LAST 24 HOURS
PAKISTAN SHEDS LIGHT ON WHY TALKS WITH TTP FAILED – The secret talks between leaders of the TTP and Pakistani officials, that were brokered by Kabul reportedly broke down recently and the Taliban seemed to indicate the fault lay with Islamabad. However, a recent report by the Express Tribune said the talks primarily failed over the TTP’s insistence on ruling some of the Tribal Areas. It is not clear if the talks are continuing but an unidentified senior Pakistani official said that any change of sovereignty over the Federally Administered Tribal Areas would be ‘unconstitutional’.
‘BRAIN DRAIN’ TO HAVE LONG TERM CONSEQUENCES – The former Minister of Higher Education (Abbas Basir) said that around 30% of University professors had left the country and many others have chosen to work in other fields in defiance of the Taliban’s meddling in secular education. He accused the Taliban of downgrading progress made on the campuses by following models of ‘Islamization’ that are commonly used in religious schools throughout Pakistan but fail to teach principles of science and knowledge. The long-term consequences of the Taliban’s policies are expected to be felt for a generation or more.
CHRISTIAN CHURCH RAIDED IN ISLAMABAD – A group of 6 armed men entered the Saint Jones Awami Church on 26 December in the Industrial Zone of Islamabad and kidnapped 2 worshippers while assaulting the pastor and several others in the congregation. The church was celebrating the 2nd Day Commemoration when the attack began. Police reportedly detained 3 suspects and will arraign them before a court soon. An investigation into the incident has been launched.
GERMANY’S OPPOSITION PARTY PROPOSES ‘3RD COUNTRY’ SOLUTION FOR ASYLUM SEEKERS – The conservative Christian Democratic Union party has drafted a plan that is similar to one used in the United Kingdom to send asylum seekers to Rwanda for processing. While the party leaders did not specifically mention Rwanda as a target country in the plan, a party spokesman did mention it as well as Ghana, Georgia, and Moldova as potential candidates. The UK plan has been blocked by the Supreme Court but London expects to overcome the legal challenges soon. Denmark has also signaled it wanted to sign an agreement with Rwanda in a similar move.
NEXT 24 HOURS
NO THREATS REPORTED
REGIONAL ROUNDUP
IRAN
An Iranian-Armenian Christian couple was detained by Ministry of Intelligence agents in August of 2023 and the husband is still reportedly in detention. The 2 were accused of ‘illegal Christian activity’ but no formal charges were ever filed.
France, Germany, the UK, and the US have condemned Iran’s nuclear enrichment program after an IAEA report showed a sharp increase in production recently.
5 prisoners who face death sentences over charges of espionage were moved to solitary confinement in Urmia Prison yesterday. The move normally indicates that the sentence is about to be carried out and some are saying it is tied to the recent killing of an IRGC Commander in Syria.
PAKISTAN
Pakistani International Airlines is reportedly operating at only 50% of capacity as it attempts to grapple with major financial issues and a lack of government support. Currently, only 15 of its 29 modern jets are operational.
A court in Islamabad has set January 4th as the date it will indict the former Prime Minister, Imran Khan in the Toshakhana corruption case.
The Baloch protest movement has given the government in Islamabad seven days to fulfill their demands related to ‘forced disappearances’ and ‘extrajudicial killings’. It is not clear what will happen if the deadline passes but some expect that violent demonstrations could break out.
SPOTLIGHT CULTURE
An Afghan Photographer’s Portrait of Her Mother
By Mahbooba Hazara - New Lines
It was early fall, and my elderly mother, Laila, was in Mazar-e-Sharif Airport, trying to get out of Afghanistan. She needed to be quick: Two months earlier, the Taliban had regained power, and airports across the country were shutting down. Laila was sick; she had just tested positive for COVID-19 and needed to breathe from an oxygen tank that sat beside her wheelchair, like a sort of pet. It was Oct. 7, 2021, and my mother was leaving her beloved Afghanistan for the second time.
AFGHAN NEWS
Family of Murdered Doctor in Kabul Calls for Justice
By TOLO News
Following the killing of Abdul Ghafar Hamdard, the director of Medical Education Development of Kabul Medical University, his family members…
Rising crime wave plunges Kabul residents into fear, insecurity
By ANI
Kabul grapples with a surge in armed crime and robberies, leaving residents feeling trapped in what they describe as the world’s most frightening…
Demand for Kandahari hats rises in Afghanistan
By AMU TV
With the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan, sales of Kandahari hats, traditional to the southern city of Kandahar, have surged, especially among the youth, shopkeepers…
Afghanistan's humanitarian crisis deepens amid economic downturn: UNICEF
By ANI
The humanitarian situation in Afghanistan has worsened due to the economic crisis, according to a report by the United Nations…
REGIONAL NEWS
Pakistani police resume arrests of Afghan immigrants in Islamabad
By Tahir Sadid - AMU TV
Pakistani police have renewed raids on the homes of Afghan immigrants in Islamabad, leading to multiple arrests and deportations, immigrants…
TTP militants activity in Afghanistan poses major security threat to Pakistan: Army
By Fidel Rahmati - Khaama Press
The army’s declaration stated that they consider the freedom of action of TTP militants in Afghanistan and their access to the latest weapons a…
INTERNATIONAL NEWS RELATING TO AFGHANISTAN
Resolution About Afghanistan on UNSC Table: Andisha
By Najibullah Lalzoy - TOLO News
Nasir Ahmad Andisha, the permanent representative of Afghanistan to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, said that there is a resolution on the table of the…
Afghan women’s rights activist says the world should talk to the Taliban
By NBC News
Afghan women's right activist Mahbouba Seraj says it is the people of Afghanistan, not their extremist rulers, who are suffering under…
THE DAILY WTF
IEA to further strengthen relations with regional, world countries, Mawlavi Kabir
By The Kabul Times
The Deputy Prime Minister for Political Affairs, Mawlavi Abdul Kabir, in a meeting on Wednesday, with the Acting Foreign Minister Mawlavi Amir Khan Muttaqi, the…
Afghani to the Dollar: $1 – 70.10 AFN (as of 29 DEC 2023)