Archive

UN human rights experts have raised concerns in an open letter to the Taliban over their penal code, warning that they undermine human rights protections in Afghanistan and should be repealed.

Amir Khan Muttaqi, the Taliban’s foreign minister, claimed in Kabul that different ethnic groups are represented in the administration, ensuring balance. He said that the group pursues a balanced foreign policy without favouring one country over another.

Zamir Kabulov, Russia’s presidential envoy for Afghanistan, says tensions between Pakistan and the Taliban are delaying regional projects in Afghanistan involving Moscow, and have further weakened the region’s fragile security.

Pakistani security sources said a mortar fired from Afghanistan struck a house in Bajaur on Wednesday, killing at least three people, including two children and a woman.

Local sources in Herat say Taliban Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice police raided Herat University on Wednesday morning, detaining more than 20 students and taking them to an unknown location.

Local sources in Herat say Taliban forces have detained 13 former members of Afghanistan’s previous security forces, with no explanation given for the arrests.

The International Organization for Migration has provided emergency assistance to more than 2,300 flood-affected families in Afghanistan, including tents and non-food items distributed across several regions.

A new UN Women report says fewer than one in five Afghan women returning from Iran and Pakistan can earn an income, worsening poverty and food insecurity among returnee families.

The Taliban’s Supreme Court said two people were flogged in public in Badghis and Nangarhar.

Sources told Afghanistan International that tribal elders in Kunar and Nuristan sought assistance from Pakistan to ensure their security. Elders confirmed the Taliban had no role in the new agreement reached in Chitral.

Local elders in Nuristan and Nari district of Kunar say the Taliban played no role in a recent agreement with Pakistani forces in Chitral, which led to the reopening of key routes after weeks of closure.

India has delivered 13 tones of vaccines and medical supplies to Afghanistan to support child immunisation against tuberculosis, its foreign ministry spokesman said, in cooperation with WHO and UNICEF.

Hundreds of people marched in Herat to protest the attack on Shia civilians, calling for protection of religious sites, freedom of belief and action against extremist ideology.

Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid has criticised the UN’s updated sanctions on its officials as unreasonable and ineffective, calling their continuation a clear injustice against Afghans.

Taliban police in Baghlan say three people were killed and four injured in an attack inside a mosque in Khwaja district, during evening prayers on Monday.

The UN Security Council sanctions committee has updated information on four Taliban officials on its sanctions list, including Prime Minister Mohammad Hassan Akhund and Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi.

Hundreds of people marched in Herat on Tuesday during the funeral of victims killed in a recent attack on Shiite worshippers, according to videos obtained by Afghanistan International.

Local sources say roads to Barg-e Matal and Kamdesh in Nuristan reopened on Monday after a jirga with elders from Nuristan and Chitral, alongside an agreement for Taliban and Pakistani forces to halt fire.

The Taliban Supreme Court says one woman and four men were publicly flogged in Maidan Wardak and Zabul provinces for theft, extramarital affairs and same-sex relations. The group said that each of them received 39 lashes and prison terms of two to three years.

Local sources say Pakistani forces carried out mortar strikes on Asadabad in Kunar on Monday evening, April 13, forcing residents to flee their homes.

Taliban health officials say a nationwide polio vaccination campaign has begun with international partners, aiming to reach about 12 million children under five across Afghanistan.