Daily Evacuation Brief | September 3, 2023

Sep 03, 2023

4,000 PROSPECTIVE MEDICAL STUDENTS TAKE THE FINAL EXAM, ZERO WOMEN – As Afghanistan struggles with a ‘brain-drain’ of health care professionals, Universities are pushing to add more doctors into the ranks of the nation’s health care system. However, only men are allowed to compete for the positions. The head of the Afghanistan Medical Council said that it did not have a procedure that would allow women to take the exam and that a recommendation had been submitted to the supreme leader but was still not approved. Few believe the hard-liner Akundhzada intends to reverse the self-defeating policies regarding women’s roles in Afghan society.
PAKISTAN ISSUES NEW AIR TRAFFIC POLICIES FOR FLIGHTS FROM AFGHANISTAN – Pakistan’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) announced new rules for flights originating in Afghanistan on Saturday. The new directives will mandate all flights from Afghanistan that wish to enter Pakistan’s airspace must provide at least 15 minutes advance notification. Pakistan’s CAA works closely with Tajikistan’s aviation agency to monitor flights in the region. A source in Islamabad said that no direct threat had been reported to have necessitated the change and opined that it was likely meant to alleviate congestion and confusion for air traffic controllers.
AFTER RECENT TERROR INCIDENTS ALONG THE BORDER, PAKISTAN AGAIN CALLS ON THE TALIBAN TO TAKE ACTION – Pakistan said it had communicated to the Taliban that they must police the TTP on its side of the border. Officials at the Foreign Ministry invoked the tripartite agreement between Pakistan, Afghanistan, and China to drive the point home to Taliban officials. Reports from Pakistan indicated that the Taliban had recently detained as many as 6 TTP suspects. The Taliban subsequently rejected these claims and the Foreign Ministry felt the regime needed to be reminded of their obligations under the trilateral agreement.
6 PEOPLE ARRESTED IN MAZAR-I-SHARIF FOR PLAYING MUSIC – The Ministry of Vice and Virtue announced it had arrested 6 people for reportedly playing music during a circumcision ceremony on Friday night. The 6 unidentified men were apparently still in Taliban detention facilities as of publication.

NEXT 24 HOURS

ANOTHER ROUND OF MONSOON RAINFALL IS EXPECTED TODAY – Heavy rainfall is expected in the mountains and the National Meteorological Department says that the precipitation is expected to last until 6 September. There are warnings that flooding near rivers should be expected.
JOINT POLICE/MILITARY OPERATION TO START IN SINDH PROVINCE – A large-scale anti-crime operation that will involve thousands of police and military personnel is underway in Sindh. Security forces are said to be cracking down on street criminals and narcotics traffickers. Jammers will be used to halt cellular communications while the operation is underway. Authorities have not released information about the duration of the operation. At-risk Afghans in Karachi and elsewhere in the Province can expect to see an increased presence of security personnel on the streets and are likely to experience communication outages.

REGIONAL ROUNDUP

IRAN

Organizers of the Nobel Peace Prize have rescinded invitations to Russia, Belarus, and Iran after a massive backlash by nation-states and major political parties in Sweden after hearing the countries had been invited.
IRGC maritime forces announced they had seized a ship that was smuggling fuel in the Persian Gulf. No details about the ship or the 4 people who are being held have been released.
The Ministry of Labor has revoked licenses for female beauticians and beauty salons as part of a hard-line policy to prosecute those sectors of society the regime calls ‘un-Islamic’.

PAKISTAN

Security forces disarmed an IED that had been placed on a railroad track in the Sehrish Nagar area of Qasimabad on Saturday. Locals reported two masked men who were seen planting the device to police. Arrests have not yet been made.
Former PM Khan says he is willing to talk to the nation about elections. His lawyers made the announcement on X after conferring with their client. The bail case in the Cipher case was postponed until 4 September.
Shopkeepers closed their shops on Saturday in protest of high inflation and the recent increases in electricity prices. Business owners say they are unable to remain open if relief is not granted. The closings primarily affected Lahore, Karachi, and Peshawar.
Counter-terrorism officers arrested 5 female members suspected of colluding with ISIS-K in Lahore on Saturday.

SPOTLIGHT ANALYSIS

ISIS in Afghanistan exists, but the threat is overestimated

By Georgi Asatrian - Modern Diplomacy

After a serious study, the UN Security Council management institutes issued a report concerning the activities of the Islamic State-Khorasan, a unit of an international terrorist organization in Afghanistan. The UNSC stated that the group is still a significant danger to the stability of the country and the Central Asia region. Despite the solid research, these conclusions seem exaggerated and alarmistic. In particular, the statistical data and the organization’s size proposed by the UN Security Council are in question. However, it is difficult to overestimate the value and importance of this report and the activities of the main UN institute. The most important thing for today is not to bypass the situation in Afghanistan and to push a diplomatic influence on the Taliban movement and its sponsors.

AFGHAN NEWS

Central bank chief Badri wounded in traffic accident

By Kakar - Pajhwok Afghan News

The central bank chief, on an official visit to Herat province, was injured after his car flipped over on the…

OIC Delegation Visits Kabul to Share Members' Concerns

By Mitra Majeedy - TOLO News

A delegation of scholars and thinkers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has come to Kabul, with the aim of sharing the concerns of the…

Congo Virus: 949 persons tested positive, 96 died in past 8-month

By Vida Qalandari - Pajhwok Afghan News

Dr. Fakhruddin, head of the Zoonosis Diseased Department at the Ministry of Public Health, told Pajhwok Afghan News 949 people infected with…

REGIONAL NEWS

Tajik authorities say they reopened a market on the border with Afghanistan.

Tajikistan Resumes Border Relations With Afghanistan In A Sign Of Thawing Tensions

By RFE

The administration of Tajikistan's Gorno-Badakhshan region on September 2 said border cooperation with Afghanistan has resumed in several districts on the…

3 Pakistani soldiers, 2 militants killed in separate raids along the Afghan border

By The New Arab

Two soldiers and one militant were killed in a shootout during an overnight military operation against militant activity in the…

INTERNATIONAL NEWS RELATING TO AFGHANISTAN

EU and UAE ambassadors discuss Afghanistan situation in Brussels

By Fidel Rahmati - Khaama Press

Niklasson emphasized the “importance of education opportunities, economic prospects, and participatory governance in Afghanistan” during the meeting, said…