US delegation holds talks with Afghanistan’s former leaders in Turkey

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Mohaqiq

Khaama: Mohammad Mohaqiq, leader of the Islamic Unity Party of Afghanistan, told Voice of America on Tuesday, February 4, that several members of the High Council of Resistance, including himself, met with a delegation sent by the Global Peace Operations Initiative. According to him, the American delegation visited them around two days ago to discuss issues related to Afghanistan. The delegation was sent by the Global Peace Operations Initiative for this purpose. Reports suggested that the group had met with a Pakistani delegation, but Mr. Mohaqiq, in an interview with Voice of America, firmly denied any such meeting between the members of the High Council of Resistance and the Pakistani delegation. Click here to read more (external link).

National Resistance Front Commander Urges Anti-Taliban Unity

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Afghanistan International: Hamed Saifi, a commander of the National Resistance Front, has called on anti-Taliban political leaders to put aside “self-interest and divisions” and to “unite.” In a statement on X on Tuesday, Saifi referred to reports of internal conflicts among Taliban leaders. He wrote that focusing on disputes within the Taliban, such as which faction is involved in infighting or who has been “arrested, killed, or injured” among them, is a “futile thought.” According to Saifi, despite internal tensions within the Taliban and the possible sidelining of some officials, ultimately, one faction of the Taliban will continue to rule Afghanistan. He warned that this would bring no positive change for the people and could even worsen their situation. Click here to read more (external link).

Taliban leader deploys loyalists to key Kabul locations amid internal rift: Sources

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Amu: The Taliban’s supreme leader, Hibatullah Akhundzada, has deployed forces loyal to him to key strategic locations in Kabul, including the Bala Hissar fortress and Kabul International Airport, according to two sources familiar with the developments. The move, reportedly targeting areas previously under the control of the Haqqani network, highlights the growing rift between Akhundzada’s Kandahar faction and the Haqqani leadership, which has been at the center of the Taliban’s internal power struggles. Click here to read more (external link).

The Domination of Talibanism in Universities: Nearly 50% of Students Have Dropped Out

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8am: With the Taliban taking control of Afghanistan, students’ interest in continuing their education under the rule of this group has significantly declined. Sources from public universities confirm that around 50% of students have dropped out. According to these sources, even science-related disciplines have faced more than a 50% dropout rate. One informed source states that in one university, the number of students in mathematics and physics programs has dwindled to just five. At the same time, sources confirm that there is currently an imbalance between student enrollment and the availability of faculty and specialized staff in universities. If the situation persists, universities will soon be emptied of students, with only Taliban-affiliated clerics remaining in these institutions. Students cite an uncertain future, lack of financial resources, concerns over job opportunities, the Taliban’s strong support for religious school clerics, and the group’s disregard for modern knowledge and expertise as reasons for their dropout. Some students have also left due to Taliban threats and retaliatory actions against themselves and their families, leading them to migrate. Click here to read more (external link).

Khalilzad Cautions Anti-Taliban Leaders Against Pakistani Intelligence Influence

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Khalilzad

Afghanistan International: Zalmay Khalilzad, the former U.S. Special Representative for Afghanistan, has responded to reports of meetings between Pakistani intelligence officials and Afghan political leaders in Türkiye, warning them against becoming pawns of Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). Khalilzad stated that Pakistan’s security apparatus is likely attempting to use these leaders as leverage in negotiations with the Taliban to extract concessions, only to abandon them later—an experience some have faced in the past. Click here to read more (external link).

Pakistan sets deadline for Western nations to relocate Afghan allies

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Ayaz Gul
VOA News
February 3, 2025

Islamabad — Pakistan has decided to deport thousands of Afghan nationals if Western countries, including the United States, do not relocate them as promised for resettlement abroad by the end of March, officials confirmed Monday.

The individuals in question took refuge in Pakistan after the Taliban regained control of Afghanistan in 2021, primarily seeking shelter from potential retribution due to their affiliations with the U.S. and NATO forces.

Pakistani foreign ministry spokesman Shafqat Ali Khan recently reported that “almost 80,000” Afghans have so far been “taken by various countries for resettlement, and around 40,000 are still in Pakistan.” They reportedly include an estimated 15,000 Afghans to be approved for resettlement in the U.S.

Last week, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif led a meeting in Islamabad to discuss the status of nearly three million Afghan refugees residing in the country, including documented and undocumented refugees, economic migrants, and those who are awaiting resettlement to a third country.

A post-meeting document seen by VOA on Monday outlines a multi-stage repatriation plan, requiring authorities to move “Afghan nationals bound for 3rd country resettlement” out of the Pakistani capital and adjacent garrison city of Rawalpindi by March 31, 2025. It did not elaborate.

Sharif directed the foreign ministry “to ensure coordination with foreign [diplomatic] missions for their relocation, including to their intended destinations, failing which they will also be repatriated to Afghanistan.”

The U.S. and allied troops withdrew from Afghanistan just days after the Taliban swept back to power in Kabul three-and-a-half years ago. The withdrawal ended a nearly two-decade-long U.S. involvement in the Afghan war, with coalition forces also evacuating tens of thousands of Afghan allies with a pledge to resettle them abroad. Many of them were airlifted and transported to Pakistan temporarily.

Last month, new President Donald Trump’s administration announced the suspension of the U.S. Refugee Admission Program, saying the pause was intended to assess whether reinstating the program serves the interests of Washington. The announcement further complicated the Afghans’ already slow and complex relocation process.

Under the Pakistani plan, Sharif has also directed authorities to immediately relocate all legal Afghan migrants, including those without residential permits, from Islamabad and Rawalpindi and repatriate them to Afghanistan. Although specific figures were not provided, official estimates indicate that the number of migrants with legal status in Pakistan exceeds 800,000 holding the Afghan Citizen Card, or ACC.

The official document outlining the deportation stages emphasized that no public announcement should be made regarding the planned deportations of Afghans, and it “shall be ensured that they do not return once repatriated.”

Pakistani authorities have already forced more than 800,000 undocumented Afghans out of the country since launching an official crackdown on foreign immigrants lacking documents or visas in late 2023.

Pakistan is home to more than one million Afghans recognized by the United Nations as lawfully registered refugees, holding a Proof of Registration, or POR, card. The Sharif government has granted POR cardholders permission to remain in Pakistan until June 30, 2025. These families primarily consist of those who escaped decades of war, persecution, and the previous Islamist Taliban regime in Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001.

The majority of the lawful refugees are either born or raised in Pakistan and are hesitant to return to a country that feels unfamiliar to them, according to officials from the U.N. refugee agency.

Moreover, the U.N. says that years of conflicts, natural disasters, and deepening economic troubles after the Taliban takeover have worsened a long-running humanitarian crisis in poverty-stricken Afghanistan. Aid agencies estimate that more than half of the Afghan population require some assistance, which is a significant factor in discouraging refugees from returning home.

The Taliban’s sweeping restrictions on Afghan women’s access to employment, education, and public life at large, in line with their strict interpretation of Islamic law, have also deterred refugee families from leaving Pakistan.

Senior Taliban Official Warns Against Blind Obedience To Leader Hibatullah Akhundzada

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Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai

Afghanistan International: Abbas Stanekzai, the Taliban’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs, has urged officials within the group not to follow their leader, Hibatullah Akhundzada, in a manner that accords him a “prophetic or divine status.” In a newly released audio recording, Stanekzai called on Taliban members to refrain from “worshipping” their leader. The exact timing of the remarks remains unclear, but in the recording, he encourages Taliban officials to reject orders that contradict Islamic teachings. Addressing Akhundzada directly, he stated: “We cannot destroy our country for your sake.” Click here to read more (external link).

Related

Taliban’s ban on door-to-door polio vaccinations linked to surge in cases: AAN

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Child getting polio drops (file photo)

Amu: The Taliban’s decision to ban door-to-door polio vaccinations in Afghanistan has contributed to a rise in reported cases of the disease, according to a new report by the Afghanistan Analysts Network (AAN). The report states that after twice pausing the national polio vaccination program in 2024, the Taliban resumed the campaign for children under five in late October but restricted vaccinations to mosques and village centers, rather than allowing health workers to visit homes. Click here to read more (external link).