LAST 24 HOURS
PAKISTAN LAUDS TALIBAN FOR ARRESTING PERPETRATORS OF TERROR ATTACKS – The interim Foreign Minister, Jalil Abbas Jilani said the Taliban had informed Islamabad that it was holding several TTP members it had recently arrested in Afghanistan. It was not clear if the suspected terrorists would be transferred to Pakistan or if the Taliban merely wanted to send a signal to Pakistan that it was taking its security commitments seriously. Further news is expected but a source in Islamabad said the interaction is viewed as a positive step.
SALANG PASS TO CLOSE FOR REPAIRS – Travel through the pass will be halted from 10 September until the construction projects are completed. The route is expected to be closed for at least two weeks and the Ministry of Public Works is warning people to complete their travel/transport prior to 10 September.
US STATE DEPARTMENT CONFIRMS SIRAJUDDIN HAQQANI STILL ON WANTED LIST – Beth van Schaack, the US Ambassador for Global Criminal Justice spoke about her office’s efforts to hold the Taliban accountable for the various crimes it has been accused of. She hinted that the International Criminal Court may soon take action on the gender persecution charges leveled against the regime. She was asked whether the bounty of $10 million dollars is still being offered for Sirajuddin Haqqani but demurred and said that a different office in the State Department handled the rewards. She did note that Haqqani is still on the Wanted List.
THE UNITED KINGDOM PLEDGES $125M FOR AFGHANISTAN – The UK has set aside the funds for children’s education. The Minister of the Economy, Abdul Latif Nazari, seemed grateful for the support but also used the opportunity to criticize the politicization of any aid programmed for the country. Many observers are concerned by the lack of transparency surrounding grants of aid and fret that the Taliban is diverting it. It should be noted that aid under the previous regime was routinely plundered and stolen.
NEXT 24 HOURS
NO THREATS REPORTED
REGIONAL ROUNDUP
IRAN
Iran signed an agreement with the United Nations and World Health Organization to train Afghan women as midwives and nurses.
The lawyer representing Mahsa Amini’s family has been charged over anti-regime propaganda and appeared in court yesterday.
An Iranian weightlifter shook hands with his Israeli competitor at a competition in Poland and has now been banned from the sport for life.
PAKISTAN
Former PM Khan will remain in custody for the next two weeks as investigators prepare charges against him for leaking classified information in the Cipher case.
Large protests took place in Skardu (Kashmir) after a revered Shia cleric was arrested by Pakistani security agencies for making controversial remarks at a conference.
Legal experts in Pakistan say that ousted PM Khan made a tactical blunder by not requesting a suspension of the August 5 judgment against him in a corruption case. The legal misstep will bar him from standing in elections.
SPOTLIGHT PERSPECTIVE
Two Years On, Afghanistan Is Not What You Might Expect
By Owen Kirby - The Messenger
It’s a hard sell. It’s now two years in the rear view. After 20 years of investment and sacrifice, who wants to revisit it? Except, of course, for possible political gain. Mention Afghanistan and it conjures up images of national tragedy and heartache or stories of corruption and waste. Given the duration and cost of the war, not to mention the instigating factors, it’s stunning how quickly it seems to have vanished from popular consciousness.
AFGHAN NEWS
Taliban hosts ‘religious scholars’ meeting in Kabul
By AMU TV
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said in a social media post that the meeting primarily focused on “improvement” and “further coordination between the…
MoI Says It Installed 62,000 Cameras in Kabul and Key Places
By TOLO News
Abdul Mateen Qani, the spokesman of the Ministry of Interior, said in a video that more than 62,000 security cameras have been installed "in Kabul city and important places" for the purpose of…
Muttaqi Says Weakening Afghan Interim Govt Harms Everyone
By Nazir Shinwari - TOLO News
Speaking at a large gathering of religious clerics and influential figures of the country, Muttaqi said that Afghan soil is not a threat to any country and there is a need for the international community have a…
REGIONAL NEWS
Body of 6-year-old Afghan rape victim found in Pakistan
By Ariana News
The body of an Afghan girl was found in the sprawling sugarcane farms on the outskirts of the Khazana area of Lower Dir District in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa…
Young Afghan girl commits suicide in Pakistan
By Fidel Rahmati - Khaama Press
Maryam Sadaat, a young woman in her 20s, tragically took her own life, reportedly due to the uncertainty surrounding her immigration application and…
INTERNATIONAL NEWS RELATING TO AFGHANISTAN
Germany deports hundreds of Afghan and Syrian asylum seekers
By Tim Stickings - The National News
More than 650 Afghans and 400 Syrians including dozens of women and children were expelled in the first half of…
Afghan woman wins 2023 World Peace Prize in Sweden
By Fidel Rahmati - Khaama Press
Hassanzai conveyed her heartfelt gratitude for the honour on her social media platform, X, “I wish to extend my deepest gratitude for the honour of…
THE DAILY WTF
Is It Time To Include Afghanistan In Global Climate Talks?
By RFE
A top UN official expressed concerns that Afghanistan has been excluded from global discussions on climate change, despite being among the top 10…
“Priorities.” TAD Staff
Afghani to the Dollar: $1 – 81.16 AFN (as of 31 AUG 2023)