Daily Evacuation Brief | December 1, 2023

Dec 01, 2023

BADAKHSHAN TROUBLES – Several media outlets have reported that a rash of arrests have taken place across the troubled Province over the last seventy-two hours. A source in Kabul said that orders were sent to recently deployed Taliban security forces to begin arresting all known Hizb ut-Tahrir members in the Province. Commanders of the Taliban units were operating off a list provided by a ‘foreign power’ and have succeeded in arresting nearly 50 of the group. More arrests are expected in the coming days. The organization supports the establishment of an Islamic Caliphate across Central Asia and is thought to pose a threat to China and Tajikistan. Another source in Kandahar said that the meeting between the Provincial Governor and the Supreme Leader involved several questions about the organization’s activities in the Province. The source stated that Kandahar was interested to know if the group was coordinating with ETIM elements in the Province.
IRAN MOUNTS A MAJOR NARCO-TRAFFICKING OPERATION – According to the FARS news agency, a group of drug smugglers entered Iran and were placed under surveillance. A raid on their safe house on 25 November resulted in a large seizure of drugs, weapons, and cash. Iran and Tajikistan continue to raise alarms over drugs being trafficked from Afghanistan and have ridiculed United Nations reporting that suggests the Taliban have eradicated the opium trade. Both countries say they continue to intercept shipments at rates similar to those observed over the past decade.
PAKISTAN MILITARY AND POLICE SCOURING RANKS FOR TTP/BLA SYMPATHIZERS – Pakistan’s Counter-Terrorism Department arrested a police official yesterday on charges of conspiring with terrorist organizations. The incident took place in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the police official was a career veteran who had served for over eleven years with eh force. Efforts were underway in many Districts to identify those who may have collaborated with the TTP and/or the Baloch Liberation Army. A source in Rawalpindi said that far too many suicide attacks throughout 2023 took place during operations that only government officials could have known about. With this in mind, Islamabad has ordered a significant counter-intelligence review of both police and military units to find those responsible for delivering information to the terrorist groups.
GERMAN AUTHORITIES ARREST 2 TEENS OVER CHRISTMAS PLOT – One of the two boys is said to be a German-Afghan from Burscheid and the other is said to be a Russian national. The two were plotting some kind of attack on a Christmas Market or a Synagogue. German authorities said they had been contacted about the plot from ‘abroad’ and took action because the threat involved both a time (1 December) and place (Leverkusen) for the attacks. At this early stage of the investigation, it is not clear if the threats were serious.

NEXT 24 HOURS

NO THREATS REPORTED

REGIONAL ROUNDUP

IRAN

The Iranian President chose to skip the UN climate change conference in Dubai due to his Israeli counterpart’s presence. Iran did not name a representative to attend in his stead.
Iran’s supreme leader spoke at an IRGC ceremony and called for the ‘de-Americanization’ of the Middle East.
The US House of Representatives passed a bill that would permanently freeze the $6 billion in funds that were promised to Iran in exchange for 5 Americans it was holding prisoner.

PAKISTAN

Fuel prices will remain unchanged except for a slight reduction in the cost of diesel fuel. Trade unions and corporations were hoping for a larger reduction and have said that high fuel costs will adversely affect their operations.
Punjab reported over one hundred new cases of Dengue fever yesterday which brings the total number of cases for the year to 14,171 in Punjab alone.
Pakistan intends to ask Spain for an extradition order so that Moonis Elahi, son of Punjabi Chief Minister, Parvez Elahi can appear before a special court in Lahore over the money laundering case against his father.

SPOTLIGHT ANALYSIS

Managing Dissent Within: The Taliban Way

By Shanthie Mariet D’Souza - The Diplomat

The chronic failure of governance and unyielding attachment to regressive values notwithstanding, the Taliban’s hold over Afghanistan appears to be consolidated. Initial hopes that the Taliban 2.0 would be a different species have been belied. Even the anticipation that a contestation between the moderates or dissenters and the hardliners within the group would weaken it and possibly force it to revisit its policies has also not materialized.

AFGHAN NEWS

Delegation of Religious Scholars of Islamic Countries Arrives in Kabul

By Naweed Samadi - TOLO News

A delegation of religious scholars from Islamic countries led by Dr. Ali al-Qaradaghi arrived in Kabul today (Thursday) to meet with the…

Ban on education, work drives girls and young women away from Afghanistan

By ANI

The restrictions placed on women and girls in Afghanistan have prompted them to move away from Afghanistan, leading to their migration…

Taliban-run Central Bank boosts private bank withdrawal limits

By AMU TV

The Taliban-run Central Bank announced on Thursday a new adjustment to the weekly cash withdrawal limits from private banks, raising the cap from…

REGIONAL NEWS

Pakistani police search for illegal migrants

Pakistani province looks to deport 10,000 Afghans per day

By Fox News

A Pakistani province is setting targets for police to arrest and deport hundreds of thousands of Afghans it says are in the country illegally, officials said…

Legal challenges mount to Pakistan’s repatriation of undocumented foreigners

By Amir Latif - Anadolu Agency

Pakistan is facing mounting legal challenges Thursday for its decision to repatriate undocumented foreigners -- most being…

INTERNATIONAL NEWS RELATING TO AFGHANISTAN

Substantial changes in Taliban policies unlikely to happen: Bennett

By Siyar Sirat - AMU TV

During an event in Sweden, UN Special Rapporteur for Afghanistan, Richard Bennett, provided insights into the UN-mandated assessment on Afghanistan, particularly…