Amu: The fifth two-day meeting of opposition groups, known as the Vienna Conference, began on Tuesday, bringing together key anti-Taliban figures. Among the participants are Ahmad Massoud, leader of the National Resistance Front (NRF), and Yasin Zia, head of the Afghanistan Freedom Front (AFF). Click here to read more (external link).
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Sirajuddin Haqqani
Afghanistan International: Sirajuddin Haqqani, the Taliban’s Interior Minister, has not returned to Afghanistan for nearly a month, despite earlier claims by the Taliban spokesperson that he had re-entered the country two weeks ago, sources told Afghanistan International on Monday. According to multiple sources, Haqqani remains outside Afghanistan due to his dissatisfaction with the unilateral decisions of Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada. Click here to read more (external link).
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Afghanistan International: Former Iranian diplomat Rasoul Mousavi has stated that the possibility of the Taliban administration being overthrown remains due to rebellion, civil war, or foreign intervention. He concluded that Afghanistan’s long-term stability hinges on the Taliban’s ability to integrate diverse ethnic groups into governance and address major human rights concerns. However, he warned that without these changes, continued instability, regional insecurity, and potential foreign intervention remain real threats. Click here to read more (external link).
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Tolo News: The Afghanistan national Beach Football Team is set to play four friendly matches in Thailand as part of their training camp. They will face Japan, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and China. Maisam Ashteyani, the head coach for the Afghan Beach Football Team, told TOLOnews that these preparatory matches are part of the team’s preparations for the 2025 AFC Beach Soccer Asian Cup. Click here to read more (external link).
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Ayaz Gul
VOA News
February 17, 2025
ISLAMABAD — The World Bank reported Monday that the economic recovery in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan remains precarious, beset by persistent challenges, including policy uncertainty, financial isolation, reduced foreign aid and fragile trade relations with neighboring Pakistan.
The bank assessed in its latest report that persistent high poverty levels, unemployment, limited resources, and weak purchasing power continue to leave millions of Afghans vulnerable in a country reeling from years of conflict and natural disasters.
The World Bank report revealed that Afghanistan’s trade deficit surged by 54% in 2024, reaching $9 billion, which represents 45% of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP). The report attributes this decline to a 5% drop in exports, totaling $1.8 billion, primarily due to a reduction in coal and textile exports.
In August 2021, the Islamist Taliban regained control of Afghanistan following the withdrawal of all U.S.-led Western forces from the country, marking the end of nearly two decades of foreign presence.
The Taliban takeover led to the suspension of international aid and the imposition of sanctions on the financial and banking sectors. These measures were implemented in response to terrorism concerns, as key Taliban leaders were designated as global terrorists by the United Nations for directing years of insurgent attacks on U.S.-led foreign troops.
“Coal exports saw the steepest decline, plunging 64 percent to USD 92 million as Pakistan shifted to its traditional suppliers,” stated the World Bank.
The report highlighted an 11.5% increase in Afghan revenue collection, primarily driven by non-tax revenue and taxes levied at the country’s borders.
“Revenue collection remained strong in the first ten months of FY2024-25 (March 22, 2024 – January 21, 2025), totaling AFN 190.5 billion ($2.5 billion), or 12 percent of annual GDP,” stated the report.
The local currency, the Afghani (AFN), continued its depreciation trajectory for the third consecutive month, falling 12% from November 2024 to January 2025.
The report explained that the central Afghan bank suspended U.S. dollar auctions from Sept. 4 to Dec. 9, contributing to the depreciation of the local currency. The auctions resumed in January 2025, with the bank injecting more than $100 million.
The World Bank noted that Afghanistan, a landlocked nation, is compelled to diversify its export markets due to its precarious trade relations with Pakistan. Consequently, Iran, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan each account for approximately 3% of the overall volume of Afghan exports.
“However, Pakistan remains the largest export destination, accounting for 45%, followed by India at 34%,” the report stated.
Afghanistan relies on Pakistani overland routes and seaports for bilateral and international trade.
Allegations that militants on Afghan soil are responsible for the rise in terrorist attacks in Pakistan since the Taliban regained control of Afghanistan have strained ties, affecting economic cooperation between the countries.
Pakistani officials have also complained that the Taliban have imposed high taxes and duties on bilateral trade, demanding significantly higher coal prices than international rates, resulting in a decline in mutual trade.
Furthermore, Islamabad asserts that de facto Afghan authorities are delaying the signing of trade-related agreements, thereby hindering the advancement of bilateral economic cooperation.
No countries have recognized the Taliban as a legitimate government of Afghanistan, primarily due to restrictions on freedom of speech and female rights to education and employment.
The Taliban attribute the difficulties in achieving economic recovery in the country to Western financial sanctions and the freezing of more than $9 billion in Afghan central bank assets held in the United States and other Western nations.
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Al Jazeera: A Taliban delegation has arrived in Japan on what is the first visit by the group that rules Afghanistan, according to media in the East Asian country. The delegation, consisting of foreign affairs, education, economy and health officials, arrived on Sunday for a weeklong visit, the Asahi Shimbun newspaper reported. The visit is a rarity for the Taliban, whose diplomatic trips have previously remained close to Afghanistan since regaining power in 2021. Click here to read more (external link).
Tolo News: Abdul Mateen Qani, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Interior, told TOLOnews that ISIS has been completely suppressed in Afghanistan and has no physical presence. The spokesperson added that, according to their information, recent ISIS attacks were planned outside Afghanistan’s borders, in neighboring countries. Qani said the Islamic Emirate is working to neutralize ISIS’s cross-border attacks as well. Click here to read more (external link).
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Afghanistan International: The UK Ministry of Defence has, for the first time, confirmed that British Special Forces rejected the resettlement requests of over 2,000 Afghan commandos, the BBC reported on Monday. According to the BBC World Service, the decision was made to prevent the disclosure of potential war crimes committed during the Afghan conflict. The UK Special Forces have the authority to approve or block the relocation of Afghan forces who fought alongside them. The BBC reports that British Special Forces are currently under investigation for alleged war crimes in Afghanistan. Under UK law, only witnesses residing within the country can be compelled to testify, making the presence of Afghan commandos in Britain a legal risk. Click here to read more (external link).