Afghanistan Crisis LIVE: NRF slams girls schools closure; Taliban members injured in blast

Afghanistan Cricket Board has taken to Twitter to introduce the new CEO of the board, Naseeb Khan, who holds a master's degree and also has knowledge of Cricket.

Naseeb Khan has replaced Hamid Shinwari who was removed by Taliban member Anas Haqqani without any reason. Earlier, Hamid Shinwari wrote Taliban member Anas Haqqani told him that he was no more chief executive.

“I asked for a formal letter and reason behind my ouster but I was not provided anything in his regard,” he said.

Pakistan or any other country has no right to ask the Taliban for establishing an ‘inclusive’ government in Afghanistan, Taliban has said according to Pajhwok Afghan News.

Last week, Pakistan PM Imran Khan tweeted that he had launched talks with the Taliban on the creation of a broad-based government.

Pajhwok has reported that a Pakistani newspaper quoted Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid as saying he was collecting information about Imran Khan’s statement. The Islamic Emirate has not yet formally commented on Imran Khan’s statement regarding talks on the inclusion of Tajiks, Hazaras and Uzbeks in the new political structure.

Asked for comments by Daily Times, Mujahid avoided giving a direct reaction. Instead, the deputy minister of information said he was looking into Imran Khan’s statement. But another Taliban leader said in a TV debate on Sunday, "We don’t give anyone the right to call for an inclusive government."

Afghanistan based Asvaka News has posted a video on its Twitter handle, in which, kids are urging the new Taliban government to release their father. According to Asvaka News, the Taliban had arrested Mohammad Hashim Khalji, Head of first district police station of Ghazni province, 17 days ago. Despite the Taliban announced amnesty to former government employees and security forces, Mohammad Hashim Khalji continues to be behind the bars under the Taliban regime.

According to the Kabul News, the director of the World Health Organization (WHO) along with a delegation including the head of UNAMA, met with Mullah Mohammad Hassan Akhund, the head of Afghanistan's caretaker cabinet. The meeting, which was also attended by Deputy Cabinet Minister Mullah Baradar and Acting Foreign Minister, focused on health and other assistance to Afghanistan.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had a telephone conversation with Lloyd Austin, Secretary of Defence of the United States. Rajnath Singh took to Twitter to elaborate on the discussion pertaining to bilateral defence cooperation & regional matters including the situation in Afghanistan.

ANI has reported citing Russian media RIA Novosti, the Taliban administration has issued a new interim law ‘Fundamentals’, which indicates the official religion of the country as Afghanistan Sunni Islam or Hanafi madhab as well as the official language as Pashto and Dari.

It is worth mentioning that the Uzbek language, spoken by the considerable population in the country's north and also by the minority Shiite community, has not been included in the list of official languages in the country.

As per Shamsahd News Network, the NATO or Resolute Support Mission officials conduct a meeting on possible threats of terrorism from the region and Afghanistan to the world in Athens on 18 September.

Chairman of the NATO Military Committee, Admiral Rob, said that they did not step up against terrorism in Afghanistan so far, but warned if a challenge rises they will act militarily.

A commander of the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) terrorist group, who was involved in attacks on Pakistan security forces, extortion and kidnapping for ransom, has been killed in a tribal region bordering Afghanistan, the Pakistan Army said on Monday adding that TTP terror group commander Safiullah was killed during an intelligence-based operation in Mir Ali area of North Waziristan.

Terrorist Safiullah belonged to Mir Ali and was involved in the killing of four women of an NGO in February 2021 and the target killing of FWO (Frontier Works Organization) engineers in November 2020, the army said.

TTP is a faction of the Taliban that has forcefully taken over Afghanistan after ousting the democratically elected government.

UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay said in a statement that if the girls' schools continue to remain closed, it would constitute a significant violation of the fundamental right to education for girls and women, reported Tolo News.

"UNESCO warns about the irreversible consequences if girls are not allowed to return to school at all levels of education swiftly. In particular, the delayed return of girls to secondary school may risk them being left behind in education and ultimately, in life. It increases the risk of dropping out from education altogether and exposes them to negative coping mechanisms such as child marriage. It may further widen the learning disparities between boys and girls, and ultimately hinder girls' access to higher education and life opportunities," Azoulay said.

Both UNESCO and UNICEF said that Afghanistan has made significant gains in education, especially in girls' education, and they should be preserved, reported Tolo News.

"The future of Afghanistan depends on educated girls and boys. We, therefore, call upon all relevant actors in Afghanistan to ensure that all children have unhindered access to education in the framework of the announced gradual reopening of schools. The right to education for all learners, especially girls, must be upheld at this critical time," she said.

Amid worsening economic conditions after Taliban takeover in Afghanistan, the Da Afghanistan Bank (DAB) on Sunday announced that all private companies would be permitted to withdraw USD 25,000 from their bank account once a month., reported news agency ANI.  

A child was killed and two people including a Taliban member injured in an explosion on Sunday evening in Nangarhar province, local media reported.

Bilal Karimi, a deputy of Taliban official Zabihullah Mujahid, confirmed that the explosion hit a Taliban forces vehicle, Tolo News reported.

According to Karimi, the explosion targeted the vehicle in PD5 of Jalalabad city, the provincial centre of Nangarhar.

Karimi said a child was killed and two people, including a member of the Taliban, were injured, Tolo News reported.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack.

The explosions come after the Taliban assured the people of Afghanistan of security and safety of their lives and assets.

Female employees in the Kabul city government have been told to stay home, with work only allowed for those who cannot be replaced by men, the interim mayor of Afghanistan’s capital said Sunday, detailing the latest restrictions on women by the new Taliban rulers.

Witnesses, meanwhile, said an explosion targeted a Taliban vehicle in the eastern provincial city of Jalalabad, and hospital officials said five people were killed in the second such deadly blast in as many days in the Islamic State stronghold.

The decision to prevent most female city workers from returning to their jobs is another sign that the Taliban, who overran Kabul last month, are enforcing their harsh interpretation of Islam despite initial promises by some that they would be tolerant and inclusive. In their previous rule in the 1990s, the Taliban had barred girls and women from schools, jobs and public life.

In an interview with the British newspaper The Sunday Times, Karzai said the Taliban should eliminate this climate of fear and instead try to provide a physically and mentally secure environment for the people.

Former President Hamid Karzai says Afghans need a government under which their people can live happily without fear.
 Karzai says Afghans need a government that provides the right services, has good relations with the world, and allows people to live happily without fear or oppression.

The former president of Afghanistan has said that since the beginning of his talks with the Taliban, on several grounds; He emphasized on girls' education, the status of women in Afghanistan and Afghan society, the national flag and the country's values.

The former Taliban president, referring to the caretaker cabinet, said that Afghans needed a government that belonged to all the people, men and women of the country, and that the only way forward was a broad-based government.
 He said what the Taliban had announced was not the case.

A series of three explosions killed at least three, including Taliban members, and injured around 20 in Afghanistan's Jalalabad on Saturday, reports said. The explosion that took place in the capital of Afghanistan's Nangarhar province was targeted at Taliban vehicles. Local officials in Nangarhar told Tolo News that the roadside bomb exploded when a Taliban ranger struck it.
 

Taliban fighters are present in the hills of Panjshir. The names of those who were martyred in the Soviet era are written on th board.

A number of Afghans living in the French city of Lyon rallied under the slogan "Death to Pakistan, Death to the Taliban", protesting and declaring their support for the "Resistance Front".

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Saturday said he has begun talking to the Taliban about forming an inclusive government in Afghanistan. Khan said he started the dialogue after meeting with leaders of Afghanistan’s neighbor countries in Tajikistan on Friday.

Khan said he is talking to the Taliban to form an inclusive government in which all ethnicities will be included.

“After meetings in Dushanbe with leaders of Afghanistan's neighbors and especially a lengthy discussion with Tajikistan's President Emomali Rahmon, I have initiated a dialogue with the Taliban for an inclusive Afghan govt to include Tajiks, Hazaras, and Uzbeks,” Khan tweeted.

Khan also said an inclusive government could be the ultimate solution for peace and stability in Afghanistan after 40 years of continuous war. “After 40 years of conflict, this inclusivity will ensure peace and a stable Afghanistan, which is in the interest not only of Afghanistan but the region as well,” he tweeted.

Although more than a month has passed since the fall of Ashraf Ghani's government on August 15, no decision has been taken by the caretaker cabinet about the activities of Afghanistan’s embassies and political missions abroad.

Officials from the Cultural Commission of the Information and Culture Ministry say the Foreign Ministry will soon make a decision in this regard.

Saeed Khosti, a member of the commission, said the diplomats and diplomatic missions cannot operate without consulting the Foreign Ministry in Kabul.

“The diplomatic missions abroad represent the Islamic Emirate and the Foreign Ministry is working on the issue and will make a decision soon,” Khosti said.

Meanwhile, a number of diplomats abroad have said their fate remains unclear and that some of their colleagues are seeking asylum.

Mayor of Mehtarlam, the provincial capital of Laghman, has ended the occupation of government lands in different parts of the city. 

A newly trained contingent took over security duties in Kabul today. 

Children are protesting against the restriction on girls' right to education in Afghanistan.  A number of students and civil activists have launched a campaign to protest the restriction of girls' education in the country, with the words "You have taken the clean soil, do not study, girls must go to school."

Islamists of Jamia Hafsa/Red Mosque have refused to take down the Taliban flags and they're demanding the implementation of Sharia law in Pakistan. Maulana Abdul Aziz, Khatib of Lal Masjid Islamabad, says that every time we are deceived, we will not take down the flags unless the government takes concrete steps for the Islamic system.

Abdul Aziz has once again demonstrated his strength and once again the question has arisen as to whether the state is still being held hostage by extremist and riotous elements.

Maulana Abdul Aziz, Khatib of Lal Masjid Islamabad, threatens the police, "Pakistani Taliban will also kill you, God willing."

Afghan Taliban flags were n hoisted on Hafsa University building again, local police personnel arrived to take down the flags even as Maulana Abdul Aziz, Khatib of Lal Masjid, threatens the police. 

In a shocking statement, Hezb-e-Islami leader and former Afghan Prime Minister Gulbuddin Hekmatyar said the Taliban cabinet is a thousand times better than Ashraf Ghani's cabinet. He said the previous cabinet consisted of informants, atheists, secularists, and corrupt slaves.

The leadership of the AIHRC is deeply concerned about the inability of the commission to carry out its functions, particularly given serious allegations of ongoing human rights violations, including to those coming from Panjshir, Kandahar & other places concerns about the rights of women and girls. The Afghan people need an independent human rights body where they can take concerns about infringements of their rights, with confidence that in doing so they will be safe and their concerns investigated by a rights-respecting institution.

The inability of the AIHRC to carry out its duties, combined with the legitimate concerns of civil society leaders and journalists about restrictions on freedom of expression, has led to a dramatic reduction in the ability of Afghans to monitor and protect serious violations of human rights. While we appreciate the ongoing work of UNAMA and the OHCHR, in this context it is imperative that the United Nations Human Rights Council establishes an independent mechanism to monitor human rights violations in Afghanistan. 

The AIHRC calls upon the Taliban to respect the independence of the AIRHC and its staff and all Afghan human rights defenders, who have worked tirelessly to protect the rights of the Afghan people.

In Gereshk, Helmand, the Taliban have detained a man accused of stealing a sewing machine. His case has been forwarded to the Taliban  Sharia court. 

In Jalalabad, Nangarhar, Taliban detained a man accused of stealing metal taps. Taliban blacked his face, hanged the allegedly stolen taps around his neck, and paraded him in public. Afghanistan

In Jabal Saraj, Parwan, Taliban detained a man accused of stealing livestock. 
His face was blackened and he was paraded in public. 
 

The Taliban-led Afghan Ministry of Education has ordered that all secondary schools reopen on Saturday; however, the decree only names male students and makes no mention of a return date for female students.  "Hereby, students and teachers of all private and Emirati (governmental) secondary, high schools, and religious schools are asked to return,"  the official directive was cited by Khaama Press. This contradicts the assurances made by the organisation after taking control in Kabul last month.

The reports from the ground indicate otherwise. According to media reports, women are being denied the right to work, and a large number of them have demonstrated to demand their rights to employment and education. Concerns have been expressed by experts and members of the international community concerning the future of female teachers and students. Shaikh Abdulbaqi Haqqani, the newly appointed education minister, has stated that educational activities will be conducted in accordance with Sharia Law.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres recently said that he received a letter from the Taliban, in which the insurgents committed to protecting UN personnel working in Afghanistan and addressed issues related to women’s rights. While speaking to Sputnik, Guterres said that in the letter, the Taliban discussed humanitarian aid, protection to the UN by the militants and also women and girls rights. The UN chief added that the discussions were “constructive and positive”.

"We discussed with them humanitarian aid, [having] the possibility of the UN to extend humanitarian aid to the whole territory without discrimination, the protection to the UN by the Taliban and also our concerns with the special rights of women and girls that are particularly important for us," Guterres said.

He added, “The discussions have been quite constructive and positive - we received a letter from the Taliban with commitments in relation to these aspects”.

Afghan media outlet Aamaj News has on Friday received a draft of the 'Constitution of the Taliban' based on the principles of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. Although the Taliban have not yet commented on the draft, the re-written constitution has three chapters and two articles. As per the 'Constitution of the Taliban' draft, the old flag of Afghanistan will no longer represent the war-torn country but the white flag (Taliban's flag) will.

The Constitution of the Taliban also states that Pashto will be the national language of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. The Constitution of the Taliban also announced holidays on Fridays and the two Eids (Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha). Apart from this, the draft mentioned that Afghanistan will also observe holidays on the day when 'foreigners were expelled from the country and the 'day of independence'. 

Softening its defence of the Kabul drone strike, the Pentagon on Friday, retreated from its defence of a drone strike that killed multiple civilians in Afghanistan last month. It announced that an internal review revealed that only civilians were killed in the attack, not an Islamic State extremist as first believed. 10 Afghan civilians were killed in US drone strike done on August 29, over Kabul.

Gen Frank Mckenzie, Commander of US Central Command said that the drone strike that killed 10 civilians in Kabul on Aug 29 was a "tragic mistake", extended "sincere & profound condolences" to the families of the victims. He added that the US is "exploring the possibilities of ex gratia payments". Moreover, US Defence Secretary Lloyd J Austin III too apologized for the drone strike.

“I am now convinced that as many as 10 civilians, including up to seven children, were tragically killed in that strike. Moreover, we now assess that it is unlikely that the vehicle and those who died were associated with ISIS-K or were a direct threat to U.S. forces," said McKenzie, who oversaw U.S. military operations in Afghanistan, including a final evacuation of U.S. forces and 120,000 civilians from Kabul.

The Taliban have banned music and female voices from television and radio stations in Kandahar province, Pajhwok reported, citing the local department of culture and information.

Cracking down on the Taliban, Republican senators Marco Rubio, Tommy Tuberville, Moore Capito, Dan Sullivan, Thom Tillis and Cynthia Lummis have introduced the Preventing Recognition of Terrorist States Act, which would direct the US Secretary of State to designate the “illegitimate Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan” as a state sponsor of terrorism and the Taliban as a terrorist organisation. US has already frozen about USD 9.5 billion in assets belonging to Afghanistan's central bank and stopped shipments of cash to Kabul, in a bid to keep the Taliban government from accessing the money. IMF too has stopped its funding to the nation amid non-clarity on recognition of Taliban government.

Moreover, four Senators Joni Ernst, Rick Scott, Dan Sullivan and Tommy Tuberville in a letter to Secretary of State Tony Blinken demanded that Taliban be designated as a terrorist organisation. “We believe the Taliban easily meets all three criteria and urge you to consider designating the Taliban as a foreign terrorist organisation and treating them as such to the maximum extent of the law,” they said. The new interim govt with 33 ministers has been unveiled by the Taliban.

“The Taliban appointed Sirajuddin Haqqani, the leader of the Haqqani network and a known terrorist wanted by the FBI for the murder of American citizens, as Interior Minister and allowed terror organisations to join the government,” they wrote in the letter. It added, “Given their history of supporting terror attacks on the United States, their brutal style of governance, their continued display of atrocities against Americans and our allies, and now, their enhanced military capability, the current version of the Taliban government presents a significant threat to the United States. Further, the Taliban display the will and the means to attack Americans and American interests”.
 

The International Monetary Fund has said its engagement with Afghanistan will remain suspended until there is clarity within the international community on the recognition of the government led by the Taliban.

The IMF said it was deeply concerned with economic conditions in Afghanistan, urging the international community to take urgent steps to stall a "looming humanitarian crisis" in the country.

Our engagement with Afghanistan has been suspended until there is clarity within the international community on the recognition of the government, IMF spokesperson Gerry Rice told reporters at a news conference here on Thursday.

"We're guided by the international community in terms of the recognition of the government in Afghanistan and we don't have that. So, the IMF programme there has been put on hold; and, again, as we said, last month, the country cannot access IMF resources, SDRs, and so on, at this point", he said.

Republican US Senate candidate Jim Lamon stated that the United States should not accept Afghan refugees, including translators and others who assisted the US military during war, according to The Associated Press. Furthermore, Lamon said that the government should help the Afghans in fleeing the war-ravaged nation. He added that the government should settle them in Middle East. 

Pakistan’s interior minister has told the UN refugee agency that they will continue to provide humanitarian assistance to Afghan people in order to help in avoiding the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, according to The Associated Press. Pakistan’s interior minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed informed UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi on Thursday, that since the Taliban takeover in Afghanistan, no new Afghan refugees have entered Pakistan. 

In a shocking incident, several rocket attacks have been reported in Kabul's Khar Khana in PD11. According to a global news report, the locals in Kabul have confirmed the attack and said that several rockets were fired at the Chamtalah substation in Kabul. However, details of the damage and casualties of this event are not yet available. 

As per TOLO News, Afghanistan residents told they are facing financial problems as government offices have mostly remained closed and their wages have not been paid. Geti, a teacher at a government school, returned to her job a week after the Taliban came to power, but she has not received her salary yet. She said: “I did not get a salary for two months. I face economic problems. The teachers in my school are the sole breadwinners for their families.” 

Residents voiced concerns over the closure of some offices across the country. For example, people are waiting to receive their National Identity Card. Enayatullah, a Kabul resident, said: “I came to get my Identity Card. The process has not resumed. I ask that the process begins very soon.” 

An official at the Afghanistan Central Civil Registration Authority, ACCRA, said that national identity cards have already been printed and will be distributed new week. Hazarat Mohammad said: “We started our work. We will distribute printed identity cards on Saturday.” 

Meanwhile, the caretaker cabinet’s Prime Minister Mullah Mohammad Hassan Akhund at a Wednesday meeting ordered all ministries and some other government offices to immediately begin providing services to the people. Saaed Khosti, a member of the Taliban cultural commission, said: “We will witness more improvements in government, and the salary issue will be addressed.”

As per the global news agency, a teenage boy was rescued from the kidnappers in Herat last night. According to the Asvaka news agency, the local TBs rescued the boy while one of the kidnappers was killed during resistance and two other were captured alive. The boy was kidnapped a week ago from Herat province.

Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan asked the United Nations to help them to recognise their government and remove names of the Taliban leaders from the black list, and lifting all other sanctions imposed by the international community, Khaama Press News Agency reported.

According to Afghanistan's Khaama News, Taliban Army Chief Qari Fasihuddin has said that those who defend democracy in Afghanistan and oppose the Taliban will be suppressed. Fasihuddin said that those who are raising voices against Taliban are disturbing the security of the country and intend to cause bloodshed in Afghanistan.

China says it will host a virtual meeting of Central and South Asian state leaders to discuss the situation in Afghanistan. The meeting of members of the China and Russia dominated Shanghai Cooperation Organisation is scheduled for Thursday. Afghanistan is an observer member of the grouping, but it wasn't clear if any representatives from the Taliban leadership would be attending. China hasn't said whether it will recognise the new Afghan authorities who have excluded outside parties and women, although it has courted its leadership and kept its Kabul Embassy open. 

The women soccer players of the junior national team from Afghanistan have escaped Kabul and entered the Pakistan. The junior players had been hiding for at least a month because they were afraid of the Taliban's assault on women's rights. After the Taliban took control of Kabul, last month, the senior national women team's players flew out of the land, however, the young team was stuck behind due to the absence of passports as well as other official paperwork. 

As per BBC, after a charitable organisation "Football for Peace" persuaded Pakistan, 32 players along with their families were granted visas. According to a Football Federation official of Pakistan, the 81 individuals comprising of the players and family will be accommodated at the Pakistan Football Federation's headquarters in the eastern city of Lahore. He added on Thursday,  another 34 individuals will join. The junior players would stay in Pakistan for 30 days under strict security before seeking shelter in foreign nations. 

According to the Independent, the junior players wrote to Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan, requesting access to enter the nation as soon as possible. The letter which is sent to the Prime Minister reveals that the girls were allegedly facing "severe threats" from the Taliban. Following the collapse of Kabul, the senior national team's former captain, Khalida Popal, advised players to remove photos from social media of themselves playing and burn their uniforms to avoid retaliation from the new administration. 

Amid the ongoing fight between the resistance and the Taliban in Afghanistan, the European Parliament on Tuesday passed a resolution and blamed Pakistan for their involvement in the situation. The parliament were critical of Pakistan assisting the Taliban in fighting the Ahmad Massoud-led National Resistance Front of Afghanistan (NRF) in the Panjshir Valley.

"The Taliban are facing the National Resistance Front of Afghanistan (NRF) in the Panjshir Valley led by Ahmad Massoud and Pakistan is assisting the Taliban in fighting the NRF by supplying its special forces and providing air support. Taliban fighters have been provided with safe havens in Pakistan for many years," said a European Parliament release.

Having proclaimed the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, the Taliban is now fighting NRF to take control of the Panjshir Valley. International reports had earlier claimed that Pakistan was actively involved in the fight. The European Parliament have now hit out at the country for supporting the Taliban in the fight.

Putting an end to rumours about his death, Taliban co-founder and Afghanistan's Deputy PM Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar appeared in an interview on state-owned broadcaster Radio Television Afghanistan on Wednesday.  Additionally, speculation was rife that a heated argument took place between the Baradar and Refugees Minister Khalil ur-Rahman Haqqani at the Presidential Palace in Kabul after which the former departed for Kandahar to meet Taliban's supreme leader Mullah Haibatullah Akhundzada.

While he refuted claims about differences in the terror outfit's leadership in an audio clip released on Monday, it was viewed with suspicion in the absence of any video footage. Confirming that he is in Kandahar in the latest interview, Baradar insisted that the "sacrifices" of the terror outfit were not for any position.

United States Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) on Wednesday said that early signs that Al Qaeda regrouping in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan have been noticed by the intelligence. Citing that American intelligence agencies are closely monitoring the situation, Deputy Director of the US CIA David Cohen said that current intelligence reports indicate "some potential motion of Al Qaeda [returning] to Afghanistan," reported Intelnews.org. He further added that the CIA, in particular, is already working to develop "methods to work within the horizon". 

Ever since the Taliban has taken control of Afghanistan, scores of people fled the war-torn nation in order to escape their harsh rules. As an aftermath of the Taliban's takeover, real estate prices and house rents have witnessed a massive drop in Kabul, Afghan media reported. As per a report, rent prices in Kabul have decreased by approximately 50%.

News agency ANI quoted property dealers as telling TOLO News that people in Afghanistan are not purchasing houses. Some people were trying to leave the country while others do not have enough money so that they can buy a house, the dealers said. Property sales have been going down massively and rent prices have fallen by about 50%. Moreover, several properties were vacant as tenants have left the war-ravaged nation. 

Technical teams from Qatar and Turkey have been working to resolve technical and operational issues at the Kabul airport, reported TOLO News. As per the report, domestic and humanitarian aid flights have resumed at the Kabul airport. Commercial flights have yet to restart, however, flights from Pakistan and Iran have resumed. Qatar has been supporting Afghanistan in reestablishing the Kabul Airport. 

Republic Media Network has confirmed from sources in Afghanistan that Mullah Baradar, the cofounder of Taliban has not been participating in the engagements in Afghanistan. Top sources have said that Mullah Baradar is not happy with the involvement of the Haqqanis and has been rebelling against the Haqqani involvement.

Mullah Baradar is the deputy Prime Minister of the interim Taliban Government and was also the face of the Taliban for the Doha accord. He was also initially said to be the prime contender for the top government post, however, he was merely given the post of deputy. Baradar has not been attending any meetings and engagements for the past week.

Iran on Wednesday resumed commercial flights to Afghanistan that had been halted after the Taliban assumed power, news agencies reported.

The semiofficial Fars news agency reported that a charter return flight transported passengers from Tehran to Kabul. It said a second flight from Northeastern city of Mashhad left for Kabul, too.

The flights were from the Mahan Air Airbus fleet. Iran stopped flights to Afghanistan in mid-August.

Tehran has remained a critic of the Taliban and has routinely urged the formation of a government representing all Afghan groups. 

Iran and Afghanistan share some 945 kilometres, (580 miles) of borders. Reportedly, Iran hosts some 800,000 registered Afghan refugees and more than two million undocumented Afghans live in the country over the past four decades. 

Ahmad Shah Massoud's tomb, which was vandalised after the Taliban's advances towards Panjshir, has been restored, according to Asvaka News Agency. The Taliban has denied allegations of its involvement in vandalism. Ahmad Shah Massoud is a revered leader of the Northern Alliance which resisted the Soviet invasion and Ahmad Shah Massoud's son Ahmad Massoud is now leading the Northern Resistance Forces against the Taliban.

"Europe will increase again, humanitarian aid for Afghanistan by 100 million euros," Ursula Von der Leyen, EU chief told in a news conference.

In a shocking development, reports suggested that 50-year-old Afghanistan-origin Indian national Bansri Lal Arendeh was abducted from Kabul on Tuesday. Speaking to Republic TV, Indian World Forum president Puneet Singh Chandok claimed that Arendeh was kidnapped while he was on the way to his shop in the 11th police district of Afghanistan's capital. Moreover, he asserted that the Indian's staff member was also abducted and "mercilessly beaten" but managed to escape.

Mentioning that the local authorities have hinted at the involvement of an extortion gang, he added that his family is yet to receive any ransom call. As per sources, the Ministry of External Affairs is closely monitoring the situation and is ascertaining more information about the incident. It is believed that the abducted man's family resides in Faridabad, Haryana.

"It is an unfortunate case. Bansri Lal Arendeh, a 50-year-old Indian national who holds an Indian passport was abducted yesterday at around 8 am in the morning when he was on the way to his shop. He is into the business of pharmaceutical products. And as per his family members and community members in Kabul, the local officials are investigating the matter and multiple raids are happening over there to locate him. But unfortunately, there has been no success till now," Indian World Forum president Puneet Singh Chandok observed.

Taliban's Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs Maulvi Amir Khan Mottaki, met with the Ambassador of Pakistan, Mansoor Ahmad Khan on Tuesday and spoke about movement of nationals at  Spin Boldak and Chaman. Pakistan has assured facilitate it and extend aid to Afghan refugees living in Pakistan.

UN official says 4 million Afghans are facing a food emergency, with the majority in rural areas where there is a critical need for funding for planting winter wheat, feed for livestock and cash assistance for vulnerable families, elderly and disabled. The director of the Food and Agriculture Organization's Office of Emergencies and Resilience said Tuesday in a video briefing from Kabul says 70 per cent of Afghans live in rural areas and agriculture is indispensable to the Afghan population.

He says a severe drought is affecting 7.3 million people in 25 of the country's 34 provinces and rural communities also have been hurt by the pandemic. He says 4 million Afghans are facing a humanitarian emergency characterized by extreme gaps in food consumption, very high levels of acute malnutrition and excess mortality.

Acting Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Mottaqi met with Chinese Ambassador to Kabul Wang Yu on Tuesday, as per TOLO News. China has pledged $ 15 million aid to Afghanistan, adding that China would continue its cooperation with Afghanistan.

Afghan women living abroad have shared their photos on social media wearing traditional Afghan clothes to defy Taliban restrictions, reported by The Khaama Press News Agency. Recently, a group of women wearing all black attires took to the streets in Kabul and other provinces of Afghanistan. The Afghan women living abroad have been conducting sort of online protest to show the world what the exact traditional clothes and outfits of the Afghan women are. They have claimed that the all-black attire has never been donned by the women of Afghanistan.

The foreign minister in Afghanistan's new Taliban-run Cabinet said the government remains committed to its promises not to allow militants to use its territory to attack others.

In his first press conference since the Taliban formed an interim government a week ago, Molavi Amir Khan Muttaqi would not give a timeframe for how long the government would be in place or whether it would eventually be opened up to other factions, minorities or women.

When asked about the possibility of elections, Muttaqi demanded other countries not interfere in Afghanistan's internal issues.

Under a deal reached last year with the United States, the Taliban promised to break ties with al-Qaida and other militant groups and ensure they don't threaten other countries from its territory.

Asked about the deal, Mottaqi replied, We will not allow anyone or any groups to use our soil against any other countries the first time a member of the government has confirmed its commitment to the promise.

According to Asvaka News, the Taliban is forcing the families of those who served in the Afghan National Army to abandon their homes. The women are asking the Taliban to let them live in their houses as their men who served in Afghan National Army have already been martyred.

Pakistan's ambassador to Kabul, Mansour Khan, tweeted that he had met with Amir Khan Mottaqi, Afghanistan's new acting foreign minister, to discuss strengthening bilateral economic cooperation, especially facilitating humanitarian exchanges.

As reported by Asvaka News Agency, civilians in Kabul are struggling to withdraw money from the banks despite waiting for hours. As per Asvaka, only the Central branch of Islamic Bank is open in Kabul and hence people from across Afghanistan are flocking to that branch for their banking needs amid the dire financial crisis. 

Afghan women & girls want to ensure that the gains they have made are not lost, doors are not closed & hope is not extinguished. Safeguarding their rights – including access to education & other essential services - is central to the future of the country & every Afghan: António Guterres

The greatest terror threats to the US are now emerging in Yemen, Syria, Iraq and Somalia - not Afghanistan, Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines has revealed. The revelation emerged Monday during the annual Intelligence and National Security Summit, which kicked off in the Washington suburbs and is expected to come to a close on Tuesday.

Although US intelligence officials are keeping close tabs on the developments unfolding in war-torn Afghanistan, Haines admitted during the event that greater terror threats are actually emerging in countries such as Somalia, Yemen, Syria and Iraq.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said, "The role that Pakistan has played throughout the past 20 years & even before is one that is involved hedging its bets constantly about the future of Afghanistan. It's one that's involved harboring members of the Taliban, including Haqqanis". He added, "It (Pakistan) has a multiplicity of interests, some that are in conflict, clear conflict with ours. When it comes to Afghanistan, it's focused, of course as well, on India & the role that India is playing in Afghanistan, & it looks at it through that prism as well". 

The Taliban has claimed to have found $6.5 Million in cash at Former Afghanistan Vice President Amrullah Saleh's house, reported TOLO News. Reportedly, Shahab Lewal, a member of the Taliban's Cultural Commission has claimed that they have found $6.5 million and 18 gold coins from Amrullah Saleh’s house. He further added that they will return the money to the Ministry of Finance. 

While addressing the UN meeting on the Afghanistan crisis, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said that Afghanistan is passing through a critical & challenging phase.

"There's been a sea change in its political, economic, social & security situation & consequently, in its humanitarian needs," Jaishankar said.

"As an immediate neighbour, India is monitoring developments with understandable concern. UNDP recently assessed that there is an imminent threat of poverty levels rising from 72% to 97% there. This would have catastrophic consequences for regional stability," Jaishankar said.

"The normalisation of regular commercial operations of Kabul airport would not only assist in that regard but then become the basis of a regular flow of relief material. This would also accelerate activities that would complement domestic relief measures," Jaishankar added.

"It's important that issue of travel & safe passage that can emerge as obstacle to humanitarian assistance be immediately sorted out. Those who wish to travel in & out of Afghanistan should be granted such facilities without obstruction," EAM Jaishankar said at UN high-level meet.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday announced a USD 20 million allocations to support humanitarian operation in Afghanistan, saying the "de facto" authorities in the war-torn country have "pledged" to cooperate to ensure assistance is delivered to the people.

"The people of Afghanistan need a lifeline. After decades of war, suffering and insecurity, they face perhaps their most perilous hour. Now is the time for the international community to stand with them," Guterres said at a humanitarian conference on Afghanistan convened in Geneva.

At the global conference, Guterres announced a USD 20 million allocations from the UN's Central Emergency Response Fund to support the humanitarian operation in Afghanistan. 

Cautioning that "time is short and events move quickly in Afghanistan," Guterres appealed to the international community to extend that "lifeline to the people of Afghanistan - and do everything we can - and everything we owe - to help them hold on to hope."

The United Nations convened the High-Level Ministerial event on the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan to highlight the acute needs in the country and underscore the urgent funding support and actions required by international partners to support the people of Afghanistan.

As Afghans urgently need food, medicine, health services, safe water, sanitation, and protection, UN agencies and non-governmental partners have launched a flash appeal seeking USD 606 million for the remainder of the year to bring vital relief to 11 million people.

He told the conference that he had asked UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Martin Griffiths to travel to Kabul last week to meet the leadership of the Taliban. 

Griffiths had met with Taliban co-founder Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar and the militant outfit's leadership in Kabul to engage with the authorities on humanitarian issues.  

"The de facto authorities pledged to cooperate to ensure assistance is delivered to the people of Afghanistan. Our staff and all aid workers must be allowed to do their vital work in safety without harassment, intimidation or fear," Guterres said.

Last week, the Taliban announced a hardline interim government led by Mullah Mohammad Hasan Akhund, chief of the Taliban's powerful decision-making body 'Rehbari Shura'. He will be the Acting Prime Minister while Baradar will be his deputy in the "new Islamic government.

At least 14 members of the Cabinet, including acting Prime Minister Mullah Akhund, are listed on the UN Security Council's terrorism blacklist.

The UN chief said that in order to continue the life-saving efforts in Afghanistan, four things are required right away - funding; help to boost humanitarian access; need to safeguard the rights of women and girls in Afghanistan and need to ensure that the humanitarian response saves lives but also saves livelihoods. 

On funding, Guterres said, we need more. We need it quickly. And we need it to be flexible enough to adapt to the fast-changing conditions on the ground."

He urged for help from the international community to boost humanitarian access, including the airbridge with Kabul and other hubs in Afghanistan. "The United Nations Humanitarian Air Service established an airbridge from Islamabad into Kandahar, Mazar and Herat, with operations running since the end of August. This work must continue. Much more is needed."

He added that "we need to be able to move aid workers and humanitarian supplies in and out of the country."

Emphasising that one of the bright spots of Afghanistan today is the new generation of women leaders and entrepreneurs, educated and flourishing over the last two decades, Guterres said Afghan women and girls want to ensure that gains are not lost, doors are not closed and hope is not extinguished. This is central to the future of the country and every Afghan.

Expressing concern that the people of Afghanistan are facing the collapse of an entire country "all at once", Guterres said Afghanistan faces a development emergency and progress of the two last decades must be protected.

"In doing so, we must ensure that local economies remain functional; that people can stay in their communities and in their homes; that they have access to basic services, basic income and social protection. 

Guterres said the conference is not simply about what "we will give to the people of Afghanistan. It is about what we owe.

Speaking at the UN meeting, US envoy Linda Thompson-Greenfield said that the situation in Afghanistan is dire. 

"US pledges USD 64 million in new humanitarian assistance," she said while adding that the US will assess the ground situation and consider more in future.

Greenfield called for the Taliban to maintain commitments as she highlighted reports of Taliban obstruction of aid delivery, particularly in cases of women participation.

While speaking at the UN meeting in Geneva, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said "the Taliban has to respect basic human rights."

He also said that Germany stands with Afghanistan amid the crisis. Germany has pledged five million Euros to take part in addressing the humanitarian crisis arising in Afghanistan, TOLO News has reported
 

According to Afghanistan's TOLO News, Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs of the United Kingdom Dominic Raab spoke at the UN meeting and said that he fears a collapse of Afghanistan after being taken over by the Taliban, while he also expressed his fear of regional instability.

The UN human rights chief has said that her office has received credible allegations of reprisal killings by the Taliban of former Afghan security forces, as well as instances in which officials in the previous government and their relatives were arbitrarily detained and later turned up dead.

Speaking to the Human Rights Council on Monday, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet warned of a new and perilous phase for Afghanistan as she criticised the Taliban for a disconnect between their words and actions.

She cited multiple allegations of Taliban house-to-house searches looking for officials from the previous government and people who cooperated with US security forces and companies.

Such searches took place in at least a half-dozen cities, Bachelet said. UN staffers have also reported increasing attacks and threats, she added, without providing specifics.

"My office has received credible allegations of reprisal killings of a number of former ANSF (Afghan National Security Forces) personnel, and reports of officials, who worked for previous administrations and their family members being arbitrarily detained," she said while adding that "in some cases, the officials were released, and in others, they were found dead."

Bachelet also highlighted deeply troubling information about Taliban raids on offices of some advocacy groups.

In contradiction to assurances that the Taliban would uphold women's rights, over the past three weeks women have instead been progressively excluded from the public sphere, she told the 47-member council as it opened its autumn session.

She said girls aged over 12 have been barred from attending school in some places in Afghanistan, and Women's Affairs departments had been at times dismantled.

France's foreign minister has expressed disappointment in Afghanistan's newly formed Taliban government, saying the group so far has failed to live up to its promises of offering a more moderate and inclusive style of leadership.

Speaking alongside his Qatari counterpart during a visit to Doha on Monday, Jean-Yves Le Drian said, "The response we have seen from Kabul so far is not up to our expectations."

Le Drian said France and the rest of the international community will continue pressing the Taliban not to harbour terrorists, to allow the secure delivery of humanitarian aid and to protect the rights of women, among other demands.

"We have heard the statements made (by the Taliban), though we are waiting for actions", Le Drian told reporters while adding "Words are not enough."

Qatar, a tiny Gulf Arab state that has hosted a Taliban office in its capital for years and played an outsized role in the evacuation of US and foreign forces from Afghanistan, sent a high-level diplomatic delegation to the country on Sunday.

Qatar's Foreign Minister Mohammad bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said Qatari officials used those discussions to encourage the Taliban to engage with the international community and avoid isolation by preserving the hard-won gains of Afghan people, particularly women, over the years. 

The United Nations is hosting a high-level donors conference on Monday to drum up emergency funds for Afghanistan after last month's Taliban takeover of the country that stunned the world.

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was leading the world body's call for more than USD 600 million for the rest of this year in a flash appeal for Afghans after their country's government was toppled by the Taliban and US and NATO forces exited the 20-year war in a chaotic departure.

There are concerns that instability and upended humanitarian efforts, compounded by an ongoing drought, could further endanger lives and plunge Afghanistan toward famine.

The conference will put to the test some Western governments and other big traditional U.N. donors who want to help everyday Afghans without handing a public relations victory or cash to the Taliban, who ousted the internationally-backed government in a lightning sweep. 

Along with its partners, the U.N. is seeking $606 million for the rest of the year to help 11 million people, Associated Press reported 

World Health Organization (WHO) transported 44 metric tons of medical equipment to Mazar-e-Sharif, the capital of Balkh province. According to Shamshad News, an Afghanistan Based Radio and Television, the assistance will be enough for 28,000 people who need urgent aid.

According to TOLO news, the Taliban's Ministry of Higher Education announced that it will remove subjects that contradict the tenets of Islam's Sharia law from the curriculum of Afghanistan's universities.

"Each subject that is against Islamic laws will be removed," acting Minister of Higher Education Shaikh Abdul Baqi Haqqani said as quoted by the TOLO news agency on Monday. 

Furthermore, students of both genders will no longer be allowed to study alongside one another. The ministry also promised to launch a special program that will allow students to study abroad in the future.

The first group of Afghan evacuees has arrived in Japan to take refuge in the island nation. The evacuees were among around 10 Afghans who had last week entered neighbouring country Pakistan by land, Kyodo News reported. The four persons among them were local workers of the Japan International Cooperation Agency in Afghanistan and family members, according to a person familiar with the matter.

A Qatari delegation met Afghan officials at the Presidential Palace on Sunday. The meeting with the Qatari Foreign Minister Abdulrahman Al Thani was also attended by interim President Mullah Mohammad Hassan Akhund, senior Afghan officials, and discussed important issues, including bilateral relations. The meeting focused on strengthening bilateral ties.

Today, the Taliban's Acting Minister of Economy, Qari Din Mohammad Hanif, met with the Turkish Ambassador in Kabul.  Both sides emphasized strengthening joint cooperation in the fields of economy, trade, culture, education, and training.

The tomb of national hero Ahmad Shah Massoud was re-arranged by the Taliban today. They say that the people who used the atmosphere were the cause of the destruction and that he had assigned a piece to ensure the security of the tomb.

Source: Aśvaka News

Qatari Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani has reportedly arrived in Kabul, informed TOLOnews on Sunday evening.

The International Union of Muslim Scholars has backed Afghanistan's new government, reported Pajhwok Afghan News on Sunday. Mohammad Naeem, a spokesman for the Taliban's political bureau in Qatar, said the International Union of Muslim Scholars had sent a congratulatory message to Mullah Mohammad Hassan Akhund, the prime minister of the Taliban cabinet, announcing their readiness to work with the Taliban government.

Afghanistan State universities will start in a week, said Taliban's Education minister Haqqani on Sunday.

A plane carrying medical supplies from World Health Organization (WHO) landed at Mazar-i-Sharif airport in Balkh, Taliban officials told media on Sunday. 

 Heavy fighting between the resistance forces and the Taliban started this morning in the Paskandi area of Pol-e-Hesar district of Andarab and continues till the evening. The Taliban withdrew from the area and 11 of their bodies remained on the battlefield and a number were wounded. 

Officials at the Balkh Chamber of Commerce and Investment, Afghanistan said fuel imports have resumed through the Hairatan and Aqina border crossings. 

Former soldiers have returned to duty at Kabul International Airport, said local media reports on Sunday. 

Image source: Afghan Urdu

Afghan protesters in Germany have set fire to Pakistan's national flag and are raising the slogan "Death to Pakistan". A number of Afghans living in Frankfurt, Germany, burned the flag in protest against Pakistan's "intervention in Afghanistan's affairs" with the slogan "Death to Pakistan."

 A number of Afghans living in Germany gathered in Munich on Sunday to protest against the Taliban regime in their country. Gathering in large numbers with posters and banners, Afghans chanted "Stop terrorism, save Afghanistan."

According to the Asvaka News Agency, the French Foreign Minister, Jean-Yves Le Drian has stated that Paris will not establish any relations with the Taliban-led government of the Islamic Emirate in Afghanistan. As per the news agency, Le Drian in an interview with a TV channel remarked that the Taliban lied about the inclusive government in Afghanistan. Therefore, he said that France was refusing to recognise or establish ties with the Taliban government.

China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lijian Zhao in a bid to mock the 'chaotic' US withdrawal from Afghanistan, recently shared a video of what appears to be members of the Taliban playing with an abandoned US military plane. As per the purported video, several men could be seen transforming the US plane into a toy. They were shouting and enjoying while playing with it. 

"The graveyard of EMPIRES and their WAR MACHINES. Talibans have turned their planes into swings and toys..," Zhao tweeted alongside the video.

After the US withdrawal from Afghanistan, China has been continuously trying to take a jibe at Washington for their hasty pullout, despite experts claim of Beijing supporting the Taliban's rise in Kabul.
 

A group of Afghan Air Force pilots, who fled to Uzbekistan after the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, is expected to be transferred to a US military base in Doha. Citing Wall Street Journal, Sputnik reported that the pilots will be transferred this weekend under a new agreement between the US and Uzbek governments, where they will be processed for onward travel, said people familiar with the matter.

The Taliban has promised amnesty to government officials and members of the military, but the pilots still fear for their safety and the Uzbek government has been under pressure by the Taliban to hand over the pilots, according to The Wall Street Journal. However, it is unclear whether the pilots will eventually end up being transferred to the US, reported Sputnik.

"Through a lot of diligent work, we are hopeful that the pilots and military personnel, including the husband [of] one of my constituents, are going to get out of Uzbekistan this weekend," Republican Representative for Texas, August Pfluger, told The Wall Street Journal.

"This was accomplished through constant work to hold the Biden administration's feet to the fire," he added.

There are currently 46 aircraft in Uzbekistan that flew over from Afghanistan, as well as pilots, crews, and their families, totalling some 585 people, according to the newspaper. Meanwhile, Taliban spokesman Suhail Shaheen has called on the pilots to return to Afghanistan as the country needs its people to rebuild itself.
 

Hundreds of Afghans living in Germany held demonstrations in Hamburg against the Taliban and urged the international community to put pressure on the group to ensure women rights in Afghanistan and to protect the country's honour. Holding national flags, Afghan nationals waves posters inscribed with their demands of ensuring women's rights in Afghanistan, the survival of the country, and the protection of national honour alongwith freedom, human rights and civil rights, Pajhwok Afghan News reported.

Rallies and protests have been taking place across the world in solidarity with the people of Afghanistan, which fell to the Taliban on August 15. Afghans are all set to organise a protest outside the UN office in Geneva on International Day of Peace on September 21 against "illegal takeover of Afghanistan" and "persecution of religious and ethnic minorities" by the Taliban regime, a rights activist said.

Afghan human rights activist in France Fazal ur Rehman Afridi said in a tweet on Wednesday, "On the occasion of International Day for peace, during the 48th Session of United Nations Human Rights Council, Afghans in Europe will organise an international protest in front of UN Headquarters in Geneva." 

Former President Donald Trump criticised his successor for the way he pulled out of Afghanistan last month. Trump skipped joining President Joe Biden and other past presidents at official 9/11 memorial ceremonies at Ground Zero and in Shanksville, Pennsylvania.

Instead, he traveled several blocks from his Trump Tower building in Manhattan to the 17th police precinct and the neighboring fire station. Trump criticised the withdrawal from Afghanistan and expressed surprise about why it hadn’t come up in other 9/11 memorial speeches.

"It was gross incompetence," he said of the exit.

While citing a source, Iranian news agency FARS reported that 70 per cent of main streets in Panjshir have been brought under control by the Taliban. While the insurgent group has claimed that they have captured the Afghan province of Panjshir, Afghanistan's National Resistance Front (NRF) has denied the claim.

But Qassem Mohammadi told FNA, "In recent days, the Taliban entered Panjshir and now 70 per cent of the main streets and passages are under their control, but the valleys of Panjshir are still under the complete control of the popular forces". 

Ahmad Massoud, the leader of the Afghan resistance forces, has not left Afghanistan, Iranian news agency FARS reported on Saturday. The rumours about Massoud leaving the Central Asian nation for Turkey or any other place are false. The NRF leader is said to be in a safe place and in contact with the Panjshir Valley. it is worth mentioning that the Taliban has claimed that they have captured Panjshir - the last resistance holdout in the country. However, Afghanistan's National Resistance Front (NRF) has denied the claim.

While speaking to France 5 TV, Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, said that the Taliban are lying and France will not have any relationship with its newly-formed government. Before heading for talks in Qatar to discuss future evacuations from Afghanistan, Le Drian on September 11 said, "They (The Taliban) said they would let some foreigners and Afghans leave freely and (talked) of an inclusive and representative government, but they are lying". 

"France refuses to recognise or have any type of relationship with this government. We want actions from the Taliban and they will need some economic breathing space and international relations. It's up to them," he added. 

Officials in Pakistan International Airline have refuted the claims of resumption of flights to Kabul and added that they have been misunderstood, according to news agency ANI. A spokesperson of PIA, Abdullah Khan stated that they are not resuming flights to Kabul and added that their communication with officials in Kabul was about the chartered flights. He said that they are willing to resume flights to Kabul but added that "certain arrangements" have to be in place before flight operation. 

Pakistan’s ISI chief Faiz Hamid on Saturday held a security meeting with intelligence chiefs of regional countries, including China, on the evolving situation in Afghanistan, reported news agency PTI citing media reports. Lieutenant General Faiz Hameed, the Director-General of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), discussed the situation of Afghanistan with chief of intelligence agencies of Russia, China, Iran, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.

UN Sec. Gen. Guterres called on the international community to join him on Monday, Sept. 13 to express solidarity with the people of Afghanistan and pledge tangible support to address their humanitarian needs, UNAMA said. Recent developments have increased Afghans' vulnerabilities and a severe drought is ruining the upcoming harvest, said UNAMA, adding that Afghans urgently need food, medicine, health services, safe water, and protection.

Shahrzad Akbar, head of the Afghan Human Rights Commission, has expressed shock over the reports from Panjshir. Terming the deliberate killing of civilians as a "war crime", she said the Taliban should provide an independent investigation.

In the picture: The Taliban flag was raised on the roof of the Presidential Palace in Kabul, days after it announced a new government in Afghanistan.

Taliban's Afghan Foreign Minister Maulvi Amir Khan Mottaki on Saturday denied any links with Pakistan in taking down the Panjshir district, which is home to several resistance leaders. 

"If we took control of 33 provinces without the help of Pakistani, then why do we need Pakistan's help to seize only two or three districts of Panjshir. This is nothing but propaganda," Mottaki told Afghan news.

Customers near Azizi Bank branches in Kabul are complaining that they are required to come a day earlier in the morning to submit their Card and then after a day or a few days they can withdraw just about 200$ or 20000 AFG.

As per TOLO news, the banks do not have the money to distribute. They can give about 200 persons their money per day, after a long waiting. The Sarai Shahzada an exchange center in Kabul is also witnessing similar chaos.
The new government is still unable to form a solution.

South African Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor said on Friday, that the BRICS countries have agreed not to recognise the Taliban government in Afghanistan until they receive assurances that the Taliban will comply with the prescripts of international law.

"We had a BRICS Summit (on Thursday) in which our president spoke, and we've adopted a statement, that is a BRICS statement, very clearly articulating the view that we want to see the restoration of democracy and enjoyment of fundamental human rights by the people of Afghanistan, Minister of International Relations Pandor told a South African radio station.

Until we are assured that the government, once it's in place, intends to observe the prescripts of international law, we wouldn't proceed with any form of recognition, Pandor said.

People of Panjshir have been forced to abandon their homes and migrate from Panjshir as the Taliban tightens hold in the valley. According to various reports on social media, thousands of Panjshir citizens have left their homes due to fear of the Taliban and are forced to migrate elsewhere.

Rohullah Saleh, the elder brother of Amrullah Saleh was tortured to death by the Taliban. Earlier it was stated on various social media reports that he was coming to Kabul from Panjshir and after being identified by the Taliban he was shot to death. However, later it has been reported that he was captured and tortured by the Taliban.

According to Kabul based Ariana Television Network, Da Afghanistan Bank, the central bank of Afghanistan, has called on private banks to freeze accounts belonging to former government officials. According to a letter sent to the banks, accounts held by former ministers, deputies, provincial governors, members of parliament and all other high-ranking officials will be frozen.

Spain's foreign minister is in Islamabad for talks with Pakistani officials aimed at easing the transit of Afghan people who worked with Spain before Afghanistan's fall into the hands of the Taliban.

Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares is scheduled to hold meetings with Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan and his counterpart, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, among other officials.

In a video released by the Spanish ministry, Albares said, "the goal was to hold talks with one of the main key players in the region and find ways to leave no one behind."

The minister said he would give assurances to the Pakistani government that Spain's embassy would deal fast with Afghans who worked for the country in order for them not to become a burden for Pakistan. Albares' is the first trip by a Spanish foreign minister to Pakistan in 70 years of diplomatic relations.

According to various reports, another plane of the United Arab Emirates, carrying humanitarian supplies have been landed in Kabul as the country suffers from the crisis due to the Taliban's hostile takeover. This is the seventh plane of the UAE with humanitarian aid to Afghanistan.

Afghanistan's envoy to UN Ghulam Isaczai raised the situation of Panjshir at the United Nations Security Council. He said, "We have eyewitness accounts of Taliban's widespread atrocities" which are "perpetrated with support of foreign terrorist fighters and foreign intel and military assets". He also expressed concerns of women and protesters being beaten by the Taliban.

After the Taliban stormed into Kabul on August 15, Afghanistan president Ashraf Ghani resigned and fled the country with his associates. Since then, several persons have lost their lives in the chaos at the Hamid Karzai International Airport with thousands of people desperately trying to flee the country. This includes the death of at least 169 Afghans, 11 US Marines, a US Navy sailor, and a US Army soldier in a suicide bombing at the Abbey Gate of the Kabul airport on August 26. This led to US airstrikes on terrorists belonging to ISIS-K which claimed responsibility for this attack.

On August 31, the Taliban gained control of the Kabul airport after the last batch of US troops left Afghanistan. Though the Taliban promised to form an "inclusive" government to run Afghanistan, it announced a 33-member caretaker Cabinet on Tuesday which neither has women nor mainstream politicians from previous regimes. While Mullah Mohammad Hassan Akhund, the chief of the Taliban's Rehbari Shura, is the new Prime Minister, he has two deputies in Mullah Baradar and Mawlavi Hanafi. Another terrorist Sirajuddin Haqqani is the Interior Minister whereas Taliban founder Mullah Omar's son Mullah Yaqoob has been named the Defence Minister. 

The National Resistance Front under the leadership of Afghanistan's 'caretaker' president Amrullah Saleh and Ahmad Massoud tried their best to prevent the terror group from capturing Panjshir. On September 5, the National Resistance Front of Afghanistan suffered a big setback after its spokesperson Fahim Dashty and General Sahib Abdul Wadood Zhor were killed during the fighting with the terrorist outfit. Even though the Taliban claimed that it had taken over the province on Monday, the NRF called upon people to continue their resistance. 

In an audio message posted on his Facebook page on September 6, Massoud expressed condolences with those martyred in the battle with the Taliban. Appealing for international support, he added, "Taliban have become more radical. Taliban are not Afghans, they are outsiders and work for outsiders and their mission is to keep the country isolated from the rest of the world. All Afghans should fight against the Taliban in any form possible. Resistance is still alive". While Massoud is believed to be in hiding in Panjshir, the Taliban claimed that Saleh has fled to Tajikistan. 

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken thanked the Taliban for allowing an evacuation flight to leave Kabul. The Qatar Airways flight which departed from Afghanistan had US citizens and permanent residents on board.  He added, "Our team in Doha, as well as Special Representative Zalmay Khalilzad, have been in regular contact with Taliban officials in recent days, and we have stressed that additional steps such as these will be similarly positively viewed by the international community". 

United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan head Deborah Lyons told the UNSC that the Taliban has not won the confidence of the people yet. While maintaining that the UN will stand with the people, she warned that Afghanistan’s humanitarian catastrophe can deepen even further if the international community fails to take some immediate critical steps. She called upon the terrorist group to enable all the UN personnel to live and work in safety.

Lyons observed, "The rights of all Afghans -especially women and girls- must be protected. Restrictions, beatings and intimidation of protestors and media do not indicate an effort to understand the legitimate grievances of many Afghans who fear for their futures. The UN hopes that the Taliban will not risk squandering the potential generosity of the international community by governing against the explicit interests and rights of their own people, as well as by failing to take decisive action against terrorism."

India's Ambassador to the UN TS Tirumurti called for an inclusive dispensation by the Taliban in Afghanistan with the representation of all sections of the society. The Indian ambassador stated that an inclusive and negotiated political statement in Afghanistan would gain greater international acceptance and legitimacy. 

He remarked, "Uncertainties abound about the future of the Afghan people, as well as about sustaining and building on the gains achieved over the last two decades. In this context, we reiterate the need for the voices of Afghan women to be heard aspirations of Afghan children to be realized and the rights of minorities to be protected. We call on humanitarian assistance to be provided urgently and underline the need to provide unhindered access to the UN and other agencies in this regard."