Daily Evacuation Brief | May 8, 2023

May 08, 2023

PAKISTAN’S DEFENCE CHIEF MEETS WITH TALIBAN FOREIGN MINISTER IN PAKISTAN – General Asim Munir, the Chief of Staff for Pakistan’s armed forces received Foreign Minister Muttaqi to discuss regional security matters between the two countries. A source in Pakistan said the meeting was not on the official agenda for the trip and may have been called without input from the Taliban’s Defense Minister, Mullah Yaqoob. The source said Muttaqi represented himself as a personal envoy of the Supreme Leader. If accurate, it could reinforce claims about the widening rift between Kandahar and Kabul. It was not immediately clear if any members of the delegation represented the Minister of Defense at the meeting(s).
TALIBAN VISIT TO PAKISTAN CONCLUDES – It is not immediately clear if any positive progress was made during the Trilateral consultation of Foreign Ministers or the subsequent meetings with institutions and/or organizations. Remarks made after the event were muted and included the continued exhortations to: 1) Form an inclusive government 2) Stamp out terrorism 3) Try to respect the rights of Afghan women. It had the appearance of a publicity stunt and is unlikely to elicit any serious pathway forward.
AFGHAN REFUGEES IN IRAN FACE A NEW PROBLEM – The Iranian regime stopped issuing a special ‘bank card’ that authorized Afghan refugees sheltering in the country to make purchases from local merchants. The program was halted months ago and many of the cards are expiring. Without the card, refugees are either denied services/goods from merchants or, are subjected to bribes from merchants to ‘overlook’ the discrepancy. The tactic is considered one of the many tools Tehran is using to deter illegal migration from Afghanistan and is expected to have a negative effect on nutrition for families. Some influential religious and political leaders have called for new cards to be issued while others are demanding the issue of illegals residing in the country be dealt with decisively.
INDIA DEALING WITH LARGE-SCALE ETHNIC VIOLENCE IN MANIPUR – Over 50 people were killed and 23,000 have fled the unrest in Manipur as tribally motivated violence erupted after a protest march last week. The Indian government has deployed thousands of troops to the area bordering Myanmar and has authorized the use of deadly force to quell violence. Curfews have been established and the internet was cut in many parts of Manipur. The crisis came about as many of the minority tribal groups in Manipur are critical of the government’s decision to grant the dominant tribe (Meitei) status as a ‘Scheduled Tribe’. Such a denotation gives members of the Meitei ethnic group elevated access to government jobs and admission to colleges. While Manipur has witnessed significant violence since the 1950s, things had mellowed somewhat over the last several years, aided by New Delhi’s increased engagement in the State.

NEXT 24 HOURS

TALIBAN OPERATIONS IN BAGHLAN LIKELY TO CONTINUE – After yesterday’s engagement with the National Resistance Front forces in Jangalak village (Khost District), search operations continued well into the night. The Taliban reputedly made several arrests and local eyewitnesses said the arrests were indiscriminate. As the fighting was intense, it is likely that additional Taliban forces have been sent to the area and searches of homes will continue. Further arrests are also a distinct possibility.

REGIONAL ROUNDUP

IRAN

An anti-regime hacking group broke into the Foreign Ministry’s servers and leaked data before digitally vandalizing the website. Documents, names/phone numbers of employees, and ID documents were among the files taken in the hack. The Ministry admitted the cyberattack took place but denied any documents were compromised.
IRGC Commander warns US Naval forces of interfering in Iran’s ‘operations’ in the Gulf.
A fourth Iranian Cleric was stabbed in Markazi Province on Saturday night by a young man who authorities say, was mentally unstable.

PAKISTAN

Protests took place in the Parachinar region of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Kurram district to protest the deaths of 8 people in separate instances last week. Protestors demanded justice for the killings and threatened further demonstrations if no action is taken.
A local cleric was beaten to death and then ceremonially ‘lynched’ for making blasphemous remarks during a PTI party rally on Saturday night in Sawaldher village. Police attempted to intercede but the crowd of thousands kept officers back.
A suspected TTP terrorist was arrested near the airport with explosives on Saturday night. Police say the man was attempting to gain entry, find a hiding spot, and planned to set off his device the next day.

SPOTLIGHT REFUGEES

Thousands of Afghans escaped the Taliban with the help of private veteran groups. Today, many remain in limbo, held in a compound in the UAE

By Haley Britzky - CNN

Consequently, thousands of Afghans evacuated by private groups were left in a legal limbo with seemingly no clear path to the US – or anywhere else. And though the effort to resettle them has picked up in recent months, refugees inside the compound known as Emirates Humanitarian City, or EHC, are restless after almost two years of waiting inside a camp they are barred from leaving.

AFGHAN NEWS

Students Call for Reopening of Girls' Schools, Universities

By Mitra Majeedy - TOLO News

"Instead of studying for the exam in universities; we are at home, and we are depressed about not taking the exams," said…

Taliban and NRF Engage in Fierce Battle in Baghlan Province: Casualties Reported on Both Sides

By 8AM Media

The clash began at 10:00 am on Sunday, May 7, in the village of Jangalak and is…

Taliban Court’s Verdict to Punish Citizens Violates Human Rights: AIHRC

By Nizamuddin Rezahi - Khaama Press

The commission has said that the Taliban’s treatment could be registered as a violation and a mass crime against human rights at the…

REGIONAL NEWS

IMF Denies Pakistan’s Claim of Meeting Loan Conditions

By Nizamuddin Rezahi - Khaama Press

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has reportedly negated the Pakistan government’s claim of meeting all the conditions to reach an…

Prayer leader lynched over blasphemy in KP’s Mardan

By Ahmad Shah Erfanyar - Pajhwok Afghan News

A crazed mob lynched a prayer leader at a political rally in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Mardan city over…

INTERNATIONAL NEWS RELATING TO AFGHANISTAN

McCaul and Meeks urge UN to ‘oppose male-only humanitarian aid implementation’

By AMU TV

US House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul and Ranking Member Gregory Meeks have called on the United Nations to take a stand against their male-only humanitarian aid implementation following the…