Ariana: Establishing an inclusive government, respecting human rights, especially the rights of women and minorities, and combating terrorist groups and drugs have always been considered important preconditions for the international community to recognize the Islamic Emirate. Click here to read more (external link).
Related
Khaama: The way Nowruz is celebrated varies across Afghanistan. In Mazar-e-Sharif, the “Jahenda Bala” ceremony and the Gul Surkh festival are popular, while in Herat, people often visit nature reserves and gardens. In Kabul, making ‘Samanak’ and preparing ‘Haft Mewa’ are notable traditions. Despite these regional differences, visiting friends, exchanging new year greetings, and wishing for health and happiness are common practices. However, due to the rise of the Taliban regime, the tradition of celebrating Nowruz has faced severe limitations. Last year, the “Jahenda” ceremony in Mazar-e-Sharif was not held due to restrictions. The Taliban has now banned public celebrations of Nowruz, labeling it an “un-Islamic” celebration. Click here to read more (external link).
8am: The Taliban, despite their claims of combating administrative corruption and ethnic discrimination, have engaged in widespread corruption within government institutions and have significantly fueled ethnic bias. Findings from a report by the Hasht-e Subh Daily regarding the Education Directorate of Baghlan Province reveal that the principal of a school in Central Baghlan has labeled all Persian speakers as “infidels” and insisted they should not be present at the school. At the same time, sources have uncovered extensive corruption, extortion, and the sale of positions by the Taliban’s Education Director and his team within this institution. According to sources, this local Taliban official, despite a transfer request issued by the group’s governor, enjoys support from Taliban authorities in Kabul and Kandahar, rendering no one able to remove him from his post. Click here to read more (external link).
By RFE/RL’s Radio Azadi
March 19, 2025
Under the Taliban, Afghan women can’t study at universities or work in most jobs.
But 22-year-old Zahra Ali has created a small business that brings in an income and provides a much-needed resource to her neighbors.
At her home workshop in Kabul, she builds rechargeable battery packs that help compensate for the country’s unreliable power grid.
“I produce a lot. I can’t keep up with all the orders. It’s because Afghanistan faces frequent power shortages,” she explains next to a work bench full of batteries, soldering irons, and electrometers.
Customers who buy the battery packs charge them when the electricity is flowing and then use them when power from the grid is intermittent or is cut off.
Before the Taliban returned to power in 2021, she studied at the Herat Institute of Technology.
Since then girls and women have been barred from secondary and higher education, and there are few places where they can work.
The Taliban has allowed limited exceptions in the health and education sectors, but these jobs come with severe restrictions and the number of women in the workforce continues to fall, according to the United Nations.
Women must also be accompanied by a male relative when traveling longer distance from their homes and can face harassment and checks even when close to home.
“It’s not easy to work in the current situation. It takes a lot of effort and courage,” says Ali. “I have faced many obstacles, but eventually I decided to build this workshop to generate an income, so I won’t have to rely on my family and friends.”
She says there were few women working in science and technology even before the Taliban resumed power, but she remains undeterred.
“Producing power banks is not a job only for men. I mean that women can do it too, but we need to work hard and be committed.”
Khawaja Muhammad Asif
Afghanistan International: Pakistan’s Defence Minister, Khawaja Asif, has warned that the country will take action against Pakistani militants operating inside Afghanistan. He stressed that Pakistan’s security and national interests would take precedence over diplomacy or alliances. Speaking after a high-level security meeting, Asif stated that Pakistan would not hesitate to track and eliminate its enemies wherever necessary. He insisted that a lenient approach would compromise national security. Click here to read more (external link).
More Pakistan-Afghanistan News
Tolo News: Carpet sellers in Herat have called on the interim government to not only prevent the smuggling of Afghan handwoven carpets to neighboring countries but also to facilitate their export under Afghanistan’s name. Click here to read more (external link).
Fitrat
Afghanistan International: Fasihuddin Fitrat, Chief of Staff of the Taliban Army, has announced plans to equip Taliban forces with advanced weaponry and modern military equipment. He stated that strengthening the so-called “Islamic Army” is not intended to provoke conflict with neighbouring countries. The Taliban government remains under strict economic and military sanctions, raising questions about the source of its modern weaponry. Click here to read more (external link).
Afghanistan International: Former Taliban detainee Nadia Sadat told Afghanistan International that she was stripped naked and subjected to abuse in prison. She claimed that Taliban officials took photos and videos of her during interrogations. Sadat was detained for protesting in Mazar-i-Sharif and for speaking to the media about the closure of schools and universities for women and girls. She said that during her detention, Taliban officers sexually abused her and touched parts of her body without consent. Click here to read more (external link).