Taliban’s Deputy PM Visits Tehran for New Iranian President's Inauguration

During the meeting, Akhundzada urged Taliban officials to avoid internal disputes and to focus on the "implementation of Sharia”.

He emphasised on the importance of "strengthening the Islamic system, educating and promoting Islamic principles among Muslim children, complete obedience to their leaders, and compassion towards subordinates”.

The meeting in Ghor was attended by several Taliban officials from the province, as reported by the group.

This visit marks one of the rare acknowledgements of Akhundzada's activities, as nearly three years have passed since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan, and their leader is yet to be seen in public.

Akhundzada’s call for unity among Taliban officials comes amid reports of internal disagreements and rifts over the group's policies. During the Eid al-Adha prayer, he previously urged Taliban members to set aside their differences, stating that he would be "happy" to be removed from his position if it meant preventing division within the group.

Recently, Yaqoob Mujahid, the Taliban's Defence Minister, also highlighted that the group's opponents are leveraging extensive resources to sow distrust among Taliban members. He stressed that distrust, disunity, and internal conflict should be eradicated from within the group.

In a statement released on Monday, 29 July, Mohaqiq condemned the Taliban's actions, stating, "These atrocities will end, but they will have serious adverse effects on the relations between the ethnic groups of Afghanistan."

He added, "Perhaps violating the dignity, honour, and beliefs of the people may seem desirable to the Taliban rulers for a short while, but God is the true avenger."

Mohaqiq, currently residing in Turkey, described the death of the 19-year-old Bamiyan girl as "martyrdom," noting that "the poor girl was killed at her home on the night of July 27, 2024."

He further explained that there are "two narratives" surrounding her "tragic martyrdom": one suggesting that the girl hanged herself to escape her grim fate, and the other claiming that "the assailants, to silence her cries for justice forever, went to her home at night and killed her”.

According to Mohaqiq, two weeks prior to her death, members of a Taliban military unit in Punjab abducted the girl while she was on her way home from work in the Punjab bazaar area and transferred her to Bamiyan city. After "two or three days of violating the honour of this defenceless 19-year-old girl, the Taliban released her in Bamiyan city. When she appealed to the relevant Taliban authorities for justice, no one listened to her cries."

Taliban officials have not yet made any public statements regarding the arrest and death of the girl.

Earlier, sources in Bamiyan told Afghanistan International that following the death of the Bamiyan girl, the Taliban expelled a member of their military unit in Punjab district, Bamiyan province, and referred him to the military prosecutor. However, it remains unclear what charges have been brought against this Taliban member, and sources reported that he has not yet been detained.

This fighter has now been referred to the military prosecutor. Following her release from Taliban custody, the young girl committed suicide.
The Taliban, then, delayed the burial of her body for several days.

Local sources stated that, despite the expulsion, the Taliban has not yet detained the fighter.

It has been speculated that the expulsion might have been a move to prevent potential protests.
The details surrounding the charges against this Taliban fighter remain unclear.

The incident occurred when the Taliban fighter forced the girl to sit inside his military vehicle while she was on her way home from the Punjab district Bazaar. Subsequently, Taliban intelligence officers also detained her father and brother.

Initially, the Taliban transferred the father, son, and daughter to the Punjab district centre before moving them to the Bamiyan provincial centre, where the girl was held and interrogated for at least three days.

The reasons for the Taliban fighter’s actions and the subsequent detentions of her father and brother are still unknown. Additionally, it is unclear if any formal charges were filed against them in Bamiyan.

Sources revealed that the 19-year-old girl was under severe psychological pressure after her release from detention and interrogation in Bamiyan.

The girl operated a tailoring workshop in the Punjab district's bazaar, which was shut down by the Taliban's Department of Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice following her arrest.

On the day she committed suicide at her home in Tagab Barg valley, her father had gone to the Punjab district to request the Taliban's Department of Promotion of Virtue to allow her to reopen her tailoring workshop.

The sources also reported that Abdullah Sarhadi, the Taliban governor, delayed the burial of the girl's body for several days, though the reason for this remains unknown.

The girl had been educated up to the ninth grade. After the Taliban banned education for girls beyond the sixth grade, she and her sister opened a tailoring workshop in the Punjab district bazaar.

In the past three years, there have been numerous reports of young girls being detained in Kabul and other cities and regions of Afghanistan. Many of these girls have reported mistreatment and torture in Taliban detention centres.

Mohtaj's family and close associates have expressed their concern, stating that they have no information about his current status. According to sources, he was detained four days ago, but the Taliban have not provided any comments on the matter.

A close friend of Mohtaj, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Afghanistan International, "Mohtaj has been missing for four days. We have inquired with the Taliban's security and intelligence agencies, but they are not providing any information."

Mohtaj is known for hosting social and historical programmes on "Mellat Ghag" radio and has conducted several interviews with local Taliban officials.

Approximately two weeks ago, Taliban intelligence forces in Kandahar also detained independent journalist Mohammad Yar Majrooh for unknown reasons. There is no information available about his fate either.

Local sources have indicated that nearly all journalists and media workers in Kandahar, including those active on social media, are under severe pressure and threat from the Taliban. They report that no journalist can broadcast or publish anything without Taliban permission.

The suppression of media and the arrest of journalists have significantly increased during the three years of Taliban rule. The Afghanistan Journalists' Centre has recorded 89 instances of violations against journalists' rights, including 60 threats and 29 arrests.

Faeser emphasised the continuous effort to deport violent Islamist criminals.

In the interview with Bild am Sonntag, Faeser highlighted that Germany's interests are her top priority and that the federal police are prepared to support the responsible states in expediting these deportations. She stressed that anyone without the right to stay in Germany should leave the country promptly.

These statements come as the German Foreign Ministry concluded in a confidential assessment that combat operations continue at varying levels across different parts of Syria. Opponents of refugee deportations cite a United Nations report indicating that conditions for the safe return of refugees are not yet in place.

However, Mario Voigt, a member of the Christian Democratic Union of Germany (CDU), argues that the possibility of deportation to Syria should be extended not only to criminals but also to those who have no prospects of staying.

The German Interior Minister previously stressed that the authorities are engaged in negotiations with various countries to deport "criminal" Afghans. Olaf Scholz, the Chancellor of Germany, stated last Wednesday that the country would soon decide on the deportation of Afghan migrants.

The murder of a German police officer by an Afghan refugee in June in the city of Mannheim has increased the pressure in Germany to deport refugees to Afghanistan.