The Week of July 28- August 2
Security and Conflict
Un Report on Terrorist Organizations in Afghanistan – A new UN report warns that Afghanistan remains a key base for multiple terrorist groups under Taliban rule, posing significant regional and global threats. It identifies ISIS-K as the most serious danger, with around 2,000 fighters, active recruitment across Central Asia, and a suicide training course for minors. Al-Qaida operates in six provinces and maintains ambitions for global attacks, while TTP, with approximately 6,000 fighters, reportedly receives logistical support from the Taliban. Foreign fighters from groups such as the Turkistan Islamic Party and Jamaat Ansarullah are also active in Afghanistan, raising the risk of cross-border attacks across Central Asia. The full report may be accessed Here
Former NDS Soldier Killed – On Tuesday, Mohsen Rasouli, a former Afghan intelligence officer, was found dead in Ghor province, two days after his arrest by Taliban intelligence in Joi Surkh village. Previously detained twice, he had served a six-month sentence in 2024. Rasouli, an economics graduate from India, worked with the NDS until the fall of the republic. The Taliban have not commented on the circumstances of his death.
Tajikistan Report on Border Clashes – Tajikistan’s Drug Control Agency reported ten armed clashes in early 2025 between Tajik forces and Afghan drug traffickers, mainly near Afghanistan’s Badakhshan and Tajikistan’s Gorno-Badakhshan region. Agency head Samad Zafar stated that traffickers—sometimes armed with heavy weapons—attempted to cross into Tajik territory. The border remains a major route for drug trafficking into Central Asia, prompting calls for enhanced regional cooperation.
Human Rights and Civil Liberties
More Women Arrested in Kabul – On Monday, Taliban morality police in Kabul’s District 12 detained a group of young girls and transferred them to a security station. Sources reported that some were beaten during the incident. On Tuesday, several more girls were arrested in Dasht-e Barchi. The Taliban have not issued a statement.
Taliban Forcefully Evict Families in Bamiyan – On Monday, the Taliban forcibly displaced all 25 families from Rashk village in Punjab district, Bamiyan province, following a Taliban court ruling in a longstanding land dispute with Kuchi nomads. A Taliban delegation, accompanied by Kuchis, locked homes and removed residents’ belongings after a 15-day eviction deadline expired. The dispute, which dates back to the 1950s, has seen recurring tensions, including a 1973 abduction case. Residents rejected the ruling as biased. This reflects a broader pattern under Taliban rule, where legal decisions in Hazara-populated areas often favor Kuchis.
People’s Tribunal for Afghan Women Announced – On Thursday, four Afghan civil society groups (Rawadari, AHRDO, DROPS, HRD+) launched the “People’s Tribunal for Afghan Women” to seek justice for Taliban abuses. Scheduled for October in Madrid, the tribunal will present evidence of gender-based repression under Taliban rule. Four prosecutors are drafting charges with support from international experts. The initiative follows ICC arrest warrants for Taliban leaders over crimes against humanity. Organizers warned of growing international silence and criticized diplomatic engagement with the Taliban, emphasizing the urgent need for accountability.The related press release can be accessed Here
Official Detained for Leaking Information – Syed Ahmad Fazli, an adviser to Nangarhar’s provincial administration, was detained by Taliban intelligence for allegedly sharing official documents with media outlets critical of the government. After questioning, he was reportedly placed on a blacklist and barred from holding future official positions. The case highlights growing restrictions on transparency and media freedom under Taliban rule..
Floggings – On Tuesday, one woman was flogged in Daikundi. On Thursday, thirteen people were flogged in Kabul. On Sunday, seven people were flogged in Kabul and one in Kapisa.
Internal Politics
Taliban Create 30 New Districts – The Taliban have announced the creation of 30 new districts across various provinces, by decree of their leader. While officials praised the move as an achievement, it has sparked criticism over its legality and lack of transparency. In provinces like Nuristan and Sar-e-Pul, the decree has already triggered protests and internal clashes among Taliban factions over land control. Critics warn the changes may escalate ethnic tensions and local conflicts.
International Developments
SIGAR Releases Final Report – On Wednesday, SIGAR released its 68th and final report, concluding that the U.S. mission in Afghanistan failed to achieve its core goal of creating a free, stable, and democratic state—despite over $2 trillion in spending and the loss of 2,459 American lives. The report documented more than $24 billion in wasted or misused aid and warned that Taliban forces have seized U.S.-supplied military equipment, posing broader regional risks. It also highlighted Afghanistan’s deepening humanitarian crisis, including the severe repression of women, a collapsing justice system, and the country's inability to support 1.9 million returnees from Iran and Pakistan. While SIGAR noted a decline in anti-Taliban attacks, it reported that insurgent groups remain active. The report confirmed that the U.S. fully halted financial assistance to Afghanistan in 2025 and found the Taliban in violation of the Doha Agreement. It further noted that international aid suspensions have worsened conditions. SIGAR called for stronger oversight and increased support for Afghan civil society. The full report can be accessed Here
UNHCR Arranges Meeting in Kabul – On Monday, UNHCR’s Arafat Jamal announced a trilateral meeting in Kabul involving the UN, the Taliban, and Iran to address Afghan refugee issues. While the date of the meeting has not been announced, Iran has confirmed participation. The talks aim to address challenges facing returnees amid mass deportations and a deepening economic crisis. A separate donor meeting is also planned in Qatar to secure humanitarian aid.
Antonio Guterres to Visit Kazakhstan – On Sunday, UN Secretary-General António Guterres will visit Kazakhstan to attend the signing of a host country agreement for a new UN Regional Centre for the Sustainable Development Goals. The center is intended to support development efforts across Central Asia and Afghanistan. The ceremony, endorsed by the UN General Assembly, will include Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and senior UN and Kazakh officials. The center will coordinate regional initiatives focused on economic, social, and environmental development.
Freedom of the Press
Two Journalists Detained – Two Afghan journalists, Bashir Hatif and Shakib Ahmad Nazari, have been detained by the Taliban for over a week in Kabul. Both are reportedly being held by Taliban intelligence due to alleged ties to the Afghanistan Media Center, whose director, Abu Zar Sar-e-Puli, was also arrested. The Taliban accused Sar-e-Puli of “moral corruption” and links to foreign intelligence. These arrests are part of a broader crackdown on media, with multiple journalists detained across the country in recent weeks.
Several Books Banned – On Tuesday, Mullah Hibatullah ordered the removal of “deviant” books from educational and public institutions across Afghanistan. Works such as The Prophet by Khalil Gibran and Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari have been removed. Four ministries are coordinating the enforcement of the order.
Regional Developments
Registration for Qatar Employment Begins – Under a new agreement with Qatar, the Taliban plan to send Afghan workers abroad. On Tuesday, mass registration began nationwide, triggering large crowds despite only 2,000 visas being available. In Kabul, thousands attempted to register, causing delays. Intelligence officers monitored the process, enforcing strict bans on phone use and confiscating devices. Reports from provinces such as Khost, Paktia, and Logar cite suspensions due to corruption and favoritism.
Trade With Pakistan Increased – Pakistan’s exports to Afghanistan rose by over 38% in the 2024–2025 fiscal year, reaching $773 million between June and July—up from $558 million during the same period last year, according to Pakistan’s central bank. Imports from Afghanistan also more than doubled, increasing from $11 million to over $25 million, reflecting a significant rise in bilateral trade.
Pakistan Reduces Tariffs on Afghanistan– On Thursday, Pakistan’s federal cabinet approved tariff reductions on trade with Afghanistan under its “Early Harvest” program to enhance bilateral commerce. The plan, submitted by the Ministry of Commerce, aims to ease strained trade relations impacted by political tensions, insecurity, and frequent border closures.
Ghulam Khan Crossing Closed – On Friday, The Ghulam Khan border crossing was closed to passengers and medical patients, reportedly by Pakistani authorities to enforce visa rules, sparking concern among Afghan travelers. Neither side has officially commented, and it’s unclear if the crossing remains shut. Previously used with temporary passes, the closure’s impact on trade is also uncertain. Ghulam Khan is Afghanistan’s third most important border point with Pakistan.
Miscellaneous
Five Million Afghans Impacted By Weather Crisis – The International Organization for Migration reports that nearly five million people in Afghanistan were affected by climate-related disasters in early 2025, including drought, floods, extreme cold, and heavy snowfall. Between January and March, 175,000 people were displaced—79% due to environmental causes—and over 396,000 migrated internally or abroad. Rural communities are the hardest hit, facing shortages of safe water and healthcare, along with severe food insecurity.
UNICEF Report – UNICEF reports that at least 357 Afghan children died of measles in early 2025, with over 74,800 suspected cases—80% involving children under five. Other widespread illnesses include acute watery diarrhea and pneumonia. More than 3.5 million children are suffering from wasting, the most lethal form of malnutrition. The ongoing humanitarian crisis—exacerbated by mass deportations and underfunded aid programs—has left 22.9 million Afghans in need.
NEXT WEEK
In Afghanistan, the Taliban are expected to continue crackdowns and searches, particularly in minority areas of major cities such as Kabul. Ethnic and religious minorities, as well as women, are likely to be targeted. House-to-house searches and checkpoints are anticipated, especially in these neighborhoods. Ongoing repression of journalists is also expected, further restricting the flow of information and making it difficult to verify reports of abuse.
Afghans residing in Pakistan and Iran are advised to exercise caution amid rising deportations. In Pakistan, raids and deportations have surged over the past two weeks and are expected to continue. Searches have been reported in Quetta, Peshawar, and Islamabad and may expand to other cities. Deportations have decreased in Iran, though Afghans are still being targeted. All Afghans in third countries should ensure they maintain valid legal status and carry proper documentation at all times. Travel should be minimized, large gatherings avoided, and identification kept readily accessible. Even individuals with valid documents may face detention.
Afghans in Iran, Pakistan, and Tajikistan are urged to exercise caution amid ongoing and increasing deportations. Raids and deportations have significantly increased in Pakistan over the past two weeks, and will continue. Searches have been reported in Quetta, Peshawar and Islamabad and will spread to other cities. All Afghans in third countries should maintain valid legal status and carry appropriate documentation at all times. Travel should be minimized, large gatherings avoided, and identification kept readily accessible.Even those with valid documents may be detained.
Afghan returnees from Iran, Pakistan, and other countries should also proceed with extreme caution. Border crossings often involve biometric screening, which may be used to identify those who previously worked for the former Afghan republic or international forces. Despite Taliban claims of a general amnesty, some returnees—particularly those subject to personal vendettas—are being targeted. While many have no choice but to return, precautions are essential: phones should be wiped of anti-Taliban content, contact names changed, social media accounts locked, and discretion exercised when securing housing and planning movements.
In the United States, a broad travel ban affecting Afghans remains in place, though SIV cases are exempt from the ban. All Afghans—including Green Card holders—are strongly advised to avoid international travel at this time. More information on the travel ban can be found here
CARE is expected to close by September 30. SIV and immigrant visa cases not affected by the travel ban continue to be processed, but must now be handled at U.S. embassies or consulates in third countries. CARE flights have ended and will not resume. Applicants are responsible for all associated costs, including travel, medical exams, accommodation, and onward travel to the United States. They must also maintain valid legal status (i.e., a visa) in the host country. The U.S. Embassy in Dushanbe has significantly reduced appointment availability for non-Tajik nationals, resulting in extended delays in visa processing. SIV processing times may exceed the duration of Tajikistan visas. Those considering case transfers are strongly encouraged to research local visa timelines and cost-of-living conditions in advance.
REGIONAL ROUNDUP
IRAN
Afghan Student Charged with Propaganda Against Regime – Sara Gowhari, an Afghan sociology student at Tehran University, is being held in Iran’s Torbat-e Jam prison on charges of “propaganda against the regime.” She was arrested on July 5 after planning research on Afghan migrants near the Taybad border. Her case is currently under investigation in Taybad.
Deportations Continue – The number of Afghan nationals deported from Iran has declined significantly in recent weeks, dropping from a peak of 30,000–50,000 to as low as 7,000 per day, according to the Taliban’s migration commission. Although the overall pace has slowed, thousands continue to cross into western Afghanistan daily, many arriving with few possessions and reporting difficult conditions during their return.
PAKISTAN
Pakistan Begins Next Phase of Deportation – On Friday, Pakistan launched the next phase of its deportation campaign, targeting 1.4 million Afghan refugees holding expired Proof of Registration (PoR) cards. A late-night directive issued on July 31 instructed provincial authorities to begin removing Afghans whose PoR cards expired on June 30. The order authorizes District Administrations, police, prosecutors, jail authorities, and other agencies to arrest, detain (in jails or designated facilities), and deport those now considered illegal residents. Only Afghans with valid visas are permitted to remain in Pakistan.
Deportations – On Saturday, Pakistani police launched a large-scale arrest and deportation operation targeting Afghan refugees in Quetta’s Nawakli area. Videos show hundreds detained, including around 300 women, according to sources. Deportations of Afghans holding PoR and ACC cards have also begun in Peshawar and surrounding areas. In Torkham, video footage captured dozens being deported within an hour. The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government ordered the immediate evacuation of Afghans, with operations also underway in Balochistan.
Operation Against TTP in KP Border Areas – On Tuesday, Pakistan launched a major military operation in sixteen areas of Mamund Tehsil in Bajaur, a district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province bordering Afghanistan, following a reported influx of TTP fighters. The offensive, backed by helicopters and artillery, has so far resulted in the deaths of at least seven militants, three security personnel, and three civilians, with dozens more injured. Gunfire and explosions continue, prompting a local Grand Jirga of political and tribal leaders to call for restraint and the protection of civilians as tensions escalate. Key roads, including Laghari–Trakho, have been secured.
Authorities Arrest TTP Members Responsible for Attack on Chinese Engineers – On Monday, Pakistani officials announced that three TTP members, including the mastermind of the November 5, 2024, attack on Chinese engineers, were killed in a joint counter-terrorism operation in Karachi’s Manghopir area. The attack had injured two Chinese citizens.
Martial Law Declared in Waziristan – The Pakistani army has imposed martial law and a curfew in Bajaur and Waziristan, launching operations to seize illegal weapons. As of July 30, all shops, roads, and markets have been closed, and internet and mobile services have been cut. The air force is also involved, and civilians, including schoolchildren, are confined indoors. The military has conducted similar operations in other parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which have previously drawn strong public criticism.
Operation against TTP in Bannu – On Thursday, a joint security operation in Pakistan’s Bannu district targeting Pakistani Taliban affiliates resulted in the arrest of 17 suspects and the demolition of several hideouts. The operation involved aerial surveillance and anti-drone technology, with limited resistance encountered. Following its conclusion, a quadcopter drone attacked the Miryan police station, injuring seven personnel. Officials confirmed that all injuries were minor and that no fatalities occurred.
SPOTLIGHT ANALYSIS
Another Drought Year for Afghanistan… But prospects are not as bad as they could be
Kate Clark
Afghanistan is bracing itself for its fourth drought in five years. For many farmers and herders, the drought is catastrophic: spring rains failed and with them, rainfed wheat and pasture in the rangeland. Even so, agroclimate experts are forecasting a surprisingly positive picture for Afghanistan’s staple crop, wheat. Winter wheat has done well this year, despite below-average rain and snowfall, thanks to the mass distribution of drought-tolerant seed varieties, which has boosted the national harvest. Even so, the famine watchdog, the IPC, has projected that more than a fifth of the population will face crisis or emergency levels of food insecurity in the coming months largely because of non-agricultural factors – the fragile economy, cuts to aid and endemic poverty. AAN’s Kate Clark has been hearing from farmers and finding that those hit hard by the drought are acutely anxious not only about harvests and herds, but also the many other shocks assailing their communities – the forced return of compatriots from Pakistan and Iran, cuts to public sector jobs and the cessation of United States’ aid.
Climate scientists have long predicted that droughts would hit Afghanistan more severely and more frequently as the planet heated up, so it is no surprise that the country is suffering its fourth drought in five years. What is surprising is that the national wheat harvest, grown on 70 to 80 per cent of agricultural land and supplying more than 65 per cent of Afghans’ dietary energy, has done so well this year. Until recently, the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) told AAN, an average wheat harvest would have been 4.5 million metric tonnes and a good harvest 5 million tonnes. The estimate for the 2025 harvest is 5.36 million tonnes, a ‘good year’ by historical standards, and this, despite the below-average rain and snowfall. It is a result of the mass distribution of wheat seeds bred to be tolerant of drought and pests.
AFGHAN NEWS
Afghan Women Continue to Fight for Bodily Autonomy
Sahar Fetrat
Since July 16, the Taliban have arrested dozens of women and girls in Afghanistan’s capital, Kabul, for allegedly violating Taliban dress codes. The slew of arrests mark yet another continuation of the Taliban’s relentless attack on women’s autonomy, causing fear and intimidation for women and girls across Afghanistan.
The arrests deepen the Taliban’s enforcement of their outrageous August 2024 “vice and virtue” decree requiring women to completely cover their bodies, including their faces, in public at all times.
“There is no such a thing as bad hijab in Afghanistan at the moment,” Sara (not her real name) told me. “But no matter what levels of restrictions the Taliban create, women and girls will still go outdoors and add fashion and color to their hijabs. This seems to be the Taliban’s real problem.”
REGIONAL NEWS
Iranian president lands in Pakistan on two-day state visit
The International News
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian arrived at Lahore’s Allama Iqbal International Airport on Saturday for a two-day official visit to strengthen bilateral ties and regional cooperation.
The Iranian president — who was welcomed in Lahore by former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz — is accompanied by a high-level delegation, including senior ministers and other high-ranking officials.
The Iranian president, who is visiting Pakistan on the invitation of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, later arrived in the federal capital. Upon his arrival at the Nur Khan Air Base, the premier welcomed the visiting dignitary.
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Adam Yamaguchi, Anam Siddiq
Dewey Yopp, a retired U.S. Army Special Forces officer, was sent to Afghanistan in 2002 to train up a new Afghan army during the early days of the war in Afghanistan. He met Amir, his then-18-year-old Afghan translator, at the airport on his first day there, and says Amir went on to save his life four times.
"Amir dragged me, under fire, to a medevac point," Yopp told CBS News of one of those instances.
After the U.S. withdrew from the country in 2021, Yopp scrambled to get Amir a special immigrant visa for Afghan allies. Amir asked CBS News to conceal his real name for safety reasons.
Kishor Panthi
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) deemed 1,484 green card holders inadmissible at various U.S. ports of entry and airports over a five-month period during the Trump administration. This data was compiled by the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse (TRAC).
This enforcement action targeted lawful permanent residents, leading to various outcomes such as notices to appear in immigration court, parole into the U.S., voluntary withdrawal of green cards, and deportations.
In February, CBP stopped 337 green card holders. Of these, 212 were issued Notices to Appear (NTAs) for immigration court proceedings, and 97 were granted parole for temporary entry. Nineteen individuals voluntarily surrendered their green cards and returned to their home countries from the airport. Additionally, three were placed in expedited removal proceedings, and five were deported with their belongings.
Afghani to the Dollar: $1 – 68.64 AFN (As of August 2)