Collective Punishment: The Absence of Logic in Taliban Governance

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Daikundi

8am: Three days ago, media reported that a local Taliban official in Daykundi province, after his motorcycle went missing, extracted 60,000 Afghanis in compensation from the local people. According to the reports, a man named Haji Khayat, the criminal director of Khedir district in Daykundi, went to visit a person named Haji Khodadad and his motorcycle disappeared. The Taliban valued the motorcycle at 70,000 Afghanis, and Haji Khayat collected 60,000 Afghanis of that amount. The Taliban forced the people of the Korga area in the Khedir district to pay compensation for the motorcycle. 500 families, in addition to the host Haji Khodadad, delivered the money to the local Taliban office in Khedir district on Thursday, August 15. Each family paid 100 Afghanis, and Haji Khodadad paid 10,000 Afghanis in compensation. If this were anywhere other than Afghanistan, someone encountering such news would surely think it was a joke; however, in Afghanistan under Taliban rule, people experience the reality of such news firsthand because they face such illogical and inhumane decisions from the ruling regime daily. In Afghanistan, when someone reads such news, they are not amused but rather filled with frustration and anger, lamenting the misery and misfortune of the people. Click here to read more (external link).

Public Health Ministry tackles monkeypox threat

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Ariana: In a proactive move to protect the public, the Ministry of Public Health has announced steps to prevent the potential spread of monkeypox – also known as mpox – within the country. Mawlavi Noor Jalal Jalali, the acting minister, convened a meeting with health officials to discuss plans for containing the monkeypox outbreak that has affected parts of Africa, Europe, and Asia. “Although no cases of monkeypox have been reported in Afghanistan so far, we are taking this threat seriously and putting preventive measures in place,” Mawlavi Jalali stated. Click here to read more (external link).

Pakistan: Gunfight with militants near Afghan border kills 3 troops

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By Ayaz Gul
VOA News
August 19, 2024

ISLAMABAD — Pakistan reported Monday that at least three soldiers had been killed in clashes with militants attempting to cross over from Afghanistan.

A military statement said that Pakistani forces had intercepted the predawn infiltration attempt in the Bajaur border district and “effectively engaged and thwarted” it. The ensuing intense gunfight also killed five assailants and wounded several others, it added.

The reported militant casualties could not be immediately confirmed by independent sources, nor were there any claims of responsibility for the attempted incursion.

However, the military blamed fugitive militants associated with Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), a globally designated terrorist organization, for carrying out the attack from their bases on the Afghan side of the border.

“Pakistan has consistently been asking [the] interim Afghan government to ensure effective border management on their side of the border,” the military stated, referring to the neighboring country’s de facto Taliban rulers.

The statement renewed Islamabad’s call for Kabul to “fulfill its obligations and deny the use of Afghan soil by Khwarij (official reference to TTP in local language) for perpetuating acts of terrorism against Pakistan.”

Taliban authorities deny the Pakistani allegations, asserting they have secured and “firmly” control the entire Afghan territory.

“Afghanistan is not a threat to any country,” Taliban-run state TV quoted Hamdullah Fitrat, the deputy government spokesperson, as saying Monday.

“The Islamic Emirate has made it clear that it does not allow the territory of Afghanistan to be used against the security of any other nation,” Fitrat stated, using the official title of their government, which is not recognized by any country.

Pakistan has reported a dramatic surge in TTP attacks in the country since the Taliban reclaimed power in Kabul three years ago. The violence has killed and wounded several thousand civilians and security forces, according to official and independent reports.

The rise in militancy has strained relations between the two countries, sharing a nearly 2,600-kilometer (1,616-mile) border.

The United Nations has backed Islamabad’s complaints and, in a security assessment released last month, described TTP as “the largest terrorist group” in Afghanistan.

The report stated that up to 6,500 TTP militants operate on Afghan soil with the growing support of the Taliban government to launch cross-border attacks in Pakistan. The U.N. noted that the militants are being equipped and trained in al-Qaida-run training camps in Afghanistan.

The de facto Kabul authorities dismissed the U.N. findings as propaganda at the time.

Afghanistan U-17 football team to face Kyrgyzstan today

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Khaama: The Afghanistan Football Federation has announced that the national U-17 football team will face Kyrgyzstan today. The match is scheduled for 6:00 PM Kyrgyzstan time on Monday, August 19, as part of the Central Asian Football Association (CAFA) Championship. This game is part of the Group A stage of the Central Asian Championship, which features the U-17 teams competing for the title. The match will be held in Dushanbe, Tajikistan. Click here to read more (external link).

Other Afghan Sports News

Killed Four Taliban Members in Kabul, Claims AFF

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Afghanistan International: The Afghanistan Freedom Front (AFF) has claimed responsibility for an explosion in Kabul’s Fourth Security District. In a video clip released by the group, they stated that on Saturday evening, they targeted a convoy of the Taliban’s Ministry of Interior in the Parwan-3 area. Click here to read more (external link).

Taliban-Led Government Celebrates 105th Anniversary Of Afghan Independence

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Yaqoob Mujahid

By RFE/RL’s Radio Azadi
August 18 2024

Top officials of the Taliban-led government in Afghanistan marked 105 years of of the country’s independence on August 18 by demanding mutual respect from the international community.

Afghanistan gained its independence in August 1919 after the signing of the Anglo-Afghan Treaty, which ended British control over the country’s foreign affairs.

Afghanistan currently remains unrecognized internationally, largely because of the restrictions the Taliban-led government has placed on women since it returned to power in August 2021.

The anniversary of the signing of the Anglo-Afghan Treaty was marked at a meeting of top Taliban leaders in Kabul broadcast live by the Taliban-controlled National Radio and Television.

Mullah Mohammad Yaqoob, the Taliban’s acting defense minister, told the meeting that the government wants strong relations with the world based on mutual respect but will never give in to pressure.

He also said the Taliban, which seized power after the U.S.-backed government collapsed and its leaders fled into exile, will never allow the Islamic State and other destructive groups to create chaos in Afghanistan.

“Whether they are Daesh (Islamic State) or other rebels, they should hear…that we have not surrendered to anyone’s power at any cost. By any name, we have established the Islamic system in this land. We will defend it till death and the last century.”

The international community has previously expressed concern about the presence of the extremist Islamic State group in Afghanistan, while the Taliban has said it is the only group capable of ruling and establishing security in the country.

Hamid Karzai, who served as the first elected president of Afghanistan from 2004 to 2014, marked the anniversary of the signing of the treaty by calling on the Taliban to allow girls and women to attend school and university.

“I call on the caretaker Islamic government to open the doors of schools and universities in the country as soon as possible so that girls equipped with the jewels of knowledge can play their part in the development of the country alongside their brothers,” Karzai said on X. “Education and national unity are the forces that will keep the country strong.”

Since returning to power in August 2021, the Taliban has banned girls and women from studying beyond primary school.

The United Nations said on August 15 that at least 1.4 million girls in Afghanistan have been denied access to secondary education and this has almost wiped out two decades of steady progress for education in Afghanistan, leaving the future of an entire generation in jeopardy.

Copyright (c) 2024. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave NW, Ste 400, Washington DC 20036.

Taliban Militants blind Bus driver in Baghlan province

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Khaama: A driver in Baghlan province has reported that militants shot out one of his eyes at a checkpoint in the Dushi district. The driver shared details of the incident in a video on Sunday, August 18. He stated that the violence was inflicted upon him “without cause” and accused the “Taliban fighters of abusing their position and mistreating him.” This incident highlights ongoing issues with militant conduct. Click here to read more (external link).

Taliban Extorts Takhar Farmers with Double ‘Ushr’ and Zakat Payments

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8am: Farmers in Takhar Province allege that they are being forced to pay “ushr and zakat” under the guise of “one-tenth” to the head of the province’s agriculture, irrigation and livestock department. According to them, local Taliban officials are engaged in extortion and coercion. The farmers emphasize that when Taliban employees come to collect the “one-tenth,” they are compelled to comply out of fear of severe punishment and violence. Click here to read more (external link).