Dostum
Afghanistan International: Speaking during a meeting with political activists in Ankara, Dostum accused the Taliban of implementing “fascist plans” by resettling Pakistani migrants in areas predominantly inhabited by Afghanistan’s Turkic communities. He condemned what he called a deliberate effort to alter the demographic composition of these regions. In a further allegation, the former vice president claimed that former Afghan President Ashraf Ghani harboured negative sentiments towards Turkic Afghans and that this animosity influenced his alignment with the Taliban. Dostum alleged that Ghani had held meetings with the Haqqani Network and advised them to focus on capturing Jowzjan province, Dostum’s political stronghold, believing that control of the region would be key to dominating the rest of the country, due to the population’s support for a federal system. Click here to read more (external link).
Euronews: Afghanistan is rapidly constructing the Qosh Tepa Canal, a waterway meant to help irrigate more than 500,000 hectares of its arid northern regions, for which it will redirect 20–30% of the Amu Darya River flow. Besides Afghanistan, the Amu Darya flows through Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan, with the last two countries being downstream. The countries depend on the river to fuel their hydroelectric power plants and irrigate agricultural lands. Redirecting the river to the canal will devastate Central Asia’s water security, cutting Uzbekistan’s water supply by 15% and Turkmenistan’s by as much as 80%, as well as negatively affect employment and poverty levels, migration and cross-border conflicts. 
Afghanistan International: The Taliban have arrested another prominent cleric in Kabul, continuing a wave of detentions targeting religious scholars who have expressed dissent against the group’s leadership. On Sunday, Qari Sirajuddin, an imam at a mosque in Kabul and a close associate of detained scholar Mawlawi Abdul Qadir Qanit, was arrested in the Qala-e-Fathullah area of the capital. His family confirmed the arrest and said they have no information about his current whereabouts. 
Ariana: According to the report, an estimated 22.9 million people in Afghanistan will require humanitarian assistance in 2025. Of those, 14.8 million are facing food insecurity, with nearly half of the population living in poverty. Click here to read more (external link). 
Afghanistan International: According to local Taliban officials, at least 109 musical instruments were collected over the past several months from various celebratory gatherings and subsequently burned. On Monday, officials in Alingar released images showing the public incineration of the items, which included drums (daff), guitars, loudspeakers, and other musical equipment. 
Afghanistan International: According to sources, protesters have issued a one-week ultimatum to the Taliban to dismiss the governor. The demand has reportedly received backing from some Taliban members native to Badakhshan. Protesters insist the provincial governor should be selected from among the local population and that non-local Taliban officials should leave the province. 
Afghanistan International: commander of the 203rd Army Corps, has urged the people of Badakhshan to prepare for what he described as a “historic battle” to expel the Taliban from the province. Yaftali strongly criticised the Taliban’s “highly ethnocentric leadership” and accused the group of deepening ethnic divisions across Afghanistan. He claimed this discriminatory approach was a key reason for the population to stand up against Taliban rule.