LAST 24 HOURS
TALIBAN BREAK-UP WOMEN’S PROTEST IN KABUL – Approximately 30 women activists held a protest in the Pol-e Sokhta neighborhood to denounce the Taliban’s ban on women’s education. The women held signs calling for education, work, and freedom. The march was forcefully dispersed by Taliban security forces and some injuries were reported after the event. 3 protestors were reportedly arrested during the protest and their whereabouts are currently unknown.
ISIS WEAPONS CACHE DISCOVERED IN JAWZJAN PROVINCE – A source within the Ministry of Defense said that intelligence gathered from recent counter-ISIS-K operations in Kabul had led them to an arms cache in Shiberghan (Sakhi Abad neighborhood), Jawzjan Province on Sunday. Security forces seized rifles, suicide vests, and bomb-making materials in the subsequent search of the facility. No arrests were reported and the source thought the ISIS-K members may have been alerted prior to the raid.
TAJIKISTAN DISAVOWS KNOWLEDGE OF REPORTED TALIBAN VISIT TO CONSULATE IN GORNO-BADAKHSHAN – The Taliban announced that it had sent an official team to visit the consulate of the former regime in Khorugh (Gorno-Badakhshan, Tajikistan) this past week. New reports say that Government officials in Dushanbe claim no such visit took place. Tajikistan has been the most critical of the Taliban out of Afghanistan’s neighboring states and has continually condemned the IEA since Kabul fell.
GRAZING RIGHTS CLASH IN FARYAB LEAVES 3 PEOPLE DEAD – In what has been reported as a family feud, 3 people were killed when gunfire erupted over an argument about grazing rights. The families were described as ‘nomads’ and were reputed to be cousins. 3 people are under arrest and an investigation by Dawlat-Abad District police has begun.
KHAN GOES ALL IN ON THE TALIBAN – The former Prime Minister held his rally at the Minar-e-Pakistan in Lahore yesterday. By most accounts, several thousand attended but an accurate figure has yet to be reported and photos/video of the event seem to show far less than the 100,000-plus event he was hoping for. He laid out his comprehensive plan for getting the country out of its current economic predicament. On Thursday, the former PM was interviewed by a British news channel and repeated his statements regarding the Taliban and urged the world to grant recognition as a path forward. Later in the interview, he appeared to backtrack on his words and said that Pakistan could not be the first country to recognize the Taliban for risk of joining the IEA at the pariah’s table. Some observers quipped that Khan may have been inadvertently seeking Taliban (and TTP) support by reiterating statements he made on the subject in February 2022.
AFGHANISTAN TRIUMPHS OVER PAKISTAN WITH ANOTHER WIN IN THE T20 SERIES – The Afghanistan Men’s Cricket team defeated Pakistan by 7 wickets on Sunday evening and swept the series. It is the first-ever T20 series win for Afghanistan in the heated rivalry.
NEXT 24 HOURS
FLOOD WARNINGS FOR NEXT 36 HOURS – The biggest threat over the next two days will be flooding in Central Afghanistan. Torrential rains have combined with snow-melt in the mountains to create extremely dangerous conditions. The Ministry of Energy and Water has issued flood warnings in 21 Provinces and is warning people to stay away from rivers if at all possible. At-risk Afghans considering travel over the next few days should cancel plans and wait until the waters recede.
T20 WIN A SORE SPOT FOR PAKISTAN – At-risk Afghans are encouraged to mute their celebrations of the recent T20 series win over Pakistan. Several fights were reported in cities across the country and while most of them involved internal disagreements between Pakistan fans, a few included Afghans. Overzealous fans could easily instigate mob-like activity and set off a xenophobic response.
REGIONAL ROUNDUP
IRAN
Iran’s Central Bank published an official inflation rate of 46.5%. Economists scoffed at the numbers and suggested it was closer to 70%.
Iranian-backed militias reportedly are reinforcing camps around Deir Ezzor and Al-Hasakah in response to recent US air strikes.
Several citizen groups in Britain are questioning the UK policy that provides visas to Iranian clerics. The groups say many are radical and openly support the regime.
PAKISTAN
Protestors in several locations within Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province blocked roads and raised several banners to protest continued power outages across the Province. Protestors also called for more wheat allowances during Ramadan.
The PTI rally held in Lahore took place without reports of violence. The former PM spoke from a bulletproof cubicle as threats had been made against his life.
Many in Pakistan are enraged over the latest Cricket loss to Afghanistan and are calling for the ouster of the coach and his staff.
SPOTLIGHT ANALYSIS
The Taliban’s Loss of Popular Support in Afghanistan
By Zafar Iqbal Yousafzai - Modern Diplomacy
Afghanistan is currently facing an unprecedented crisis due to the Taliban’s takeover of the country in August 2021. Despite initially claiming to have widespread support from the Afghan population, reports from within the country now suggest that the Taliban’s grip on power is increasingly fragile. The Taliban’s regime has been marked by egregious human rights violations, economic hardship, lack of inclusivity, international isolation, and brutal tactics during the war, all of which have contributed to their diminishing popularity. The people of Afghanistan continue to suffer under the oppressive rule of the Taliban, and urgent action is needed to address the humanitarian crisis and restore stability to the region.
AFGHAN NEWS
Taliban Disrupt Women’s Protest of Education Ban
By Ayaz Gul - VOA
A small group of female activists staged a protest rally in the Afghan capital, Kabul, Sunday, demanding that Taliban authorities reopen schools…
Ministry of Energy and Water warns of possible flash floods across the country
By Ariana News
According to the ministry, 21 provinces face the possibility of floods – especially central provinces, over the next two…
Security Forces Discover ISIS Weaponry, Mine-making Center in Northern Afghanistan
By Fidel Rahmati - Khaama Press
According to the provincial police chief of Jawzjan province, the Afghan security forces found massive weapons depot and mine-making facility of Deash or…
REGIONAL NEWS
Imran Khan presents roadmap to resolve Pakistan's economic crisis
By ANI
Former Pakistan Prime Minister and Pakistan Tehreeek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan on Saturday presented his party’s roadmap to…
Islamabad Calls on Kabul to Take Action Against 'Terrorist Entities'
By TOLO News
Pakistan Foreign Ministry’s spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch called on the Afghan interim government to take steps against “terrorist entities and to ensure that they do not…
INTERNATIONAL NEWS RELATING TO AFGHANISTAN
Afghan woman who spoke out against Taliban left fearing for her life after Home Office denies visa
By The Morning Star
AN Afghan woman who spoke out against the Taliban has been left fearing for her life after the Home Office denied her a new visa and…
Islamic Emirate Calls for Removal of Members From UN Blacklist
By Fatima Adib - TOLO News
The Islamic Emirate urged the United Nations to remove the names of its members from the blacklist, saying that instead of pressure, the international community should…
THE DAILY WTF
By Fidel Rahmati - Khaama Press
Imran Khan, the former Prime Minister of Pakistan, said that the Taliban would not respect human rights, including women’s rights to…
“The chicken or the egg?” TAD Staff
Afghani to the Dollar: $1 – 86.74 AFN (as of 27 MAR 2023)