Daily Evacuation Brief | February 23, 2023
LAST 24 HOURS
TORKHAM CROSSING TO REOPEN TODAY – The Ministry of Information announced that a compromise had been reached with Pakistan and the border crossing would reopen today. The truck drivers and pedestrians on both sides of the border have been described as being in a foul mood over the delay and there were some fights reported among truck drivers over who would be given priority to pass through this morning. Police had to intervene in two of the scuffles.
MASS ARRESTS IN PANJSHIR – The Taliban has been active in Dara District and 50 non-combatants were reportedly rounded up and taken into custody. Eyewitnesses say that only men and boys were arrested and a source in the Ministry of Defense stated the operation was a preemptive move to warn other Panjshiris about joining the NRF for the upcoming spring campaign season. The status of those arrested is currently unknown.
TALIBAN WORKING FORMALLY WITH RUSSIA AND IRAN TO SET UP INVESTMENT CONSORTIUM – The Minister of Commerce announced the formal signing of a memorandum of agreement between his office, 14 prominent Afghan businessmen, and a consortium of regional companies valued at over $1 billion dollars. Analysts raised concerns about the banking transfers and whether any may violate sanctions placed on Russia and Iran. Two of the bigger projects being discussed were infrastructure related. The first is a parallel tunnel through the Salang pass and the second was a major water canal that would divert rivers in Panjshir to Kabul.
CLERICAL COUNCILS FORMED IN 3 PROVINCES – After a decree by the Supreme Leader, Provincial leaders are rushing to form clerical councils to provide Sharia interpretations in civil and juridical matters. Badakhshan, Nangarhar, and Ghazni join 16 other provinces that have implemented Akhundzada’s will. The remaining provinces are in the process of establishing their ulemas.
NEXT 24 HOURS
TORKHAM TO REOPEN, TRAVELERS SHOULD REMAIN VIGILANT – Using the recent cross-border incidents at Spin Boldak-Chaman as a guide, we often see a ripple effect after a primary engagement which could mean more shooting today or in the days to come. In addition to the threat of cross-border gunfire, there are reports that many of the truck drivers were jostling to get through the border quickly and some fistfights had been reported along the queue throughout the night. At-risk Afghans planning on visiting Torkham should be aware of the potential for more shooting and there may be disturbances as trucks make a dash for the gate after it opens.
PASSPORT DIRECTORATE EXPECTED TO RELEASE A STATEMENT – Rumors that the Passport Directorate may finally be reopening have been rampant and an announcement should be released to the Bakhtar News Agency sometime over the next twenty-four hours.
REGIONAL ROUNDUP
IRAN
The US pushed back against Iranian claims that it had attempted to coerce Great Britain into keeping IRGC off its terror list.
The Iranian FM invited Saudi Arabia to restart talks in Baghdad about cooperation in the region.
The regime executed a Kurdish dissident accused of murdering a policeman. He was hanged to death on Wednesday in Kermanshah.
PAKISTAN
The Minister for Construction in Balochistan was arrested by police and stands accused of a triple murder in a case where three bodies of protestors had been found sealed up in a wall.
China approved a $700 million dollar loan to Pakistan on Wednesday. The funds are expected to be used to rebuild some of Pakistan’s foreign reserves.
Some of former PM Khan’s political party operatives were arrested in Lahore. The government says that 60 were arrested while the former PM’s party says the number was between 500-700.
SPOTLIGHT ANALYSIS
The Violent Logic of Humanitarianism
By Faisal Devji - Boston Review
“The idea that we’re able to deal with the rights of women around the world by military force is not rational.” This single sentence from President Biden’s ABC interview with George Stephanopoulos on August 18 exposed the paradox of humanitarian intervention. It acknowledged that trying to address violence with violence only serves to perpetuate it. Much commentary on the West’s two decades of intervention in Afghanistan assumes that Western humanitarianism masked political aims or was subordinated to them. But Biden seems to recognize that humanitarianism, far more than politics, justified, legitimized, and, indeed, required violence.
AFGHAN NEWS
Afghanistan to reopen key border crossing with Pakistan on Thursday
By Anadolu Agency
In a statement, Afghanistan’s Information Ministry said that the Torkham border, which connects Pakistan's northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province with…
Taliban publicly flog 9 women and 14 men in Sar-e-Pul province
By Kabul Now
The Taliban in the northern province of Sar-e-Pul publicly flogged 23 people, including 9 women, inside a sports stadium on Tuesday, with senior local officials, including the…
Acting Public Health Minister Meets WHO, UNICEF Delegations
By Bakhtar News Agency
Acting Public Health Minister, Qalandar Ebad met with representatives of World Health Organization (WHO) and…
REGIONAL NEWS
Pakistan’s defence and spy chiefs discuss security with Taliban
By Abid Hussain - Al Jazeera
Pakistani Defence Minister Khwaja Asif was joined on Wednesday by other top officials – including Lieutenant General Nadeem Anjum, the…
270,000 Refugees Returned From Iran in Past 6 Months
By Mitra Majeedy - TOLO News
A spokesman for the ministry, Abdul Mutalib Haqqani, said between 2,000 to 3,000 refugees return via the Islam Qala and Milat gate every…
INTERNATIONAL NEWS RELATING TO AFGHANISTAN
Japan Ambassador to Kabul Meets Haqqani, Discusses Economic Challenges
By Nizamuddin Rezahi - Khaama Press
During the visit, the Acting Interior Minister said that imposing sanctions would not be in the interest of…
Chinese scholar shares thrilling moments in Afghanistan
By Hu Yuwei - Global Times
On February 13, the Chinese embassy in Afghanistan issued a message stating that the security situation in Afghanistan is becoming more serious and…
THE DAILY WTF
Taliban demand US return $3.5bn in frozen Afghan funds after court ruling
By The National News
Taliban authorities called on Washington on Wednesday to return $3.5 billion belonging to Afghanistan's central bank after a New York federal judge…
Afghani to the Dollar: $1 – 89.19 AFN (as of 23 FEB 2023)