NIKKEI: …Afghan mining ministry lacks the technical and other capacity to manage and oversee such contracts, warning this could lead to a grim outlook of “corruption, mismanagement and environmental disasters. “Taliban factions in Takhar have at times engaged in violent confrontations over control of valuable resources. Media reports said the Taliban leadership last month replaced
8am: In an unexpected turn of events, the Taliban military court has acquitted Mullah Ahmad, the Director of Da Afghanistan Breshna Sherkat (DABS) in Kabul, of charges related to sexual assault against his guard. This contrasts with the recent circulation of video footage depicting the alleged sexual assault by this Taliban figure on his guard
8am: According to reports supported by video footage, the incident occurred when Qari Hemad, the bodyguard of the district governor in Kohistanat, entered a residential house with the intent of sexually assaulting a 13-year-old girl on the night of Wednesday, September 13, around 11:00 PM. Following his arrest and subsequent restraint by local citizens, Hemad
Arab News: There are reports that the revenues from mines, besides helping the Taliban run its government machinery, are also partially being channeled into the private pockets of some of the Taliban leaders. If true, this could be another chapter in the long history of thefts of the national assets of Afghanistan. Another example is
8am: In the 2023 pilgrimage season, social media featured numerous images of Taliban leaders, suggesting that thousands of their members had simultaneously journeyed to Mecca. Recent discoveries from the western part of the country, as reported by Hasht-e Subh Daily, indicate that hundreds of Taliban members performed the pilgrimage without following the usual selection process
8am: In a recent incident, Taliban fighters carried out a violent attack in Ghor Province, brutally assaulting several residents and setting their motorcycles ablaze, as reported by local sources. One local resident, who wished to remain anonymous, revealed that the Taliban fighters had been personally gathering yam plants from the mountains and profiting from their
8am: According to the report, the Taliban have interfered in humanitarian activities and have also damaged humanitarian assets and facilities. Delays in signing agreements and interference in staff hiring are among the factors contributing to the suspension of humanitarian activities by aid organizations. The report indicates that 95% of the Taliban’s restrictions have been motivated
8am: Meanwhile, some residents of northern Kabul provinces accuse the Taliban of “extortion” for detaining both non-military individuals and former government military personnel. According to sources, the Taliban primarily detain these individuals to obtain “money and weapons” but release them after the “ransom” is paid. Click here to read more (external link).
8am: Sources continue to cite another motive behind the Taliban’s actions as the dismissal of non-Pashtun individuals and the relocation of “trustworthy” members of the group. A source added, “The goal in this regard is to move individuals deemed more trustworthy. It’s the path toward becoming a mafia-like accumulation of wealth. Specific individuals, perhaps in
8am: Shamsuddin Hemayoun, the governor of the Yangi Qala district in Takhar province, stands accused of manipulating a substantial quantity of humanitarian aid, including approximately 160 bags of chemical fertilizers and improved wheat. This aid was generously provided by the “Swedish Committee for Afghanistan” to cater to the needs of vulnerable locals and struggling farmers