LAST 24 HOURS
UNHCR PAKISTAN SAYS AFGHANS WITH RECOGNIZED STATUS FROM THEIR ORGANIZATION WILL BE EXEMPTED FROM DEPORTATION – A document attributed to the Pakistan Foreign Ministry appears to support claims made by UNHCR Pakistan personnel that all Afghans who possess POR and ACC cards would be exempted from the current deportation operation. It is not clear how many Afghans who had been accepted into the UN system were deported. There are concerns that the new policy may have been issued too late and that many thousands have already been pushed back across the border. The news has been welcomed by many Afghans in Pakistan who have been concerned their status would be overlooked by authorities.
WHAT TO MAKE OF THE IRAN/TALIBAN CLAIMS ABOUT ‘ISRAELI SPIES’ THEY SAY THEY CAPTURED – Iranian news outlets announced that a joint operation between Iran and the Taliban had resulted in the capture of 3 Iranians who are accused of working for Israeli intelligence. The operation reportedly took place in the mountains along the border region between the two countries. Iran said the 3 were planning to launch multiple drone attacks against Iranian targets in order to sow discontent and chaos. Many observers are unconvinced that the reputed Israeli agents had any ties to the Jewish state and believe it may be a case of maskirovka on the part of both the Taliban and Iran. The news was released after a delegation of Taliban officials arrived in Tehran and long-time analysts seem to believe the timing was a little too ‘convenient’ for such an operation. The unidentified men are said to be awaiting transport to Tehran for interrogation.
TOP TALIBAN DIPLOMAT IN ISLAMABAD EXPRESSES DISCONTENT WITH UNHCR OPERATIONS IN PUNJAB – The Taliban’s Charge d’Affiares in Islamabad made several disparaging remarks about the UNHCR Pakistan’s office in Punjab and its treatment of Afghan refugees. After touring the offices, Mawlavi Sardar Ahmad Shakib said that the staffing and office hours were ineffective in dealing with the size and scope of the refugee problem. In his estimation, he said that the office had only recently expanded its work week from 3 to 4 days and that only 4 to 5 UNHCR staff members were available to handle a large case backlog. He went on to say the limitations only allowed for the successful processing of between 10-15 families per day. Similar accusations have been made by Afghans who have visited other UNHCR offices in Pakistan and many international volunteers who are working on Afghan cases have continued to express discontent over the inability to reach UNHCR staff to make appointments and/or answer questions about cases. Recent allegations have cast doubt on the efficacy of the NGO (SHARP) used by UNHCR in Pakistan to screen initial cases and there have been rumors that bribes are frequently requested from the NGO’s staff in order to schedule appointments. It is not clear if these accusations and rumors are accurate. UNHCR’s agreement with the Government of Pakistan is different from most other locations around the world and it often has difficulty implementing programs due to the operational constraints levied upon its mission by Islamabad.
TAJIK TALIBAN COMMANDER EXPRESSES SUPPORT FOR TTP AND ENCOURAGES THE GROUP TO SUPPLANT THE PAKISTAN GOVERNMENT – Hamid Khurasani, the infamous Tajik Taliban Commander released a video where he praised the efforts of the TTP in their fight against the Pakistani government and expressed his hopes that they would one day raise the flag of the Taliban in Islamabad.
NEXT 24 HOURS
PAKISTAN DEPORTATION OPERATIONS TO CONTINUE - NO CHANGE TO THREAT LEVEL
REGIONAL ROUNDUP
IRAN
The spokesman for a teachers association in Iran who protested against the poisoning of school girls in Iran is facing a trial. Mohammad Habibi was accused of working for ‘foreign governments’ and could face significant prison time if convicted.
Two US Senators are preparing a bill that would authorize strikes against Iran should it be found to have widened the conflict in the region. The two have formed a bi-partisan partnership to work on the legislation.
Five German Universities stand accused of having ties to an Iranian institution that is headed by a former member of the IRGC. An anti-nuclear proliferation group in Germany uncovered the links to the University of Religions and Denominations in Iran and have called on the German schools to explain the ties.
PAKISTAN
Ismail Haniyeh, the head of HAMAS addressed a Pakistani demonstration by the Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) party over the situation in Gaza and declared that the dream of a ‘greater Israel’ had been shattered by his group.
A cop-killer who is thought to have killed 5 police officers was arrested in the Ghotki District yesterday and is expected to face trial soon.
Tech investors say that the forthcoming introduction of both PayPal and Stripe payment processing systems in Pakistan will ‘revolutionize’ the tech and IT industries.
SPOTLIGHT OPINION
Why No One Cared About the War in Afghanistan Until We Lost (AUDIO)
By The Daily Beast
“There’s no graceful way to lose a war after 20 years,” Lagoze tells The New Abnormal’s Andy Levy. “There’s no graceful way to lose a war but I feel like the thing that most Americans were upset about was the optics and how it looked. Because no one gave a shit about the war for 20 years. It’s the longest war in American history and nobody cared about it until we pulled out.”
AFGHAN NEWS
Afghan returnees from Pakistan concerned about shelter, food and employment
By Bais Hayat - AMU TV
In a country grappling with an ongoing economic crisis, these returnees find themselves uncertain about the prospects that lie…
Taliban poppy ban costing Afghan farmers $1.5 billion
By AP
Afghan farmers have lost income of more than US$1 billion ($1.54 billion) from opium sales after the Taliban outlawed poppy cultivation, according to a new report from the…
Islamic Emirate Allocates 2 Billion Afs for Returnees
By Bibi Amina Hakimi - TOLO News
The officials of the Islamic Emirate emphasized that this fund was allocated for the purpose of providing shelter, food items and providing medical service to…
REGIONAL NEWS
‘Israeli Spies’ Held in Joint Op With Afghanistan: Iran
By The Defense Post
State television in Iran reported on Sunday that three Iranians it said were agents in Israel’s spy agency Mossad have been detained in a joint operation with…
Taliban delegation engages in talks with Iranian foreign minister
By AMU TV
Abdul Ghani Baradar, the Taliban’s deputy chief minister for economic affairs, held discussions with Iranian Foreign Minister Amir Hossein Abdollahian on Sunday afternoon, addressing a range of…
INTERNATIONAL NEWS RELATING TO AFGHANISTAN
South Korea donates one million Dollars to Afghanistan
By Fidel Rahmati - Khaama Press
On Sunday, the United Nations’ Humanitarian Coordination Office (OCHA) shared on social media that South Korea has donated one million dollars to…
THE DAILY WTF
Several Pakistani policemen dismissed for sympathizing with Afghan refugees
By Ariana News
A number of Pakistani policemen have been dismissed following the posting of a video on social media, which went viral, where they could be…
“These policemen > Bugti and the caretaker regime.” TAD Staff
Afghani to the Dollar: $1 – 73.42 AFN (as of 5 NOV 2023)