, and the office of Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada viewed the United States and Israel as common enemies, temporarily bringing the two sides closer together.

He said Iran had sought to preserve that relationship since the Taliban’s return to power and avoid entering a conflict with an uncertain outcome.

Iranian officials may also have concluded that the Taliban is unlikely to be removed from power easily in the near future, he added.

For that reason, Tehran does not want to support a force incapable of overthrowing the Taliban.

However, he said that if Ismail Khan considered military action in Afghanistan necessary, external pressure would not prevent him from acting.

Kabuli: Iranian Deputy Ambassador Has Strayed From Policy

Zakaria Mashkoor Kabuli, a senior member of the National Resistance Front’s leadership council, said the Iranian deputy ambassador’s comments should not be regarded as the Islamic Republic’s final policy.

He said a distinction should be made between Iran’s official policy and the personal views of individuals serving within its diplomatic apparatus.

According to Kabuli, Mortazavi is a deputy ambassador and does not hold authority to determine Iran’s broader Afghanistan policy.

He said major security and military decisions were made by Iran’s leadership and the Supreme National Security Council.

Kabuli, who is close to Ahmad Massoud, said Iran supported Ahmad Shah Massoud and other Taliban opponents during the group’s first period in power.

He described this policy as part of Qassem Soleimani’s approach and what he called the “school of resistance”.

The senior National Resistance Front member also claimed that Ali Khamenei had established a 10-point framework for Iran’s approach towards Afghanistan and the Taliban.

According to him, the situation of Afghan Shias, the seizure of their land and the forced displacement of Shia families were among the issues covered by that framework.

He said the Iranian deputy ambassador’s recent position had angered some Fatemiyoun members.

Kabuli said they questioned how defending Iran and other regional countries could be considered resistance while fighting the Taliban in Afghanistan was not.

During the 1990s, Iran was one of the Northern Alliance’s principal supporters in its war against the Taliban.

The killing of eight Iranian diplomats and one journalist after the Taliban captured Mazar-e-Sharif in 1998 brought the two sides close to war.

Iran deployed thousands of troops along the Afghan border at the time and increased its support for forces loyal to Ahmad Shah Massoud, Mohammad Ismail Khan, Abdul Rashid Dostum and Shia groups opposed to the Taliban.

Nearly three decades later, Tehran’s policy appears to have changed.

A Relationship Based on Security Interests

A source close to the National Resistance Front in Iran said relations between Tehran and the Taliban were now based on an unwritten security understanding.

He said Iranian officials had repeatedly asked the Taliban to prevent groups opposing the Islamic Republic, particularly armed Sunni and Baloch groups, from operating in Afghanistan.

In return, he said, the Taliban asked Iran to prevent its opponents from operating on Iranian soil.

The source claimed that this security exchange was a principal reason for restrictions imposed on anti-Taliban fronts in Iran.

He said many anti-Taliban commanders had expected attacks against the group to begin in the first years after its return to power, potentially from Mashhad towards Herat or other areas of western Afghanistan.

However, Iran’s lack of action disappointed them, and some commanders returned to Afghanistan.

Iran Hosts Opponents but Does Not Arm Them

Iran did not completely sever its ties with Taliban opponents after the group returned to power.

Ahmad Massoud, Mohammad Ismail Khan and several former government political leaders have repeatedly travelled to or lived in Iran.

In January 2022, Iran hosted the first known meeting between Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, Ahmad Massoud and Mohammad Ismail Khan.

During the meeting, the Taliban urged its opponents to return to Afghanistan and abandon armed activity.

A source close to Ismail Khan said Iran had so far used Taliban opponents as a political instrument.

Hosting these figures allows Tehran to preserve channels of communication with Taliban opponents if disputes arise over water, borders, migration or security, he said.

However, Iran has not allowed these groups to turn its territory into a base for war against the Taliban.

A source close to anti-Taliban groups in Mashhad said the IRGC regarded them as part of Afghanistan’s former political order, which had aligned itself with the United States.

He said Iran viewed the resistance groups’ close relations with Washington, particularly during the 20 years of the republic, as part of their dark record.

An analysis by the Middle East Institute concluded that Iran’s policy towards the Taliban was based more on pragmatism than ideological alignment.

It identified the threat from Islamic State Khorasan Province (IS-K) border security, Helmand River water rights, migration, trade and competition with other countries as principal factors shaping the relationship.

The institute concluded that anti-Taliban fronts were currently incapable of presenting a serious threat to the Taliban’s rule.

Military support for those groups could damage Tehran’s relations with the Taliban without changing the balance of power in Afghanistan.

Trade and Border Security Take Priority Over War

Despite their religious and political differences, the Taliban and Iran also share several interests.

Both regard Islamic State Khorasan Province as an enemy.

Iran is concerned about IS-K attacks on Shia communities and sites in Afghanistan and inside Iran, while the Taliban considers the group its main armed rival.

Border security, preventing drug trafficking, controlling the movement of migrants and maintaining trade are also important to Tehran.

Afghanistan is an important market for Iranian goods, fuel and energy.

Transit routes, Chabahar port and the Khaf-Herat railway have also increased Afghanistan’s importance in Iran’s economic planning.

A former member of Afghanistan’s parliament said Tehran did not want to endanger these interests by supporting a new war.

Unlike during its first period in power, the Taliban has also sought to maintain diplomatic and economic relations with Iran, address Tehran’s concerns regarding IS-K and border security and avoid a broader confrontation with the Islamic Republic.

The UN Security Council met on Wednesday, 5 August, to discuss threats to international peace and security caused by terrorism.

Vasily Nebenzya, Russia’s ambassador to the United Nations, said many foreign fighters were moving back to their countries of origin or to other conflict zones after gaining combat experience in the Middle East.

He said the international community should make greater efforts to prevent their movement and activities.

Although the Russian representative did not directly mention Afghanistan, much of his speech reflected security concerns surrounding the country.

Russia has repeatedly expressed concern in recent years about the threat posed by Islamic State Khorasan Province, the presence of foreign fighters and the impact of instability in Afghanistan on Central Asia.

Nebenzya also warned that terrorists were using emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, cryptocurrencies and drones.

He said these tools had increased terrorist groups’ ability to recruit members, raise funds and carry out attacks.

In another part of his remarks, Nebenzya said double standards and selective approaches to counterterrorism were among the main factors contributing to the spread of terrorist threats worldwide.

He stressed that counterterrorism efforts should not be influenced by political objectives and that international cooperation should be conducted without discrimination.

The Russian representative also highlighted expanding counterterrorism cooperation through the United Nations, the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, the Collective Security Treaty Organisation and other regional mechanisms.

He said Moscow was working to strengthen the capacity of Central Asian countries to confront terrorist threats.

The Security Council meeting came as representatives of several countries and UN counterterrorism bodies also expressed concern about threats posed by Islamic State and other extremist groups.

Russia is the only country to have formally recognised the Taliban administration.

Moscow has expanded its political, diplomatic, economic and security relations with the Taliban in recent years, while continuing to warn about IS-K activity and the risk of instability spreading from Afghanistan into Central Asia.

Speaking at the Security Council on Wednesday, 5 August, Iftikhar said the situation in Afghanistan was deeply concerning.

He claimed that safe havens were currently available in Afghanistan to groups including Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, the Balochistan Liberation Army, Islamic State Khorasan Province, the East Turkistan Islamic Movement and al-Qaeda.

The UN Security Council meeting was held under the title “Threats to International Peace and Security Caused by Terrorist Acts”.

Pakistan’s representative said many of these groups recruited and trained members inside Afghanistan and planned terrorist attacks in Pakistan with complete impunity.

He also alleged that some of the groups received financial support from Pakistan’s eastern neighbour, referring to India.

Iftikhar said the Security Council should hold the Taliban accountable for its commitment not to allow Afghan territory to be used by terrorist groups for cross-border attacks.

He added that foreign sponsors of terrorist groups should also be held accountable for supporting, financing and arming them.

The senior Pakistani diplomat said a UN monitoring team report had made clear that, although sustained counterterrorism efforts had weakened Islamic State’s capabilities, the terrorist threat continued to expand in Africa, the Middle East and Afghanistan.

He proposed that a comprehensive international response to terrorism should address all its forms and manifestations, including state terrorism.

Pakistan’s representative said international efforts and Pakistani counterterrorism operations had dealt setbacks to IS-K, but the group’s activities in Afghanistan remained a serious concern.

He stressed that no country could confront the threat of cross-border terrorism alone and called for stronger international cooperation against the growing activities of terrorist groups.

Iftikhar also expressed concern over terrorists’ use of emerging technologies, including drones, intelligence tools, social media and artificial intelligence.

He said stronger border management, greater capacity for law-enforcement agencies and improved cooperation among member states remained essential to counter transnational terrorist threats.

The UN Security Council meeting was held under the title “Threats to International Peace and Security Caused by Terrorist Acts”.

Sun Lei, chargé d’affaires of China’s permanent mission to the United Nations, addressed the meeting.

He said China urged Afghanistan’s authorities, referring to the Taliban, to honour their counterterrorism commitments and take decisive action against all terrorist groups based in the country.

These include individuals and entities listed by the Security Council committee established under Resolution 1267.

Sun said such action was necessary to prevent Afghanistan from once again becoming a safe haven for terrorism.

The Chinese diplomat added that the international community should help Afghanistan revive its economy and improve people’s livelihoods in order to address the root causes of terrorism.

He said China supported cooperation between Central Asian countries, regional organisations such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and Afghanistan in jointly confronting cross-border terrorist threats.

Sun said terrorist groups were increasingly using the internet, artificial intelligence, drones and other emerging technologies for incitement, recruitment, financing and attacks.

He said this was creating new challenges for global counterterrorism efforts.

China supported efforts by the United Nations and the international community to strengthen governance of emerging technologies and improve risk-assessment systems and regulatory frameworks, he said.

Sun called for preventing what China describes as the three forces, violent terrorism, ethnic separatism and religious extremism, from exploiting these technologies to expand their influence.

He said developing countries should receive greater support through technology transfers, equipment, technical assistance, training and intelligence sharing to strengthen their counterterrorism capabilities.

The Chinese representative said the Security Council should make full use of the sanctions mechanisms established under Resolutions 1267 and 2713.

He also called for the Balochistan Liberation Army and its Majeed Brigade wing to be added to the sanctions list as soon as possible to support international counterterrorism efforts.

Sun said a recent suicide attack in Pakistan had killed and wounded civilians.

He strongly condemned the attack and urged the international community to support Pakistan’s counterterrorism efforts.

Terrorism Threat Remains Serious

China’s representative said the threat of international terrorism remained complex and severe.

He said terrorist attacks were continuing, terrorist organisations were steadily improving their operational capabilities and exploiting regional conflicts to expand their influence.

This posed a serious threat to international peace and security, he added.

Sun said the international community should uphold a new security concept based on common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security.

He called for a zero-tolerance approach to terrorism, warned against politicising or instrumentalising counterterrorism, and urged greater solidarity and cooperation to improve the effectiveness of global efforts.