Will Not Attend Regional Tehran Meeting On Afghanistan, Says Taliban

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Afghanistan International: The Taliban’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Saturday it will not take part in a regional meeting on Afghanistan scheduled to be held in Tehran. Zia Ahmad Takal, deputy spokesperson for the ministry, said the Taliban had received an invitation but decided not to attend. According to Takal, the decision was based on the Taliban’s view that Afghanistan already maintains active relations with regional countries through existing regional organisations and cooperation frameworks, and has made what he described as significant progress in this regard. Click here to read more (external link).

ACL: Jawanan Perozi 1-0 Arman FC; Abu Muslim Farah 2-0 Sarsabz Yashlar

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Ariana: In the 37th match of the fifth season of the Afghanistan Champions League, Jawanan Perozi defeated Arman FC 1-0, securing a well-earned victory. In the 38th match, held on Saturday, Abu Muslim Farah triumphed 2-0 over Sarsabz Yashlar in an exciting contest. Monday’s fixtures will continue with two more matches. Click here to read more (external link).

US official says about 2,000 Afghans in country flagged over alleged terrorist links

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Amu: Joe Kent, director of the US National Counterterrorism Center, told the House of Representatives Homeland Security Committee that the individuals entered the country under “Operation Allies Welcome” and were under review for suspected ties to terrorist organisations. “We’ve identified 2,000 of that group of 88,000 who have ties to terrorist organisations,” Kent said, referring to Afghans evacuated to the United States after 2021. He said authorities were working with the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI to investigate the cases. Click here to read more (external link).

Germany To Reject Resettlement Of 640 Afghan Refugees In Pakistan

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Afghanistan International: Germany’s Interior Ministry has announced that it will not relocate a number of Afghan refugees currently in Pakistan, reversing earlier commitments. Ministry spokesperson Sonja Kock said some Afghan refugees will soon be informed that there is no longer any political justification for accepting them. German media reported that, under the ministry’s new decision, the resettlement process for at least 640 Afghan refugees in Pakistan will be cancelled. Click here to read more (external link).

Sharif Calls for International Pressure on Kabul Amid Afghanistan Terror Threats

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Shahbaz Sharif

Khaama: Pakistan Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif has urged the international community to pressure the Taliban to fulfill their commitments on counterterrorism, warning of a growing terrorism threat emanating from Afghanistan. He made the remarks on Friday at the “Peace and Confidence” conference in Turkmenistan. Sharif emphasized that the Taliban must be held accountable for failing to control extremist groups operating from Afghanistan territory. According to Geo News, he stressed that the peaceful resolution of conflicts remains the cornerstone of Islamabad’s foreign policy. Click here to read more (external link).

Taliban Ban Women from Entering Sakhi Shrine in Kabu

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8am: Sources in Kabul say that the Taliban have, for the past few days, prohibited women from entering the Sakhi shrine in Kabul city. These sources told the Hasht-e Subh Daily on Thursday, December 11, that the reasons for this ban include the failure to observe the hijab as prescribed by the Taliban, the mixed presence of women and men, and photography. Click here to read more (external link).

Khalil Haqqani’s Mysterious Killing, A Year On, & the Deal That Freed Him

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Khalil Haqqani

Afghanistan International: In August 2007, a Pakistani helicopter transferred about 27 detainees to Dera Ismail Khan before proceeding to Wana. One of the detainees on board was Khalil-ur-Rahman Haqqani. Last year, on December 11, he was killed by an ISIS suicide bomber inside his ministry, yet the ambiguous aspects of that incident remain unclear even after one year. A year after his death, Taliban authorities have not disclosed the findings of their investigation or identified those responsible for the attack. One of the central mysteries surrounding the incident is how the suicide bomber entered the ministry building undetected and why the security scanner was not functioning at the time. Although the Taliban officially attributed the attack to ISIS and the group claimed responsibility, the circumstances of the killing remain unclear. Click here to read more (external link).

Travelled Repeatedly To Pakistan To Free Baradar, Says Former Afghan FM

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Mohammad Hanif Atmar

Afghanistan International: Hanif Atmar, Afghanistan’s former foreign minister, says he travelled to Pakistan 10 times to secure the release of Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, now the Taliban deputy prime minister. He added that he does not trust Pakistan. Click here to read more (external link).