Daily Evacuation Brief | January 20, 2023

Jan 20

LAST 24 HOURS

TALIBAN CALL FOR A THREE-NATION MEETING ON REFUGEE ISSUES – Khalil Rahman Haqqani, Minister for Refugees and Repatriation has called for a meeting with Iran and Pakistan to find a solution for the problem of refugees from Afghanistan. A source in the Ministry of Defense said a recommendation for talks had actually come from Iran initially but Turkey may also send a representative to any forthcoming summit.
TTP KILLS 3 POLICE IN KHYBER DISTRICT – Several militants struck a police outpost with guns and a suicide bomber which resulted in the deaths of 3 police. The militants struck the facility in a nighttime coordinated attack and at least 4 militants were involved. The suicide bomber detonated his device and was killed in the attack while the others escaped. The TTP claimed that only the suicide bomber was involved in the attack but several eyewitness accounts supported Pakistan’s statement on the matter. It is not clear if the militants had launched their attack from Afghanistan.
PRISONERS RELEASED FROM NANGARHAR JAIL BY SUPREME LEADER – Nearly 70 prisoners were freed from the Jail in Nangarhar yesterday. The head of the appeals court cited a recent decree by the Supreme Leader that called for freeing persons who had been convicted of minor offenses and/or who had received forgiveness from the victims of their crimes. There were 11 children and 5 women in the group. The jail superintendent said that 1,100 prisoners remain in the jail and that 65 were children and 50 were women.
THE UN CONTINUES TO HOLD THE LINE WITH THE TALIBAN – A few misleading articles in Taliban-affiliated news outlets attempted to give the impression that visiting officials from the United Nations had pledged to advocate on the regime’s behalf for recognition and a return of several billion dollars of frozen funds. To their credit, the UN delegates continually stressed the conditions that would need to be met before engagement could proceed. UNAMA, under badly needed new leadership, has impressed many with its skill at the negotiating table.

NEXT 24 HOURS

TAKHAR SECURITY OPERATIONS EXPECTED – A source in Kabul said that Taliban forces in Takhar have received information about further threats from NRF forces in the Province. To preempt any potential attacks, they intend to conduct home searches in Taloqan. The searches are expected to concentrate in neighborhoods on the North and South banks of the Khanabad river, near the Taloqan bridge. There is also a plan to set up a new security checkpoint along the road to Takhar University. Local Taliban security forces are reportedly looking for a cache of magnetic mines, 2 IEDs (mortar shells), and small arms. They believe the NRF operatives who carried out yesterday’s bomb attack have not departed.

REGIONAL ROUNDUP

IRAN

In a notable break with Russia, Iran’s Foreign Minister said the regime does not recognize the annexed territories of Crimea, Luhansk, and Donetsk. He went on to say that Iran follows international law in this regard.
The Iranian military warned the EU about listing IRGC as a terrorist organization. The military chief cited Article 39 of the UN Charter and said any such designation would be unjustified.
Unconfirmed reports suggest the government has abolished the Morality Police. This claim has been made previously and we have to confirm the information.

PAKISTAN

Pakistan summoned the Iranian Ambassador in Islamabad to voice a complaint about the recent militant border incursion that killed 4 Pakistani soldiers on the shared border.
The government released a large list of reforms across many economic sectors to help stimulate growth.
Former PM Khan’s party has reversed course in Sindh Province and now say they refuse to resign from the National Assembly. The move is seen as a blow to Khan’s claims of national support.

SPOTLIGHT ANALYSIS

With No Help from Kabul, Pakistan Faces the TTP Threat

By Roohan Ahmed & Uzair Younus - Newlines Institute

Since the Taliban’s return to power in Kabul, Afghanistan and Pakistan have been at loggerheads over the Pakistani Taliban, or Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). Based in Afghanistan, the Islamist militant group has fought against the Pakistani military and U.S. and other allied forces since its founding in 2007. The group carried out dozens of attacks on Pakistani security forces in 2022 alone, threatening the stability that Pakistani military and U.S. counterterrorism operations had brought to the region. The United States should maintain its focus on the evolving security situation in Pakistan and explore opportunities for collaboration to keep TTP havens in Afghanistan from threatening national security for the U.S. and its allies in the region.