Daily Evacuation Brief | February 13, 2023
LAST 24 HOURS
TAKHAR WOMEN’S RIGHTS ACTIVIST AND BROTHER RELEASED – The prominent women’s rights activist, Parisa Mobarez, and her brother were released by Taliban officials in the Province yesterday. They had been held for nearly a day and the charges filed against them have not been made public.
PAKISTAN VISA ISSUE – Less than two days after Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced it would work to make the visa application process easier, reports out of Sweden say the Pakistan Embassy there issued approximately 1,600 visas to Afghans who had submitted fraudulent Swedish documents. Unconfirmed reports suggest that Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry has halted the visa issuance process for all Afghans around the globe. A second unconfirmed report alleges that all Pakistan visas that have been issued to Afghans have been canceled. We are seeking to confirm what actions, if any, Pakistan has taken with regard to visas for Afghans.
INTERIOR MINISTER RECEIVES A YELLOW CARD FROM THE SUPREME LEADER AFTER SPEECH – After Sirajuddin Haqqani’s critical remarks in Khost the other day, the spokesman for the Taliban told news outlets that such remarks should be made in private rather than in public.
SEVERAL AID AGENCIES IN GHOR CEASE OPERATIONS AFTER REPORTEDLY BEING FORCED TO PAY BRIBES TO TALIBAN – Several aid organizations told AMU TV they were halting operations in the Province until the Taliban cease demands for 30% of all food and cash aid for residents. The Taliban Security Forces are thought to be extorting the agencies across many Provinces and the Taliban leadership’s continual calls for ‘better order in the forces’ seem to amount to little. In addition to cash and food, medical supplies are often plundered and then sold to the sick at a markup. Several late reports arrived stating the Taliban had fired some officials in Ghor over these issues. We have yet to confirm the veracity of these claims.
TALIBAN URGED BY THE UN TO REINSTATE WOMEN JUDGES AND LAWYERS – The head of UNAMA, Roza Otunbayeva, made the recommendation while meeting with the Taliban’s Chief Justice in a meeting to discuss the new legal framework being implemented in Afghanistan. She said the judges and lawyers play a critical role in representing women and children.
NEXT 24 HOURS
HOUSE SEARCHES SLOWLY RESTARTING IN KABUL – After a short hiatus, Taliban security forces have renewed search efforts in Kabul. Yesterday, the searches focused on the 4th Police District. While the searches are not nearly as large as the spate that occurred over the previous two weeks, they are expected to continue. A sizable presence of Taliban trucks and personnel has been reported at the airport and this could signal more searches in the neighborhoods adjacent to the facility. It is not clear what the Taliban are searching for at this time and sources in the Police and Ministry of Defense admitted that no clear objective had been given to the security forces.
REGIONAL ROUNDUP
IRAN
Large protests occurred in Paris as people urged the EU to sanction the IRGC.
The regime announced it would resume discussions on the nuclear program. It is not clear if the US has agreed to a new round of negotiations.
Hackers disrupted the supreme leader’s speech marking the anniversary of the republic.
PAKISTAN
Pakistan-US security talks are scheduled to begin today. The talks are the second between the two countries.
A suicide bomber targeted a fuel resupply convoy in North Waziristan killing 3 and wounding an additional 22 people.
Human rights organizations urge Pakistan to get rid of its blasphemy death penalty after a report stated that nearly 100 people had been put to death under the law since early 2022.
TAJIKISTAN/UZBEKISTAN
General Abdul Rashid Dostum, a former regime leader living in exile, has called on the governments of Tajikistan and Uzbekistan to turn over the Afghan aircraft they received when the former regime fell to the National Resistance Front. He suggested the helicopter fleet in particular could be effective in Resistance operations.
SPOTLIGHT ANALYSIS
Talking With the Taliban: A Necessary Exercise in Frustration
By Edward Girardet - WHO WHAT WHY
“It’s a brutal situation because none of the key players are willing to back down,” said the representative of an international organization with several decades’ experience in Afghanistan and the region. “You cannot go in and tell the Taliban what to do. They’ll only hunker down even more because they don’t care what outsiders think. And the Americans and Europeans only want to talk about girls’ education and women’s rights, so that’s not going anywhere. The Taliban hardliners did not fight all these years to re-impose an equitable society. That’s the sad reality, but once this is recognized then perhaps the international community can start moving forward.”
AFGHAN NEWS
144 Bodies Found in Kabul, Many Unidentified, in Past 3 Months
By Imran Danish - TOLO News
The Kabul municipality said that it has buried 144 bodies, most of whom were unidentified, who were found in Kabul with little or no information about…
Aid agencies in Ghor suspend operations over Taliban ‘extortion’
By AMU TV
Aid agencies that have suspended operations in central Ghor province have said they will not resume operations until the Taliban stop ordering them to hand over 30 percent of food or…
Females Will Get Jobs, Education Within Islamic Framework: Stanekzai
By Bibi Amina Hakimi - TOLO News
Deputy Foreign Minister Sher Mohammad Abas Stanekzai said that the Islamic Emirate will provide access to work and education…
REGIONAL NEWS
India arrests two terror suspects planning to leave for Afghanistan
By Fidel Rahmati - Khaama Press
According to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) of India, two terrorist suspects about to travel to Afghanistan were detained in a case…
Second Round of Pakistan-US Defence Dialogue set for Monday
By Pajhwok Afghan News
“Pakistan’s inter-agency delegation, led by the Chief of General Staff, will comprise of senior officials from the…
INTERNATIONAL NEWS RELATING TO AFGHANISTAN
Politicians call for ‘revenge’ against the Taliban
By AMU TV
A number of Afghan politicians in exile held a virtual meeting to commemorate the late anti-Taliban resistance front commander Khair Mohammad Khairkhwah and emphasized the…
THE DAILY WTF
Mujahid: The Islamic Emirate believes in freedom of press
By Ariana News
The spokesman of the Islamic Emirate said on Sunday that the government believes in freedom of the press and…
Afghani to the Dollar: $1 – 89.72 AFN (as of 13 FEB 2023)