Taliban Minister Criticises UNAMA for 'Unrealistic' Reports, Seeks Pre-Publication Access

Initially, Pakistan restricted the entry of trucks with drivers lacking passports. Following this, the Taliban reciprocated by denying entry to Pakistani trucks into Afghanistan.

This mutual restriction has created significant disruptions along this vital trade route. According to sources, a lengthy queue of trucks has formed on both sides of the Torkham crossing since Saturday morning.

Local sources provided images to Afghanistan International showcasing trucks lined up and awaiting passage via the border.

Neither the Taliban nor Pakistani officials have yet made any public statements regarding the restriction on truck movements at Torkham.

Customs sources in Pakistan informed Afghanistan International that Pakistan required commercial vehicle drivers to have visas last year. However, drivers encountered difficulties in obtaining these visas. Following the ineffectiveness of the visa requirement, Pakistan imposed a new rule necessitating a "valid passport" for Afghan drivers. Yet, many of these drivers reportedly do not possess valid passports.

The Torkham border has experienced several closures since the Taliban's ascent to power. The most recent closure happened last month, reportedly after Taliban forces opposed the erection of a sign at the border's entrance, prompting Pakistani border guards to shut it down.

These closures have reportedly caused substantial financial losses to both Afghan and Pakistani traders.

The media outlet mentioned that Li Ming, Deputy Director-General of the China International Development Cooperation Agency, discussed this matter during a meeting with Bilal Karimi, Taliban ambassador in Beijing.

According to RTA, Ming also spoke about China's cooperation with "Afghan immigrants".

Currently, Afghanistan and Pakistan stand as the only two countries in the world yet to eliminate polio.

The World Health Organisation has previously warned that the forced repatriation of Afghan refugees from Pakistan and the massive population movements could heighten the risk of polio spreading in Afghanistan.

Tamim Asey, a former Deputy Minister of Defence, strongly criticised the Taliban's intelligence services.

He stated, "Rather than ensuring security, they are occupied with harassing innocent people." Asey also remarked that the Taliban's intelligence directorate has been unsuccessful in ensuring safety, and instead has been concentrating on arresting Afghan women and girls.

The Afghanistan Freedom Front, responding to the Western Kabul attack, condemned international and regional terrorist groups for perpetuating "the brutal slaughter of the Afghan people in collusion with the Taliban”.

The National Resistance Council for the Salvation of Afghanistan highlighted that the explosions in Kabul and Mazar-i-Sharif starkly contradict the Taliban's security assurances, calling their claims a “lie”.

Former Foreign Minister Hanif Atmar described the attacks as politically motivated violence against innocent civilians not involved in any conflict. He urged the Afghan population and the international community to unite against this grievous crime and hold those responsible accountable.

Bismillah Taban, a former security official, alleged that the Taliban orchestrated attacks on civilians to distract public attention from their ongoing abduction and hostage-taking of women.

Aref Rahmani, a former member of the Afghan Parliament, characterised these recent attacks as an ongoing massacre of the Hazara community.

The explosions in Kabul and Mazar-i-Sharif on Thursday have brought forth intense scrutiny. The Taliban police spokesperson in Kabul reported at least two fatalities and twelve injuries in the Dasht-e Barchi area. The state-controlled television, quoting Khalid Zadran, attributed the Kabul explosion to a hand grenade. However, eyewitness accounts provided to Afghanistan International suggest a higher casualty count than the Taliban's official figures.

As of now, the Taliban has not commented on the Mazar-i-Sharif explosion, and no group has yet claimed responsibility for either of the attacks.

Ali Maisam Nazary, head of the Foreign Relations of NRF, expressed eagerness to strengthen their ties with friends of Afghanistan in the international community, especially the United States.

In a social media post on Friday, Nazary acknowledged the political and moral support the Front has received from "good friends in the US Congress" since August 2021. He emphasised the Front's keenness to enhance relationships with international partners committed to supporting Afghanistan's democratic aspirations.

Earlier, Michael McCaul, Chairman of the US House Foreign Affairs Committee, expressed interest in dialogue with key figures opposing the Taliban, including Ahmad Massoud, the leader of the National Resistance Front.

In an exclusive interview with Aref Yaqubi of Afghanistan International, McCaul mentioned discussions with other groups advocating the end of the Taliban regime.

McCaul said, “We can try to change Taliban's behaviour, but we don’t want to bribe them. I would like to talk to the remaining active and living leaders of the Northern Alliance."

He added that the US wants to ensure that Afghanistan does not become a threat to the country and the Western world as it did in the past. McCaul emphasised that every possible tool would be used to achieve this goal.

McCaul expressed his desire for the swift end of the Taliban regime. He said that it’s tragic that most Afghans have to live under the Taliban’s cruel rule.

As Chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, McCaul also advocated for women's rights in Afghanistan.

This seems to be the first time a US Congressional official has explicitly spoken about engaging with Taliban’s opponents.

Since the Taliban's takeover of Afghanistan, at least two military fronts, Afghanistan Freedom Front and National Resistance Front, have been actively opposing the Taliban government. These fronts occasionally report guerrilla attacks against Taliban forces and outposts. However, anti-Taliban fronts are yet to secure any international support.

House Foreign Affairs Committee Meeting on Afghanistan

The House Foreign Affairs Committee held a bipartisan meeting on Thursday on Afghanistan, attended by both Republican and Democratic lawmakers.

US representatives in Afghan affairs and the Deputy Administrator for the US Agency for International Development answered lawmakers' questions during this meeting.

In the meeting, McCaul stated that the Taliban is a terrorist group, but the Biden administration is trying to remove them from the terror list.

McCaul mentioned that Afghan women are not allowed to leave their homes without men, and the Taliban has deprived girls of education. He also noted that the Taliban provides sanctuary to the al-Qaeda and that American equipment left in Afghanistan is now being sold to terrorist groups.

During a meeting in Kabul with Zhao Xing, the Chinese ambassador, Muttaqi declared that Afghanistan is not engaged in war and therefore, does not need an "extra" UN representative.

The Taliban's Foreign Ministry had previously criticised the idea of appointing a UN special envoy for Afghanistan and called it as “unnecessary”.

This stance came after the adoption of a new resolution by the UN Security Council, which was passed with 13 affirmative votes, and abstentions from Russia and China, requesting the UN Secretary-General to nominate a special envoy for Afghanistan.

Abdul Qahar Balkhi, a spokesperson for the Taliban's Foreign Ministry, reported on Muttaqi's discussions with the Chinese ambassador, covering bilateral ties, regional concerns, and China's humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan. Muttaqi positively evaluated the relationship with China and acknowledged Beijing's backing of the group in both regional and global arenas.

Balkhi noted that the Chinese ambassador called for a "long-term friendship with Afghanistan," grounded in the principles of Chinese foreign policy, and stressed on the importance of mutual benefits. The ambassador pledged 100 million Chinese yuan in aid to Afghan returnees.

China is among the few nations that have fostered close relations with the Taliban following their ascent to power, having signed various agreements in the Afghan mining sector.