Daily Evacuation Brief | March 20, 2023
LAST 24 HOURS
NEW DECREES FOCUSED ON COUNTERING CORRUPTION AND NEPOTISM IN REGIME – The Supreme Leader, Hibatullah Akhundzada, issued several orders to quell charges of corruption and nepotism in the regime. The issues had been raised by religious leaders in several of the Loya Jirgas over the past months. The first decree prohibits nepotism within the regime and orders those who were hired by a relative to a government position, to be removed immediately. The second decree bars Taliban officials from directly/indirectly bidding on government contracts. Those who are currently profiting from business dealings with the regime are ordered to divest their interests immediately.
TALIBAN OFFICIAL MURDERED IN JAWZJAN PROVINCE – The Taliban’s Director of Hajj and Religion in the Aqcha District was set upon by a group of unidentified knife-wielding men and killed in the Kharabat area of the District. Several online sources reported the information and it is not clear what motivated the attack.
UN COMMISSION ON THE STATUS OF WOMEN STATEMENT CONDEMNS TALIBAN STANCE ON WOMEN’S RIGHTS – The European Union and over seventy countries signed a document condemning the ban on education for women and say it will contribute to more gender-based violence and child marriages. The statement went on to say the ban on women working on humanitarian projects could cost lives and will hurt the stability of the country. Albania authored the statement. China, Russia, Iran, and others refused to sign the document.
SOME CONCERNED TALIBAN ARE USING ISIS-K SECURITY OPERATIONS AS COVER FOR ACTIONS AGAINST NON-TERROR GROUPS – Several Resistance groups have called into question the recent security operation in Balkh Province and are saying those the Taliban targeted were not members of ISIS. Such accusations have been voiced before, but seem to be ramping up in 2023. Throughout 2022, isolated killings and/or the massacres of civilians in Panjshir and other Northern Provinces were attributed to vendettas and (in the Taliban’s view) counter-insurgency operations. If these suspicions prove to be credible, it would be a troubling development in an already messy situation. Sources in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs claim the fault lies with the international community for praising the Taliban’s counter-ISIS stance. They say it has incentivized the regime to falsely label any action taken against group(s) as counter-terrorism operations.
SEVERAL MEN ARRESTED IN JAWZJAN PROVINCE, TALIBAN CLAIM THEY ARE ISIS-K, OTHERS SAY THEY ARE NOT – Perhaps reinforcing concerns over labeling anyone opposed to the regime as either an ISIS-K or NRF member, photos of 7 men have been circulating widely on pro-Taliban social media accounts which claim to depict the arrest of several ISIS-K members in Jawzjan Province. Many in the analyst community were quick to point out that those in the photos were actually members of the banned Hizb ut-Tahrir sect.
NEXT 24 HOURS
PAKISTAN RALLY POSTPONED UNTIL WEDNESDAY – Former Prime Minister Imran Khan announced that a planned rally for Sunday would be moved to Wednesday and would take place at the Minar-i-Pakistan venue. The location is symbolic as it is where he first launched his campaigns in 2013. The mass arrests of PTI party members over the last three weeks are expected to take center stage at the rally as well as condemnation for the treatment Khan and his family have received. The former Prime Minister says the rally will be used as a referendum on the state of the country. Tensions remain high between Khan’s supporters and police in many cities and violence could erupt at any time.
REGIONAL ROUNDUP
IRAN
The regime signed an accord with Iraq to strengthen border security between the two countries. The agreement is troubling for the Kurdish minority in both countries’ border regions.
The King of Saudi Arabia invited the Iranian President for an official visit. The visit will be the first in several years and has many Western analysts concerned.
The country celebrates the New Year today. Security forces have been placed on alert as an unconfirmed report of a reprisal attack by ISIS has been received. No specific target was mentioned.
PAKISTAN
The PTI opposition party has lodged several official complaints over Police conduct in the raid on former PM Khan’s residence in Lahore.
Police filed additional charges against the former PM, including accusations of terrorism.
Security forces announced they had killed 3 more terrorists in an ongoing counter-terrorism operation in Awaran.
SPOTLIGHT OPINION
Afghan women deserve a Nobel Peace Prize
By Hujjatullah Zia - Al Jazeera
Over the past few weeks, there has been a vivid debate among Afghans on which prominent individual from among our women compatriots deserves a Nobel Peace Prize. Some have suggested women who held official positions before the Taliban takeover of Kabul in 2021. Others have supported women’s rights activists in exile.
AFGHAN NEWS
IEA’s supreme leader orders officials to sack sons from public offices
By Ariana News
The Administrative Office of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan issued the decree attributed to Akhundzada, stating that sons of IEA officials…
Daesh Suppressed in Afghanistan: Muttaqi
By Nazir Shinwari - TOLO News
Acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi in an interview with RTA said Daesh has been suppressed and eliminated in…
Islamic Emirate officials debarred from participating in tenders
By Noorullah Zazai - Pajhwok Afghan News
In yet another decree, Islamic Emirate supreme leader Maulvi Haibatullah Akhunzada has debarred government officials from…
REGIONAL NEWS
Imran Khan to Stage PTI Power Show at Minar-i-Pakistan Next Week
By Nizamuddin Rezahi - Khaama Press
While addressing the nation, Imran Khan on Sunday said that the party would stage a power show at Minar-i-Pakistan — the same venue where he launched…
Protests in Iran and regime's crackdown cast shadow on this year's Nowruz
By CBC
Monday marks the Persian New Year called Nowruz, the first since anti-regime protests swept across Iran following the…
INTERNATIONAL NEWS RELATING TO AFGHANISTAN
By Patrick Burke - Inside The Games
International Olympic Committee (IOC) Athletes' Commission member Masomah Ali Zada has warned here the country could be banned from next year's…
Exiled politicians put forward draft plan ‘to save Afghanistan’
By AMU TV
The National Resistance Council for the Salvation of Afghanistan made suggestions in an online meeting on Sunday as part of a plan to save the country and…
THE DAILY WTF
Journalists wounded in Balkh blast call for help
By Ariana News
“Unfortunately, other institutions did not act in this regard and didn’t even send a message to heal the pain of journalists,” said Sajjad Musavi, a…
Afghani to the Dollar: $1 – 87.45 AFN (as of 20 MAR 2023)