US delegation meets Taliban in Kabul to discuss prisoners, ‘bilateral ties

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Khalilzad

Amu: A U.S. delegation led by Adam Boehler, the special presidential envoy for hostage affairs, met on Saturday with Amir Khan Muttaqi, the Taliban’s foreign minister, to discuss the fate of prisoners held in both countries and broader bilateral relations, according to a statement from the Taliban Foreign Ministry. The delegation includes Zalmay Khalilzad, the former U.S. special envoy for Afghan peace, who has maintained a visible role in backchannel contacts since the Taliban’s return to power in 2021. Click here to read more (external link).

UK Special Forces Challenge Judge Over Afghanistan War Crimes Inquiry

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Khaama: UK Special Forces accused of Afghanistan war crimes filed a legal challenge against a High Court judge, contesting restrictions on attending whistleblower testimony hearings. British Special Air Service (SAS) soldiers accused of committing war crimes in Afghanistan have filed a legal complaint against a High Court judge leading the inquiry. Click here to read more (external link).

Afghan Children In Pakistan Fear Taliban Schools If Forced Home

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By RFE/RL’s Radio Mashaal and Azmat Ali Shah
September 13, 2025

Students at an Afghan refugee camp near Peshawar in northwest Pakistan are worried about what comes next for them if they are forcibly repatriated to Afghanistan.

RFE/RL’s Radio Mashaal met students at a school in the Khazana Refugee Camp on the outskirts of Peshawar.

The camp was established in the late 1970s and has housed thousands of Afghan families fleeing decades of conflict in Afghanistan.

Afghans had until August 31 to return to Afghanistan or face forcible return.

“My grandfather migrated here. I was born in the Khazana [refugee] camp. I’m in fifth grade here,” says student Salaman Khan. “Moving to Afghanistan at this stage will affect my studies. Also, it’s not possible to immediately enter another school [in Afghanistan] after leaving here.”

Many families returning to Afghanistan from Pakistan have said they have been unable to enroll children in schools, because they did not have the necessary documents to register them.

The Taliban has meanwhile waged a war on all forms of modern secular education, which thrived in Afghanistan after the US-led invasion in 2001.

Since regaining power in 2021, the hard-line Islamist group has converted scores of secular schools, public universities, and vocational training centers into Islamic seminaries, leading to a surge in the number of madrasahs in the country.

The Taliban-run madrasahs promote extremist religious instruction, raising fears that it could radicalize a new generation of Afghans.

Shakil Arshad, who teaches students in the refugee camp, is worried about what will become of the children here.

“The curriculum we teach here [in Pakistan] creates a serious challenge for these students [moving to Afghanistan]. The [Taliban] government should find a solution — for example, providing additional tuition centers for them so that they don’t miss a year of their education.”

The United Nations says more than 1.2 million Afghans, including many children, have moved to Afghanistan since Pakistan launched a 2023 crackdown.

Refugees have reported police raids and harassment by the Pakistani authorities.

Copyright (c) 2025. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave NW, Ste 400, Washington DC 20036.

Taliban Expel Senior Indian Diplomat From Kabul Over Alleged Opposition Links

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Afghanistan International: The Taliban have expelled Harish Kumar, a senior Indian diplomat, accusing him of meeting opponents of the group and attempting to organise them, sources told Afghanistan International. According to the sources, Kumar had met with anti-Taliban leaders during visits to Delhi and Qatar, where discussions were held about convening a meeting in Islamabad. That gathering, planned for 25–26 August, was postponed after senior Taliban leaders, including Abdul Ghani Baradar, Yaqoob Mujahid and Amir Khan Muttaqi, strongly objected. The Taliban also publicly criticised Pakistan over the initiative. Click here to read more (external link).

UN Warns 4.7 Million Women and Children Face Acute Malnutrition Crisis in Afghanistan

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Khaama: The United Nations warns that over 4.7 million women and children urgently need malnutrition treatment, as drought, economic collapse, and reduced aid push Afghanistan toward deeper humanitarian crisis..The United Nations has warned that more than 4.7 million women and children in Afghanistan urgently need treatment for malnutrition, with the country facing a worsening humanitarian crisis in 2025 if aid is not increased. Click here to read more (external link).

Local Sources: Taliban Remove 51 Subjects from School Textbooks in Afghanistan

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8am: Local sources report that the Taliban have removed 51 subjects from school textbooks in Afghanistan, including topics on women’s rights and human rights. On Thursday, September 11, local sources told the Hasht-e Subh Daily that the Taliban claimed the removed subjects were in contradiction with the values and principles of Islamic Sharia. According to documents provided to the Hasht-e Subh Daily, among the removed subjects from first-grade Dari and Pashto textbooks were “Flag,” “Freedom,” “Teacher’s Day,” and “Mother.” Click here to read more (external link).

Taliban DABS employees from work over beards and headwear: Sources

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Amu: Taliban morality enforcers in Kabul barred a group of employees from Da Afghanistan Breshna Sherkat (DABS), the state-run electricity company, from entering their offices on Thursday, Sept. 11, because they were not wearing the required headwear or had trimmed beards, according to local sources. Taliban agents from the Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice also confiscated about 250 employee ID cards, which have not yet been returned, the sources said. Click here to read more (external link).