Tolo News: Alan Pughsley, a former senior commander of the British police, has criticized the slow pace of the investigation into war crimes committed by the UK’s special forces in Afghanistan. Alan Pughsley, who was responsible for investigating “Operation Northmoor” conducted by British special forces in Afghanistan in 2014, stated that a three-year delay in the investigation of war crimes committed by British special forces in Afghanistan has resulted in the loss of crucial opportunities. “If Britain wants to find out who committed war crimes, it should first ask the prince of England how he killed Afghans like chess pieces. Alongside him, forty-seven NATO countries that were in Afghanistan have also committed war crimes,” said Zalmay Afghan Yar, a military affairs expert. Click here to read more (external link).
Tolo News in Dari – January 29, 2025
Taliban impose strict limits on dollar transfers to stabilize Afghan currency
Amu: In an effort to stabilize the Afghan currency, Taliban on Wednesday issued a six-point decree banning the transfer of more than $5,000 through airports and more than $500 through land borders. The decree warns that violators will be arrested and imprisoned. The move follows a sharp decline in the value of the afghani against foreign currencies, which has led to soaring food prices and increased hardship for Afghan households. Click here to read more (external link).
More Economic News
Rights group: Taliban rapidly expanding jihadi madrassas across Afghanistan
Madrassah (file photo)
Amu: The Afghanistan Human Rights Center has reported an unprecedented surge in the construction of jihadi madrassas under Taliban rule. The 30-page report highlights how these institutions have become a tool for power consolidation among Taliban leaders and warns of their potentially harmful impact on the mindset and future of the country’s younger generation. According to the report, the Taliban’s Ministry of Education has allocated a significant portion of its budget to developing religious-jihadi madrassas. In 2023 alone, the Taliban established more than 21,000 such schools nationwide, compared with only 106 regular schools constructed during the same period, the report says. Each province now hosts at least one large-scale jihadi madrassa, accommodating up to 2,000 students and equipped with comprehensive facilities. Click here to read more (external link).
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Tolo News in Dari – January 28, 2025
Afghanistan Women’s Cricket Team To Take Field With Pride, But Thorny Issue Remains In A Stalemate
Forbes: Simply put, Afghanistan women’s cricket remains extremely bleak. But on Thursday, many miles away in Melbourne, hard-bitten expatriates will take the field will pride. Click here to read more (external link).
Kabul clerics call for inclusive Government, criticize Kandahar-Centric Taliban Rule
Khaama: The Council for the Protection of Jihadi Values held a meeting in Kabul where they strongly criticized the Taliban for monopolizing power, particularly by the Kandahari faction, and called for an inclusive government. A council member stated that in addition to Mullah Hibatullah Akhundzada, 12 Taliban cabinet ministers are from Kandahar province, highlighting a concentration of power. Mahmoud Hassan, the former head of Hajj and Religious Affairs in Panjshir, warned the Taliban during the conference that the current situation they have created is uncontrollable and urged for immediate reforms. The council emphasized that the monopolization of power by the Kandahari Taliban faction is unjust and discriminatory. They demanded that other provinces and ethnic groups be represented in governance. Click here to read more (external link).
Afghan women take scholarship tests offered by Pakistan
By Muska Safi and Roshan Noorzai
VOA News
January 27, 2025
WASHINGTON — It took Susan Salih about eight hours to travel from Kabul, Afghanistan, to Peshawar, Pakistan, to take a scholarship exam the Pakistani government offers to Afghan students.
Salih, 25, and a group of other young Afghan women who took the exam at the Institute of Management Sciences in Peshawar told VOA that despite being able to take the test online, they traveled, accompanied by family members, to sit for the exam in person “to not miss the opportunity.”
“I hope this will pay off at least for those girls who now have the chance [to pursue their higher education],” said Salih, who could not pursue her dream of a post-graduate degree in Afghanistan after the Taliban banned women from attending universities in 2022.
Pakistan’s Higher Education Commission said about 5,000 young women were among 21,000 applicants for the 2,000 scholarships announced for Afghan students.
These scholarships are part of the 4,500 Allama Muhammad Iqbal Scholarships for Afghan Students, the commission said.
The Pakistan government said the undergraduate and postgraduate scholarships are fully funded, covering tuition fees, hostel dues, and living, book and travel allowances.
Tests for the scholarships took place in-person and online on Saturday and Sunday in Peshawar and Quetta.
Muhammad Waqar Khan, senior project manager at the Higher Education Commission, said students will be “short-listed” for scholarships based on merit.
“After this [the tests], we will conduct interviews” with those students, Khan said.
Pakistani officials earlier told VOA on the condition of anonymity that the Taliban agreed to let female students pursue higher education in Pakistan, provided that their male guardians are granted visas to accompany them.
But the Taliban, who seized power of Afghanistan in 2021, denied Monday that they reached any “conditional agreement” regarding the scholarships.
The Taliban have “no agreement with Pakistan or any other country regarding scholarships for girls. … Such unfounded claims are propaganda by certain malicious groups against the Islamic Emirate,” said a statement posted on the Taliban’s Ministry of Higher Education website.
The Taliban banned women from traveling long distances without a chaperone, working with the government and nongovernment organizations, and going to public baths, beauty salons and public parks.
Pakistan’s Higher Education Commission said the scholarships aim to “strengthen [the] bilateral relationship” between the two countries.
Salih said these scholarships offer Afghan women hope.
“We want to be a beacon of hope for those still in Afghanistan,” said Salih, adding that “even in tough times and with many limitations, there is always hope and a path forward.”
Ayaz Gul contributed to this report.
Stanekzai Leaves Afghanistan After Taliban Leader Issues Arrest Warrant, Says Sources
Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai
Afghanistan International: Afghanistan International sources reported that Abbas Stanekzai, the Taliban’s deputy foreign minister, has left Afghanistan after Hibatullah Akhundzada issued an exit ban and arrest warrant against him. According to these sources, Yaqoob Mujahid, the Taliban’s defence minister, provided the conditions for his immediate visit to Dubai. A well-informed source in Kabul said that after Abbas Stanekzai harshly criticised Hibatullah Akhundzada for banning girls’ education, the Taliban leader ordered Abdul Haq Wasiq, the head of intelligence, to arrest Stanekzai and ban him from leaving the country. Click here to read more (external link).
UN report: Armed attacks, explosions kill 18 in Afghanistan over three months
Amu: Eighteen people, including 14 civilians, were killed and 61 others injured in seven armed attacks and explosions across Afghanistan in the last quarter of 2024, according to a quarterly report from the United Nations. Among the casualties, 55 of the injured were civilians. Click here to read more (external link).