Pakistan, Taliban To Elevate Diplomatic Ties To Ambassador Level
Afghanistan International: China has announced that Pakistan and the Taliban have agreed to elevate their diplomatic relations to the level of ambassadors. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi welcomed the development, stating that Beijing supports the strengthening of ties between Afghanistan and Pakistan. Although neither Pakistan nor China has formally recognised the Taliban government, both countries have maintained close working relations with the group. Click here to read more (external link).
Taliban shut down 11 health institutes in Kabul over training of women, sources say
Amu: Taliban have shut down at least 11 health science institutes in Kabul for providing training to women and girls, according to several sources familiar with the matter. The closures were ordered by the Taliban-run Ministry of Public Health, the sources said, and targeted institutes that offered basic medical and first-aid education to female students. Click here to read more (external link).
Classifying Taliban as ‘foreign terrorist organization’ under review: US

Rubio
Al Jazeera: Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said that the United States is reviewing whether to designate Afghanistan’s rulers, the Taliban, as a “foreign terrorist organization”. Rubio told the House Foreign Affairs Committee during a hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington on Wednesday, “I believe that classification is now, once again, under review.” Click here to read more (external link).
Czech president pardons soldiers prosecuted in death of Afghan prisoner
Ariana: The four members of the 601st special operations forces group were to stand trial on charges of extortion, insubordination, violation of guard duty obligations and failure to provide aid, Reuters reported. Click here to read more (external link).
Taliban Sentences Six Teachers In Daikundi For Teaching English, Computer Skills

Daikundi
Afghanistan International: The Taliban’s primary court in Khidir district of Daikundi province has sentenced six teachers from the Ofuq-e Nowin educational centre to prison, sources told Afghanistan International. The sentences range from three to five months and are reportedly linked to the instructors’ work teaching English and computer skills. Click here to read more (external link).
Afghan Female Athletes Flee Taliban Only To Face New Hurdles In Pakistan
By RFE/RL’s Radio Azadi and Kian Sharifi
May 21, 2025
Afghan female athletes who fled to Pakistan to escape Taliban restrictions are facing a slew of problems, including poverty, a lack of training facilities, and uncertainty about their immigration status.
After the Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan in August 2021, women and girls were banned from sports and taking part in competitions, leading many athletes to leave the country.
Many fled to neighboring Pakistan, hoping for better opportunities and the ability to practice their sport, but all they’ve found are more problems.
Jujitsu athlete Roya Abassi, who arrived in Pakistan with her family three years ago, says economic hardships and a dearth of training facilities have made life difficult.
And her status as an immigrant only makes things worse.
“It has been three years since I registered my migration application in Pakistan, and there is no news about my case,” she told RFE/RL’s Radio Azadi.
She said she submitted her application with the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to travel to a Western country.
Shakila Muzafari, a former member of Afghanistan’s wheelchair basketball team, has been living alone and away from her family in Islamabad for the past three years. She described the difficult circumstances she faces as a refugee and disabled athlete in Pakistan.
“Someone who has no income and no support — how can they renew their visa when it costs between 20,000 and 25,000 rupees [$75 – $94] each month?” she told Radio Azadi.
She also highlighted the financial burdens beyond just visa costs, such as rent, and emphasized how the situation for Afghan refugees whand aco are athletes with disabilities is especially challenging.
“For Afghan refugees in Pakistan — especially those of us who are disabled athletes — it’s extremely difficult. We don’t have the financial means to work anywhere.”
Abdul Hussain Hesari, former head of Afghanistan’s Paralympic Committee, confirmed the difficulties faced by female Paralympic athletes and criticized how their cases have been handled by the UN refugee agency.
Speaking to Radio Azadi, Hesari charged that the UNHCR has not taken the athletes’ disability status into consideration and said their documents had not been properly processed.
Qaiser Afridi, the UNHCR spokesman in Pakistan, did not respond to Radio Azadi’s request for comment.
The Taliban’s ban on women’s sports is one of many severe restrictions imposed by the hard-line Islamist regime, which systematically denies Afghan women and girls access to education, employment, and freedom of movement, and prevents them from holding prominent roles in government or society.
Under Taliban rule, women are prohibited from traveling without a male guardian and are banned from taking part in athletic competitions or exercising in public gyms.
The UN has condemned the Taliban’s treatment of Afghan women as “gender apartheid,” highlighting their systematic erasure from public life and severe punishments for resistance.
Meanwhile, Pakistan has been criticized by the UN and rights groups for its expulsion of Afghan refugees, which has seen hundreds of thousands deported across the border. Many had lived in Pakistan for decades, and now face uncertainty, poverty, and danger back in Afghanistan.
Rights organizations, including Amnesty International, have condemned Pakistan’s “opaque” repatriation plan, calling it arbitrary and cruel. They argue that the forced removals show little respect for international law and scapegoat a vulnerable community fleeing persecution.
Copyright (c) 2025. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave NW, Ste 400, Washington DC 20036.
Afghanistan among worst-affected nations by food insecurity
Ariana: Afghanistan has been named one of the nine worst-affected countries grappling with severe food insecurity, with over one million people facing emergency levels of hunger, according to the Global Report on Food Crises 2025 (GRFC) issued by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). The report estimates that 3.6 million Afghans will face Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) Phase 4 conditions this year — just one step below famine. Click here to read more (external link).
Explosion in Samangan coal mine kills seven workers
Amu: An explosion in a coal mine in the northern province of Samangan killed seven workers and injured two others, Taliban said on Wednesday. Afghanistan’s mining sector has long been plagued by hazardous working conditions, with poorly regulated operations and a lack of basic safety equipment often cited as key factors behind fatal incidents. Click here to read more (external link).
Tolo News in Dari – May 21, 2025