LAST 24 HOURS
MORE SPECULATION RISES ABOUT US/TALIBAN COOPERATION – Reports that two Mi-17 helicopters were recently delivered to the Taliban at the Kabul airport by US intelligence agencies have rekindled suspicions of a suspected ‘secret’ Doha Deal. The aircraft were reportedly used by the CIA during the US occupation and were sent to the United Arab Emirates for maintenance before the Taliban took power. Apparently, the aircraft have been given to the General Directorate of Intelligence for use in counter-terrorism operations. Resistance forces have reported that the two aircraft are parked in the Western section of the airport and are sporting tail numbers 163 and 165 respectively. This information has not been confirmed but rumors that a meeting between US intelligence officials and the Taliban that supposedly took place earlier in the year has continued to fuel suspicions about potential cooperation.
A REPORT BY UNICEF SAYS THAT BOTH FEMALE AND MALE STUDENTS ARE MISSING OUT ON EDUCATION – The report concludes that 60% of girls and 46% of boys lack access to education currently. The report was timed to coincide with an announcement by Japan that it was investing $10 million to support emergency education measures. While much of the focus has been on the gender bans imposed on female students, it should also be noted that boys have also been affected by the implosion of the education system under the Taliban.
FORMER AFGHAN INTERPRETER MURDERED IN WASHINGTON DC BY CRIMINALS – Nasrat Ahmad Yar, 31 years old and a husband and father of four, was working as a driver for the rideshare company Lyft when he was reportedly shot and killed earlier this week in the US Capital. Police have video of four suspects fleeing the scene of the murder but have yet to make an arrest. A verified GoFundMe campaign has been set up to provide support for the family he left behind.
PAKISTAN’S FEDERAL INVESTIGATION AGENCY ARRESTS PTI PARTY LEADER WHO ATTEMPTED TO FLEE TO AFGHANISTAN THROUGH TORKHAM – Abdul Basit Chaudhry was reportedly attempting to leave Pakistan when FIA agents arrested him at the Torkham border crossing. Chaudhry was placed on the Exit Control List which bans him from leaving Pakistan. Apparently, he had several travel documents in his possession that suggested he intended to fly to Europe. Chaudhry was a leader in the former Prime Minister’s party for several years and may have opted to try the risky gambit to avoid prosecution for the 9 May riots or, to avoid testifying in scheduled hearings.
NEXT 24 HOURS
PAKISTAN MONSOONS – Further deaths were reported over the last twenty-four hours as rain and strong winds continued to lash the country. 14 people lost their lives to flooding over this period and many traveling by road have found themselves stranded as flooding and mudslides have disrupted transportation along many of the nation’s highways. The storm system is expected to taper off over the coming twenty-four hours but the risk of flooding will persist for the next few days.
REGIONAL ROUNDUP
IRAN
Albania pushed back against Iranian claims that it had transferred electronic devices it had confiscated when it raided the MEK opposition party compound earlier in the year.
ISIS militants reportedly attacked 2 checkpoints near IRGC compounds in Syria yesterday morning. No casualties were reported and it is not clear if the ISIS operatives were arrested.
Protests erupted again in Zahedan (Sistan & Baluchestan Province) on Friday despite a government crackdown on cellular communications and internet in the restive Province. Based on unverified photos, several thousand protestors took part in the demonstrations.
PAKISTAN
In a rare win for the embattled former Prime Minister, Imran Khan, the Supreme Court ruled that his arrest on 9 May was illegal. The court supported its decision by saying the arrest blocked his recourse to ‘judicial relief’.
Pakistani security forces already making plans to thwart possible terror attacks during the upcoming month of Muhurram-ul-Haram. New procedures will govern access to the many holy sites and safeguard the mourning processions during the observance.
SPOTLIGHT REFUGEES
“They Left Us Without Any Support”: Afghans in Pakistan Waiting for Solutions
By Devon Cone & Sabiha Khan - Refugees International
An estimated 600,000 Afghans have fled into Pakistan since the Taliban ascension to power in Afghanistan in 2021. At least 2.2 million unrecognized.1 Afghans now live in Pakistan without legal status or protection in the country, in addition to at least 1.32 million registered and recognized Afghan refugees, many of whom have been in the country for decades. A considerable portion of the recent arrivals are women and girls who fled targeted threats and a general stripping away of their rights in Afghanistan. The unregistered Afghans – unable to obtain legal status in Pakistan but unable to safely return to Afghanistan – present a growing but officially unacknowledged dimension of the Afghan refugee crisis. Meanwhile U.S. commitments made two years ago to resettle Afghans via P-1 and P-2 resettlement programs remain stalled due to Pakistan-U.S. policy disagreements – even as other countries have been successfully resettling some Afghans out of Pakistan. This paper outlines potential solutions to break the apparent impasse and begin taking measures to protect vulnerable Afghans in Pakistan.
AFGHAN NEWS
By Manoj Gupta - News 18
The Haqqani faction led by Sirajuddin Haqqani wants to remove Amir Khan Muttaqi, who is currently serving as acting foreign…
Over 500 Women Accused of Various Crimes Imprisoned: Officials
By TOLO News
“The women in the prisons have the right to have access to their families, lawyers and human rights organizations and the right to defend…
Women in Afghanistan are devastated by the Taliban’s ban on beauty salons
By Shirin Jaafari - The World
Tears rolled down Maliheh’s face this week as she took down the sign of her beauty salon in Farah province in southwestern…
REGIONAL NEWS
Recognition of IEA by neighbors ‘a good proposition’: Pakistan envoy
By Ariana News
Pakistan’s Special Representative for Afghanistan Asif Ali Durrani has said that simultaneous recognition of the government in Kabul by all the neighboring states is…
Iran and Afghanistan are feuding over the Helmand River. The water wars have no end in sight.
By Holly Dagres - The Atlantic Council
Water disputes between Iran and Afghanistan date back to as early as the…
INTERNATIONAL NEWS RELATING TO AFGHANISTAN
Accommodation provision for migrant communities, asylum seekers and refugees: messy and chaotic
By UK and EU
Housing for migrants, asylum seekers and refugees has always been a sensitive political issue and difficult to deliver in…
Chinese mining firm to invest $350 million in Afghanistan
By Ariana News
Fan China Afghan Mining Processing and Trading Company (FAMPTC) will invest $350 million over the next few months in various sectors including…
THE DAILY WTF
By Paul Sacca - The Blaze
Nasrat Ahmad Yar, 31, served as an interpreter for the U.S. Army Special Forces in Afghanistan for a…
NOTE : For those interested in supporting the family of Nasrat Ahmad Yar, we have verified this GoFundMe Campaign is legitimate and is collecting funds on behalf of the family. Be wary of donating to other campaigns attributed to him. Our hearts go out to this man’s family and friends. TAD Staff
Afghani to the Dollar: $1 – 86.22 AFN (as of 8 JUL 2023)