LAST 24 HOURS
AFGHAN REFUGEE PROTEST MARCH PLANNED IN 4 PAKISTAN CITIES SUNDAY – A coordinated call for Afghan refugees in Pakistan to join the ‘Aurat March’ in four major cities on Sunday (29 October) to protest the deportation edict. The group intends to host marches at 1530hrs local time in Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore, and Multan. Refugees are being told to gather outside of the Press Clubs in each respective location. A source in Islamabad said that security forces had been informed about the planned protests and said that no permits had been issued to the organizers and that they may be treated as illegal gatherings. At least four major international news organizations TAD contacted said they had already arranged for coverage of the events. Some international NGOs said they intended to allow their volunteers to march with the Afghans but could not officially support the protests as it would damage their operations within the country.
ISIS-K THREATENS ATTACKS IN CHINA – In a recently released video on ISIS-K’s website, the terror group threatened to “Flood (China’s) Streets with Blood”. While China has made it abundantly clear it has concerns about elements of the Eastern Turkistan Islamic Movement (ETIM) gathering strength and recruiting in Afghanistan, ISIS-K has remained off the radar for the most part. It was not clear what prompted the recent threat against China and some observers feel the terror group is warning China against further cooperation with the Taliban. A source in Kabul said that Taliban security personnel had reported multiple incidents of surveillance by ISIS-K during the installation of security camera systems around the country.
TALIBAN DEMAND SEAT AT THE UNITED NATIONS – The Islamic Emirate spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, implored the UN to hand over its seat to the Taliban on the UN’s International Day. Mujahid said that withholding the seat is an ‘injustice’ to the people of Afghanistan. It is not clear what will be done with the seat but few believe the Taliban will be allowed to take the seat with the current domestic policies in place and the fact that it is an imposed government and does not enjoy the full support of the citizens of Afghanistan.
IRAN POSITIONING TO FOLLOW PAKISTAN’S LEAD AND MAY BEGIN DEPORTING AFGHAN REFUGEES – On Wednesday, the Iranian Interior Minister, Ahmad Vahidi, slammed the Taliban for failing to stem the flood of refugees headed to Iran. During a respite from a cabinet meeting, Vahidi spoke to several reporters and said that all undocumented Afghans needed to be expelled from Iran. He then went on to caution against vilifying Afghans currently in Iran. The Afghan refugee situation in Iran is confusing as throughout 2023, the hardline press has steadily called for greater government intervention to stop the influx of refugees. Then, at the end of September 2022, a bizarre amnesty plan was discussed in the National Security and Foreign Policy Committee of the parliament to grant Iranian citizenship to all legal Afghan immigrants currently in the country. Once the amnesty plan was made public in the summer of 2023, there was an immediate uptick in xenophobic press articles about Afghans. On Sunday, parliament ordered the Interior Ministry to set up a National Immigration Organization to begin tracking data for both legal and undocumented Afghans in Iran. The steps Iran is currently taking are eerily familiar to those enacted by Pakistan in recent months.
ANOTHER 4.3 EARTHQUAKE REPORTED IN AFGHANISTAN – The latest quake’s location has yet to be ascertained but it occurred in the early morning hours on Thursday and struck at a depth of 150km. There have been no reports of damage or casualties as of publication.
NEXT 24 HOURS
NO THREATS REPORTED
REGIONAL ROUNDUP
IRAN
The US is reportedly considering strikes against Iranian-backed militia elements in Syria after the attacks made against US military positions in the region over the previous week.
Iran faces a shortfall in petroleum revenue and admitted it had achieved only 70% of its projected profits over the past 7 months. The shortfalls are expected to upend the national budget of $40bn and may force the regime to make difficult choices in the months ahead.
A Wall Street Journal article claims that sources indicated both Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad had sent 500 fighters to Iran for specialized combat training in September 2023. It is not clear if those who attended this training participated in the attacks on Israel.
PAKISTAN
Pakistan’s troubled national airline announced it had canceled over 300 flights in the past seven days due to a lack of funds to pay for fuel. Some say that without government intervention, the airline could fail in 2024.
The President quashed the idea that elections would take place in January during an interview with GEO News. The announcement stoked fears that elections would again be delayed.
Popular online payment companies PayPal and Stripe say they will commence operations in Pakistan in about six weeks. Pakistanis were excited to hear the news as many see PayPal as a means to hold multiple currencies.
SPOTLIGHT ANALYSIS
The Taliban’s Quest for Foreign Funding Starts With China
By Aarish U. Khan - The Diplomat
While the West is adamant about isolating the Taliban regime in Afghanistan, owing to its human rights record, the latter is having some success in finding alternative avenues of economic cooperation. The most promising support seems to be coming from China.
AFGHAN NEWS
Earthquake victims in Herat complain of slow aid delivery
By Ariana News
Devastated by the recent earthquakes in Herat province, some families have complained that aid is being delivered slowly and distributed…
Taliban Gun Down Four Youths in Kabul Streets
By Hasht-E Subh
Witnesses confirm that a verbal altercation at a Taliban checkpoint escalated, leading to the tragic deaths of four…
Kabul Once Again Calls For Release of Foreign Afghan Assets
By Bibi Amina Hakimi - TOLO News
Hidayatullah Badri, the acting head of the Afghan Central Bank, in a meeting with Feridun Sinirlioğlu, special coordinator of the…
REGIONAL NEWS
Illegal Afghan immigrants should immediately leave Iran, interior minister says
By Tehran Times
Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi on Wednesday criticized the Taliban for their lack of concern for the issue that has been brought upon Iran with the flood of refugees, stating that undocumented immigrants from…
Pakistani politician criticizes Afghan refugees’ expulsion decision
By AMU TV
A senior politician from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Afrasiab Khatak, has slammed his government’s decision to expel over 1.7 million unregistered refugees from…
INTERNATIONAL NEWS RELATING TO AFGHANISTAN
2,000 Afghan refugees to be transferred to the UK via chartered flights
By Fidel Rahmati - Khaama Press
Pakistan’s media outlets reported that officials from the UK’s Home Office engaged in discussions with Pakistani aviation authorities in Karachi concerning…
Canada Admits Nearly 40,000 Afghans, Willing to Take More
By Akmal Dawi - VOA
Canada is on the brink of fulfilling its commitment to accept 40,000 Afghans before the end of this…
THE DAILY WTF
Taliban Tout Islamic Rule, Claim 'General Amnesty' Reunited Afghans
By Ayaz Gul - VOA
The Taliban are pushing back against persistent global criticism of their Islamic governance in Afghanistan, claiming their supreme leader's decrees, including a general amnesty, have promoted national…
“Buffoons.” TAD Staff
Afghani to the Dollar: $1 – 74.65 AFN (as of 26 OCT 2023)