Khaama: Former UN official Shashi Tharoor says Pakistan’s influence over the Taliban has sharply declined, turning Afghanistan into a strategic quagmire. or decades, Pakistan provided financial and logistical support to the Taliban, seeing them as a means to establish “strategic depth” in Afghanistan and to exert influence in the region, particularly against India. However, Tharoor
Afghanistan International: In response to the rising unrest, Taliban officials including the Minister of Defence, Mullah Yaqub Mujahid; the Minister of Interior, Sirajuddin Haqqani; and the head of the intelligence directorate, Abdul Haq Wasiq, reportedly travelled to Kandahar. According to informed sources, the senior leaders met with Hibatullah Akhundzada to express their concerns about the
Firstpost: As US President Donald Trump claims China occupies the Bagram Airbase, an assertion rejected by both Beijing and the Taliban, here are 9 things to know about Afghanistan’s largest airfield. Click here to read more (external link).
Afghanistan International: Hibatullah Akhundzada, the reclusive leader of the Taliban, made a rare trip from Kandahar to the Afghan capital on Friday, 12 April, to address a one-day conference attended by senior officials of the group. His unexpected appearance in Kabul underscores internal divisions within the Taliban leadership and a possible attempt to reassert control
By Ray Furlong, Current Time and RFE/RL’s Radio Azadi April 30, 2025 Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers were shunned by foreign governments after seizing power in 2021, but recently the hard-line militants have notched up some big wins in their diplomatic efforts to forge international ties. This week, Indian special envoy Anand Prakash was in Kabul for
Afghanistan International: Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada has issued a verbal decree abolishing the office of Deputy Prime Minister for Political Affairs, leading to the dismissal of 255 employees, including senior officials, according to multiple sources in Kabul. Two sources familiar with the matter confirmed that the directive was implemented on Tuesday, 29 April, resulting in
Amu: In a new decree issued by Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada, six Taliban officials — including governors, security commanders, and department heads — were moved to new roles across the country, according to Taliban-run media. Since their takeover in August 2021, the Taliban’s governance strategy has largely involved reassigning loyalists from one post to another
Afghanistan International: Abdul Zahir Qadir, a former member of the Afghan Parliament, has reportedly been arrested at Dubai International Airport, according to his nephew, Jalal Qadir, who spoke to Afghanistan International. “A few days ago, Abdul Zahir Qadir left for a foreign trip. Unfortunately, during our last call, he told us he had been detained
Khaama: The proposed constitution, developed by the Majma-e Federal-Khahan Afghanistan (Assembly of Afghan Federalists), outlines a federal parliamentary system in which power would be shared between a central government and autonomous regional states. The group says this structure could help end the cycle of instability, promote equality, and ensure that the country’s diversity is respected
Ariana: Russia’s foreign spy service chief, Sergei Naryshkin, has claimed that Western intelligence agencies are looking for ways to help anti-government forces in Afghanistan in hopes of keeping the country in a state of disarray. Click here to read more (external link).