LAST 24 HOURS
THE TALIBAN NEUTRALIZED THE ISIS-K PLANNER RESPONSIBLE FOR THE BOMBING AT HAMID KARZAI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT IN AUGUST 2021 – Taliban officials announced that the man responsible for the planning and execution of the deadly Abbey Gate bombing that killed nearly 200 people in August 2021 had been killed in a security operation in Southern Afghanistan in April. At the time, the Taliban could not confirm the man’s identity but a subsequent investigation of captured documents indicates he was the ISIS-K mastermind behind the attack. Several US officials have anonymously confirmed the report to several news outlets but the man’s name has yet to be released.
TURKEY VOLUNTEERS TO LOBBY FOR IEA RECOGNITION…MAYBE – A spokesman for the Taliban said that recent talks with Turkey’s Ambassador in Kabul had yielded a pledge from Ankara to work on the IEA’s behalf for the much-desired international status. If true, there are still several obstacles to overcome. The elections in Turkey next month could see Erdogan replaced by a pro-Europe leader and the Taliban could find itself without a champion in NATO. The IEA has made grand announcements such as these before and Nations have been forced to ‘clarify’ what was actually said so, it is advisable to take this pronouncement with a grain of salt.
US ENVOY SAYS NORMAL RELATIONS WITH AFGHANISTAN IMPOSSIBLE WITHOUT A CHANGE IN STANCE ON HUMAN RIGHTS – Rina Amiri, the special envoy for women, girls, and human rights said on Tuesday that the Taliban will only be recognized when it commits to respecting the rights of all Afghans. Her comments echo those of other State Department functionaries who have sought to clarify the US’s stance after the UN’s Deputy Secretary General seemingly indicated that recognition would be on the table at a May meeting.
COST OF FLIGHTS FROM AFGHANISTAN DOUBLES OVER PAST YEAR – Citizens are now paying twice as much as it costs to fly from Kabul compared to last year and the expenses have caused consternation among business leaders in particular. Travel agents in Afghanistan say the number of people purchasing tickets had fallen in 2023 and a lack of competition from other international carriers has contributed to the rise in prices. Business leaders have asked the Taliban to look into the situation or, they say they will not be able to secure deals to improve the economy. It is not clear what the Taliban could do beyond offering a subsidy to offset costs. A spokesman for the Taliban said they would consider implementing cost controls, similar to what was put into practice with regional carriers in early 2022.
NEXT 24 HOURS
REPORT FROM THE CONFERENCE IN VIENNA EXPECTED TODAY – The second round of talks with largely anti-Taliban leaders and experts are expected to conclude with a statement that outlines strategies for the International Community to engage with the Taliban regime. A source present at the talks in Austria says that a number of meetings have been scheduled after the conference concludes which may be pivotal. The source declined to say who would attend the post-conference meetings. The Taliban cast doubt on the efficacy of the Austria meetings and continued to heap criticism on Afghan leaders living in exile.
REGIONAL ROUNDUP
IRAN
News broke that the regime organized a ‘celebrity task force’ to target famous supporters of the protests last year. The cell focused mainly on individuals’ tax records. Apparently, the evidence gathered was used to silence potential supporters with threats of prosecution.
A UN official has pledged to lobby the United Nations security council to relax some of the sanctions on Iran at its next meeting.
2 Iranian actresses have been charged for publicly flaunting the hijab dress code. It is not clear if they were arrested, fined, or faced further administrative punishment.
PAKISTAN
The death toll from the blasts at the Swat police station rose to 17. Initial reports from the investigation say the blasts were triggered by faulty electrical wiring.
The parliamentary meeting called for by Prime Minister Sharif will begin today in Lahore.
Police officials across the country have raised concerns over rising rates of street crime. Those crimes that ended up causing fatalities primarily involved robbery attempts of people leaving banks.
SPOTLIGHT ANALYSIS
China’s Got Afghan Fever, Again
By Lynne O’Donnell - Foreign Policy
China, once again, seems to be mucking about in Afghanistan’s mineral-rich playground. The latest move is a maybe, could-be deal worth billions to tap Afghanistan’s rich veins of lithium, the key input for the energy transition that powers everything from laptops to electric cars. It could mean that billions of dollars will be pouring into securing a prosperous future for one of the world’s poorest countries. It probably won’t. The deal, like so much else China has done with Afghanistan in the last several decades, is more about politics than economics.
AFGHAN NEWS
Taliban kill Islamic State mastermind of suicide bombing at Kabul airport
By PBS
The Taliban have killed the senior Islamic State group leader behind the August 2021 suicide bombing outside the Kabul airport that left…
Mujahid: Writing of Constitution Ongoing
By Fatema Adeeb - TOLO News
Nearly 21 months since the Islamic Emirate was restablished, Zabihullah Mujahid, the Islamic Emirate's spokesman, said work on the writing of the…
Asian Development Bank Commits $405M in Aid Grants for Afghanistan
By TOLO News
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) said that it has committed $405 million in grants to United Nations agencies to help ensure the supply…
REGIONAL NEWS
Five Tajik Soldiers Detained After Video Showing Brutal Beatings Of Recruits
By RFE
The Tajik Prosecutor-General's Office said on April 24 that five soldiers were detained and face a charge of violating military regulations…
Army chief spends Eid day with troops on Afghan border
By Dawn
Chief of Army Staff General Asim Munir visited Bajaur tribal district on Saturday to spend the Eid day with troops deployed along…
INTERNATIONAL NEWS RELATING TO AFGHANISTAN
IEA says Vienna diaspora meeting not beneficial to Afghanistan
By Ariana News
In response to a meeting of a number of Afghans in exile in Vienna on Monday, the Islamic Emirate’s spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said…
Islamic Emirate: Turkey Working to Bridge Kabul And Intl Community
By Mitra Majeedy - TOLO News
The Turkish ambassador in Kabul, Cihad Erginay, in a meeting with the second deputy prime minister, Mullah Abdul Salam Hanafi, said…
THE DAILY WTF
Zakharova Says Americans ‘Deliberately’ Left Weapons in Afghanistan
By Banafsha Binesh - TOLO News
The Russian foreign ministry's spokesperson, Maria Zakharova, in a press conference claimed that the the US deliberately left weapons in Afghanistan…
‘Well yeah. There was this Army there from the former regime...’ TAD Staff
Afghani to the Dollar: $1 – 86.32 AFN (as of 26 APR 2023)