LAST 24 HOURS
POWER OUTAGES CONTINUE IN AFGHANISTAN – After Uzbekistan confirmed it had cut power exports to Afghanistan a diplomatic spat occurred when the Taliban Minister of Foreign Affairs took to social media and publicly blasted the Uzbek government. Officials from Uzbekistan responded yesterday and said it had warned the Afghan power authority that domestic needs could result in diminished power exports. It is not clear whether the Afghan power company officials informed the Taliban of this possibility or, whether the Taliban failed to disclose the information to the public. Regardless, the problem affects millions.
PAKISTAN’S POWER GRID GOES OFFLINE AS WELL – Pakistan lost power across large areas of the country for the second time in three months after a power-saving scheme to save power backfired. Electricity was shut off overnight to conserve fuel in an effort to save money but when engineers attempted to turn the power back on in the morning, the system suffered a catastrophic failure and will need to be rebooted. Government officials and those who are responsible for managing the grid were working to restore power and some cities had reported a resumption of service as of this morning. The outage also affected nationwide cellular service as thousands of mobile towers were forced offline. Internet services continued to function but many millions of cellular phone customers have been in a communications blackout state.
UNITED NATIONS ANNOUNCES $4.6 BILLION PLEDGED FOR AFGHANISTAN IN 2023 – Martin Griffiths, Under Secretary for Humanitarian Affairs, supposedly informed the Foreign Minister about the funding during a recent meeting. However, it is not clear how much of the funding will be allowed to be used in Afghanistan with the standoff over bans on women in different sectors of society. A source who was present for the meeting claimed the UN officials clearly were dangling a carrot for the Taliban with the announcement but that flew over the head of Muttaqi who was apparently giddy after the meeting. Several advisors reputedly had to explain that the funding was only pledged and was not likely to be disbursed unless the Taliban reversed several of its policies.
CLERIC MURDERED IN KAPISA – A second Salafi religious leader was murdered in Kohistan (Kapisa Province) on Sunday evening. Mawlawi Laeeq was set upon by unidentified gunmen and shot dead in Kish Katan village. In 2022, Mawlawi Nasrullah, another Salafi religious leader was murdered in a similar fashion. Unconfirmed reports have continued to mount of several Salafi followers ‘disappearing’ under mysterious circumstances since the Taliban came back to power.
NEXT 24 HOURS
COUNTER ISIS-K SECURITY CLEARING OPERATIONS CONTINUE – Shortly after an ISIS-K militant committed suicide while in Taliban custody in Ghor, several social media channels affiliated with the terrorist group vowed revenge, and one had posted a photo of the outer security layer of the Supreme Leader’s residence in Kandahar, reputedly taken yesterday. Taliban security forces appear to have taken the threat seriously and have added additional vehicular security patrols in the city. There is a potential for violence.
REGIONAL ROUNDUP
IRAN
New sanctions were approved against Iran on Monday. The US, UK, and EU targeted the IRGC and selected senior Commanders of the force. Others in the regime were targeted as well and the Attorney General had his funds in international accounts frozen.
The US is expected to put pressure on China to halt the importation of Iranian oil.
Iran claims to have secured Syrian airspace with newly delivered air defense systems. Western experts say the systems are poorly deployed and vulnerable.
PAKISTAN
Possibly related to the power outage, a prison break occurred in Gujrat with some 200 criminals escaping after having set fire to the prison. Gunfire was heard for several hours after the escape and several police officers are reportedly injured.
The 7-day national polio vaccination campaign concluded. Ministry of Health calls it extremely successful.
Pakistani courts can now sentence non-Muslims for blasphemy if they insult Muhammad’s wives, companions, or close relatives.
SPOTLIGHT HISTORY
Operation Neptune Spear and the Killing of Osama bin Laden
By Shafiullah Irfani - Modern Diplomacy
The founder and first leader of Al-Qaeda, And establishing 20-years republican government in Afghanistan: Neptune Spear was the secret name or code of the operation that was carried out under the leadership of the CIA on May 2, 2011 in the Abbottabad region of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for killing of the leader of the Al-Qaeda group Osama bin Laden. This operation, which was carried out from Afghanistan to the territory of Pakistan by former President of the United States Barack Obama, is generally known as JSOC.
AFGHAN NEWS
Recent Snowstorms, Cold Wave Create Problems for People
By TOLO News
The ministry said that at least 126 people have died in 24 provinces of the country due to hypothermia…
Power outage plunges parts of Afghanistan into darkness
By Ariana News
Many residents of Kabul and some other major cities in Afghanistan complain about longer and more frequent power…
Families Leave Homes in Farah District over Lack of Schools
By Ibrahim Mohammadi - TOLO News
According to local officials, there are more than 130 villages in the Farahrud district, but only six of them…
REGIONAL NEWS
Kabul in the dark! Taliban call on Uzbekistan for help
By AMU TV
Amir Khan Muttaqi, the Taliban’s acting foreign minister, announced Sunday that Uzbekistan has cut supplies of imported electricity to Afghanistan, and called on Tashkent to assist Kabul…
46 Afghan Refugees Killed in Iran in One Month
By 8AM Media
Sources in Afghanistan’s western Nimroz province told Hasht-e Subh on Monday, January 23, the bodies of 46 refugees were transferred to Afghanistan through the Silk…
INTERNATIONAL NEWS RELATING TO AFGHANISTAN
ICC under increasing pressure to suspend Afghanistan
By Kalika Mehta - Deutsche Welle
According to ICC Membership Criteria 2.2 (a)(i) countries must: "Have the appropriate status, structure, recognition, membership and competence to be…
EU and Central Asia Representatives meet to discuss Afghanistan
By Fidel Rahmati - Khaama Press
The envoys raised concerns over banning Afghan females from higher education and working with international communities and…
THE DAILY WTF
Uzbekistan comments on Taliban's statement about suspension of electricity supplies to Afghanistan
By AKI Press
The regulator emphasized that it had warned the energy company Da Afghanistan Breshna Sherkat (DABS) about this…
Afghani to the Dollar: $1 – 88.98 AFN (as of 24 JAN 2023)