NYT: While the Taliban have erased most obvious vestiges of the U.S. nation-building effort in Afghanistan, the cultural legacy of two decades of American occupation has been harder to stamp out. Click here to read more (external link).
Tolo News in Dari – June 29, 2023
Taliban rejects Gallup survey suggesting Afghanistan is least positive country
Ariana: In the 2022 survey by Gallup – conducted one year after the IEA’s [Taliban] return to power and amid an ongoing humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan – 98% of Afghans described their life as poor enough to be considered suffering. This number is even higher than it was in the immediate aftermath of the IEA’s resurgence in 2021, when 94% of respondents described their life this poorly. Click here to read more (external link).
India Says It Will Maintain Embassy in Kabul But Without Ambassador
Tolo News: The Minister of External Affairs of India, S Jaishankar, said that they have decided not to send an ambassador to its embassy in Afghanistan, but will keep the embassy open. Speaking at the India International Centre, Jaishankar added that it is still too early to judge the recent events in Afghanistan, but India will monitor the situation in Afghanistan. Click here to read more (external link).
Tajikistan’s Concerns Regarding the Presence of the Taliban in Afghanistan
8am: Tajikistan shares a border of over 1,300 kilometers with Afghanistan, specifically with the provinces of Badakhshan, Takhar, and Kunduz. The shared border with Afghanistan has raised concerns for Tajikistan, which have been further amplified by the resurgence of the Taliban in Afghanistan, particularly their plans to relocate the Pakistani Taliban (TTP) to the northeast of Afghanistan. Click here to read more (external link).
Tolo News in Dari – June 28, 2023
Muted Eid Celebrations In Afghanistan As Economic Crisis Worsens
RFE/RL: As Muslims around the world prepare to celebrate Eid al-Adha, many Afghanis are struggling to afford basic necessities amid a deepening economic crisis and Western sanctions. Click here to view photos (external link).
Amid Growing Unemployment in Afghanistan, Taliban Baradar Calls it ‘Foreign Propaganda’
Baradar
Khaama: Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs of Afghanistan Abdul Ghani Baradar on Wednesday on the occasion of Eid al-Adha prayer said there is enough work in Afghanistan, adding foreigners fuel the rumor of unemployment. Click here to read more (external link).
Afghan Deportees Complain of Mistreatment By Turkish Military
Tolo News: Afghan migrants who have been deported by Turkey complained of mistreatment by Turkish border forces, claiming that they were beaten and tortured after they were arrested. Click here to read more (external link).
Taliban’s Brutality Unveiled: Farmer Slain in Kabul for Refusing to Pay Tithe
8am: Local sources in Kabul have reported that the Taliban have slain a farmer in the Char Asyab district due to his failure to pay the tithe, and they injured his brother in the process. According to sources on Tuesday, June 27th, the farmer was identified as Ajmal. The incident occurred last night, and in response, local residents of the Kabul-Logar highway blocked the road for two hours in protest. Tithing refers to a form of religious tax collected by the Taliban without undergoing any formal scrutiny. Considering themselves as the founders of an Islamic government, the Taliban perceive one-tenth of individuals’ income as their rightful share. Click here to read more (external link).
Life under Taliban Rule