Daily Evacuation Brief | June 17, 2023
LAST 24 HOURS
RUMORS CIRCULATE, TTP MILITANTS HAVE BEEN MOVED TO TAKHAR – The popular news site, Hasht e Subh Daily has published a report that quotes local sources who say that 300 TTP fighters were moved from Eastern Afghanistan to the Khaja-Ghar district on or around 7 June. The group was then relocated to the Dasht-e Qala District and are said to be awaiting the arrival of their families. While this information is unconfirmed, the Taliban has said it planned to relocate refugees from the Durand Line region in Eastern Afghanistan to other Provinces in the country at the request of Pakistan. It is also worth noting that the Minister of the Interior, Sirajuddin Haqqani, had recently been in Takhar for meetings.
CYCLONE BIPARJOY WEAKENS, EMERGENCY IN COASTAL REGION LIFTED – The storm has been downgraded to a tropical depression and will still fuel precipitation but the high winds have died down and the loss of life is expected to be minimal. Those evacuated to safe zones will begin returning to their homes on 19 June.
CANADA PASSES BILL TO UNBLOCK AID IN AFGHANISTAN – The Senate passed the bill on Friday and it will allow NGOs to apply for exemptions to the terrorism laws that have barred the transfer of aid since the Taliban rose to power. The passage of the bill paves the way for humanitarian relief operations to resume in Afghanistan but there are still concerns over delivery of the aid with the gender bans in place.
BRITONS BEING HELD BY THE TALIBAN REACH 160TH DAY OF DETENTION – The British nationals who had been arrested and detained by agents of the General Directorate of Intelligence for possessing a firearm seem to be locked in limbo. While talks and discussions have been ongoing, no significant progress has been made despite promises by the Taliban to expedite their cases. At this point, it is thought that two to three Britons remain in custody. Kevin Cornwell, who was working for the United Nations, and one or two others who have not been identified.
NEXT 24 HOURS
NO THREATS REPORTED
REGIONAL ROUNDUP
IRAN
The US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, sought to dial down apprehension over a potential US/Iran nuclear deal and said that many of the reports generated over the subject are false or misleading.
Azerbaijan says it will halt issuing visas to Iranian citizens at the airport in Baku on 23 June and that visas now can only be applied for through the Azeri diplomatic mission or online.
The regime broadcast the confessions of two men accused of organizing protests on a Telegram channel and some say the confessions appear to have been ‘forced’.
PAKISTAN
A survey by The Nation newspaper found that milk and yogurt being sold in Rawalpindi were not fit for human consumption and may pose a risk of spreading disease.
Pakistan replenished its foreign reserves with a $1 billion dollar loan from China on Friday. The loan was actually part of a loan that Pakistan had repaid early in order to buoy its fiscal balance sheet. A pending loan of $300 million from China is expected to be granted in the coming weeks.
Police in Islamabad are searching for the secretary of former Prime Minister, Imran Khan. The secretary’s nephew reported him missing on Friday and the complaint filed claims he was abducted.
SPOTLIGHT ANALYSIS
Russian Roulette in Taliban-Held Afghanistan
By Shanthie Mariet D’Souza - The Diplomat
Russia found a rare strategic opportunity to regain its foothold in Afghanistan as the United States withdrew forces and the Taliban took power in August 2021. This opportunity has, however, been squandered as Moscow dedicates nearly all its military muscle and strategic thinking toward the war in Ukraine. Russia’s policy toward the Taliban and Afghanistan today is inconsistent, to say the least. It is divided between trying to protect Russia’s security concerns and at the same time trying to placate the Taliban, as part of the nascent China-led effort to fill the vacuum left by the withdrawal of the United States and NATO.
AFGHAN NEWS
UN Rapporteur Report Spotlights Islamic Emirate Edicts Regarding Women
By Banafsha Binesh - TOLO News
A report authored by the UN special rapporteur for Afghanistan Richard Bennett, and the Working Group on discrimination against women and girls, indicated "widespread and systematic discrimination to…
Over 90 people die of Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever in Afghanistan
By ANI
Over 90 people have died in Afghanistan due to Congo fever, also known as Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever…
Daesh in Afghanistan Gets 'External Support': Moscow
By Mitra Majeedy - TOLO News
The spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry said that Daesh in Afghanistan seeks to undermine security and stability in the country and…
REGIONAL NEWS
How Will I Feed My Family? Iranian Province Imposes New Job Restrictions On Afghan Migrants
By Freshta Negah - RFE
A May 9 order issued by the Chamber of Guilds in Fars to the heads of unions in the province said that members should "strictly" refrain from hiring foreigners as…
Taliban's central-bank governor meets Chinese envoy to discuss banking ties
By Charlotte Greenfield - Reuters
The Taliban's acting governor of the Afghan central bank met China's ambassador this week to discuss banking relations and business, the bank's…
INTERNATIONAL NEWS RELATING TO AFGHANISTAN
Kabulov's Remarks About Afghan Ambassador at Russian Embassy
By Fatema Adeeb - TOLO News
The Russian special envoy for Afghanistan, Zamir Kabulov, said that as long as the current Afghan officials are not recognized by the world, no ambassador can work in…
No talks yet on allowing Afghan refugees in PH —DFA, envoy
By Hana Bordey - GMA Integrated News
There are no formal negotiations yet between the Philippines and the United States on the latter’s request to temporarily house foreign nationals from…
THE DAILY WTF
Poet Haseeb Ahrari is latest victim of the Taliban’s unrelenting crackdown on civil society
By PEN International
On 1 June 2023, the Taliban reportedly arrested Haseeb Ahrari at his home in Kabul, just weeks after he returned from Iran, where he had been earning a…
Afghani to the Dollar: $1 – 85.80 AFN (as of 17 JUN 2023)