Taliban & Pakistani Forces Clash In Paktika, Say Local Sources

Abdul Rahman Munir, the Taliban's deputy interior minister for counter-narcotics, said improved security and the group's efforts to combat drugs had contributed to a decline in narcotics cultivation and production.

Meanwhile, Abdul Mateen Qani, spokesman for the Taliban's Interior Ministry, said most narcotics, including traditional and synthetic drugs, were being smuggled into Afghanistan from Pakistan through border crossings.

Qani called on Islamabad to fulfil its responsibilities in preventing drug trafficking.

He stressed that counter-narcotics operations must continue and called for greater attention to security at Afghanistan's customs facilities and borders to prevent drug smuggling.

He also urged the international community to increase cooperation in combating narcotics, saying efforts to tackle drug trafficking could not be fully effective without regional and international support.

Munir said expanding alternative crops and supporting farmers could play a significant role in preventing a resurgence of poppy cultivation.

He added that providing sustainable livelihoods for farmers was essential to the success of counter-narcotics efforts.

The Taliban has banned poppy cultivation in Afghanistan, and its officials have repeatedly claimed a sharp decline in opium production since the ban was introduced.

In a report published in June 2026, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) said Afghanistan had produced around 80 percent of the world's illicit opium until 2022, but production had fallen by 95 precent following the Taliban's enforcement of the poppy cultivation ban.

According to the UN report, the area under poppy cultivation declined from approximately 232,000 hectares in 2022 to 10,200 hectares in 2025, while opium production fell from 6,200 tonnes to around 296 tonnes.

However, the UN warned that existing opium stockpiles in Afghanistan were expected to last until the end of 2026.

In an interview with Spanish newspaper El País, she said Afghan women's greatest concern was that the world would gradually become accustomed to Taliban rule.

Calvet said: I am concerned that, over time, the system of oppression against women will become normalised, a system in which the repression of women has reached such extremes that I have not witnessed anything comparable anywhere else in the world.

She noted that officially inviting Taliban representatives to Brussels for technical talks contradicted the European Union's position of not recognising the Taliban government and could contribute to normalising relations with the group.

The legal expert stressed that the international community must not forget that millions of women in Afghanistan continue to face severe restrictions and should be given opportunities to express their demands and share their experiences.

Referring to negotiations on a future convention on crimes against humanity, Calvet said the process provided an opportunity to include gender apartheid among internationally recognised crimes.

She explained that although such provisions would probably not apply retrospectively, formally recognising the offence could strengthen other efforts to secure justice and prosecute those responsible.

The legal expert also stressed that Afghanistan's neighbouring countries and Muslim-majority nations had a responsibility to speak out against Taliban policies and make clear that the group's actions did not represent Islam or Sharia law.

The People's Tribunal for Women of Afghanistan is a civil society initiative established to examine violations of the rights of Afghan women and girls. It was held in Madrid in 2025.

The tribunal aims to draw international attention to the systematic oppression of Afghan women and girls under Taliban rule, document crimes against humanity, particularly gender-based discrimination and persecution, and increase international pressure to hold the Taliban accountable.

Speaking at a meeting at the United Nations headquarters in New York on Monday, 26 October, Gumbonzvanda addressed the situation of women in conflict-affected areas, rising conflict-related sexual violence, women's role in peace processes and the need for their participation in negotiations.

Gumbonzvanda said that Afghanistan today faces the most severe women's rights crisis in the world, girls are being denied an education that could transform their lives.

She also warned that wars had become increasingly deadly for women and girls, stressing that the international community must not remain indifferent to rising civilian casualties and the suffering of women and girls.

The UN official said more than 37,000 civilians were killed in armed conflicts last year, a quarter of whom were women and girls.

According to Gumbonzvanda, more than 750 million women and girls live within 50 kilometers of areas affected by active conflict, while at least 25 women and girls are killed every day.

The UN Women deputy executive director said war also posed serious threats to women's access to healthcare, including pregnancy and maternity services.

Referring to the situation in Gaza, she said the destruction of hospitals and maternity facilities, alongside disruptions to access to basic necessities, had been accompanied by a 41% decline in live births and a 300% increase in miscarriages.

Gumbonzvanda also expressed concern over rising conflict-related sexual violence, saying the United Nations had verified 9,788 cases in 2025.

According to Gumbonzvanda, women accounted for just 5% of negotiators across 57 peace processes in 2025, while none of the 13 ceasefire agreements explicitly prohibited conflict-related sexual violence.

The UN official called for women to participate in all peace negotiations as decision-makers and urged increased funding for women's organisations.

In Afghanistan, women and girls have been deprived of their rights to education, employment, participation in public life and many other fundamental freedoms. Over the past five years, Taliban restrictions have increasingly excluded them from various aspects of social, economic and political life.

Susanna Fioretti, founder of the aid organisation Nove Caring Humans, told the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera that the girls' parents wanted their daughters to receive an education.

She said she decided to establish an underground school in Afghanistan after the Taliban returned to power and banned women from higher education.

According to Fioretti, classes were held in a room containing sewing machines. If Taliban inspectors arrived, notebooks and pens were to be hidden, and the pupils would pretend to be sewing.

She said no Taliban officials visited the premises for inspections during the first two years. After that period, she discovered that daughters of several Taliban members were also attending the school.

Asked whether there had been Taliban informants among the pupils, Fioretti replied that no, they were daughters of Taliban members. Their fathers and mothers wanted them to study.

She added that not everyone associated with the Taliban shared the same views, and that some wanted to change restrictions they considered wrong but pursued such changes discreetly.

The Italian aid worker said operating the secret school for girls involved serious risks. If someone had reported its activities to the Taliban's morality police, those involved could have faced severe consequences.

The founder of the Italian organisation also spoke about her efforts to create economic opportunities for Afghan women. She said that through dialogue and compromise with the Taliban, she had managed to establish a programme recognising Afghan women entrepreneurs.

According to Fioretti, Taliban officials were initially surprised by the proposal and asked whether she understood which country she was in. She said she explained that women's economic activities could generate income for the country to secure their approval.

Fioretti added that the Taliban eventually approved the programme, and the women who received awards attended a ceremony in the presence of a Taliban minister.

She recalled that during one meeting, a senior Taliban official asked what she, as an Italian woman, thought of the Taliban government.

Fioretti said that if she had grown up under a government like the Taliban, she would not be here today doing the work she does with this organisation.

According to her, the Taliban official responded by accusing her of having a colonial mindset but then invited her to share a meal. Fioretti said she never met the official again.

As part of the reshuffle, the Taliban has appointed new officials in Faizabad, Yaftal district and the Darwaz districts of Badakhshan.

Sources said those appointed to civilian and military positions in the Darwaz districts were close associates of Ghulamullah Ahmadi, deputy commander of the Taliban's military division in Badakhshan.

According to the sources, Musaddiqullah has been appointed district governor of Nusay, Mawlawi Shafiqullah as district governor of Shekay, Salahuddin Ayubi as police commander of Nusay, and Abdul Ghani Fayeq as police commander of Maimay district. Sheikh Mohammad, also known as Abdul Basir, who is Ghulamullah Ahmadi's son-in-law, has been appointed intelligence chief of Maimay district.

Local sources in Darwaz said the reshuffle was also continuing at administrative levels below district governors and police commanders. According to them, individuals close to Juma Fateh are being dismissed and replaced by associates of the Taliban's deputy divisional commander.

According to information obtained, Mawlawi Saqib has been appointed deputy head of administration at Badakhshan's police command, Shadab Raghi as head of the second police district, and Qari Samiullah Rasuli as the new district governor of Yaftal. The border commissioner of Ishkashim district has also been replaced.

Another source in Faizabad said changes had been made across various departments of the Taliban's police command in Badakhshan.

A credible source within the Taliban told Afghanistan International that extensive personnel changes were being implemented at all levels of the group's administration in Badakhshan. According to the source, the local Taliban administration recently decided that officials in various departments should be appointed from among Badakhshan residents and people native to the respective areas.

The latest changes come after the Taliban replaced nearly all district governors, police commanders and intelligence chiefs following the fall of Yaftal district in July this year.

Experts view the frequent and rapid reshuffling of Taliban officials in Badakhshan as a sign of the group's concerns over maintaining control of the province. They believe anti-Taliban resistance groups are gaining strength and that the Taliban is preparing for the possibility of widespread clashes next spring.