Afghanistan International: Sources from western Kabul reported that the Taliban has destroyed the statue of Abdul Ali Mazari, the former leader of Hezb-e-Wahdat Islami, at the Pul-e Sokhta intersection in Kabul. According to local residents, on Saturday night, the Taliban defaced the statue of Mazari with a drill and then covered it with plaster. Residents
8am: The Hasht-e Subh Daily has obtained information indicating that the Taliban are constructing a well-equipped base with residential houses for the al-Qaeda network in the Malekuddin area of Nawa district, Ghazni province. Additionally, they are building three settlements for the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in the Dasht-e Bagh-e Attar area of Qarabagh district, Dasht-e Kabuli
Afghanistan International: Abdul Hamid Khorasani, a Tajik commander of the Taliban, says that the behaviour of the “Emirate’s leadership” towards non-Pashtun Taliban members is like that of “prisoners of war, slaves, and servants”. Khorasani stated, “This is not an Islamic Emirate, but rather an ethnic Emirate of the Kandahari and Zadran tribes.” According to him,
8am: The Middle East Research Institute recently published its findings on the ethnic composition of the Taliban regime. The research shows that among the 1,137 leaders and high-ranking officials, 87 belong to the Tajik, Uzbek, and Hazara ethnic groups. Several political figures and prominent individuals in the country argue that none of the non-Pashtun members
8am: Over the past month, armed nomads have attacked parts of the Hazara-populated districts in the provinces of Ghazni and Maidan Wardak. Residents of these areas report that the nomads, in addition to destroying their crops, have engaged in shooting and beating local people. In one instance, they claimed ownership of individuals’ private lands. Residents
Ayaz Gul VOA News June 11, 2024 ISLAMABAD — A United Nations diplomat has encouraged the Taliban to attend a conference on Afghanistan later this month, stating that it would help return much-needed global attention to the crisis-ridden country. Malick Ceesay, the head of the Pakistan-based liaison office for the U.N. Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA),
8am: The Hazara residents of this area in Ghazni have condemned the Taliban’s decision as unjust. They stress that nomads (Kuchis) have occupied hundreds of acres of government land around Ghazni city and settled there, yet the Taliban deliberately overlook this while falsely labeling private lands as usurped. It is noteworthy that in less than
RFE/RL’s Radio Azadi: The only technocrat in the Taliban’s cabinet has been dismissed and replaced by a hard-line cleric. Taliban chief Mullah Haibatullah Akhundzada on May 28 removed Health Minister Qalandar Ebad, a trained doctor, and named Noor Jalal, a former deputy interior minister, as his successor. The Taliban’s theocratic regime is dominated by senior
8am: The Taliban’s ethnocentrism is undeniable. This group heavily relies on ethnic factors in its appointments. Currently, the majority of government office employees belong to one ethnic group. Even when people visit government offices, they are forced to speak Pashto with the staff, or else their concerns may not be addressed. It may be unbelievable
8am: Firoz Jawed, a resident of Mazar-i-Sharif, also believes that the Taliban only oppose the celebration of festivals that are more prevalent among non-Pashtun ethnic groups. He adds, “The Taliban oppose Nowruz because they do not consider it a festival of their ethnic group. The Gul-e Narinj (Orange Blossom) Festival in Nangarhar was celebrated with