ISLAMABAD: The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) has documented the killing of 14 former Afghan government forces in the final three months of 2025, according to its latest human rights report released on Sunday.
The report details alarming patterns of violence against former officials and security personnel despite the Taliban's announced "general amnesty" for members of the previous government.
Between October and December 2025, UNAMA recorded 28 cases of arbitrary arrest and detention, along with at least seven instances of torture and ill-treatment targeting former government personnel.
According to UNAMA, some of those targeted had recently returned to Afghanistan from Iran and Pakistan. The UN mission urged the de facto authorities to take concrete steps to protect their lives and rights.
The report also highlighted broader human rights concerns, including severe restrictions on women's work and movement, executions and floggings, and disruptions to internet and telecommunications services.
President Zardari warns of pre-9/11 conditions in Afghanistan
The findings come amid growing regional and international concern over the situation in Afghanistan under Taliban rule.
In a statement released Sunday, Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari issued a stark warning that conditions in Afghanistan under Taliban rule have become similar to or worse than the period before the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.
He criticized the Taliban regime for creating an environment where terrorist organizations can operate and pose threats to regional and global peace.
Economic crisis deepens under Taliban regime
The UN Development Program reports that Afghanistan's economy contracted by 27% following the Taliban takeover and remains at an unstable, low-level equilibrium.
Over 10 million Afghans remain displaced globally, including both refugees in neighboring countries and those internally displaced in Afghanistan due to ongoing conflict, poverty, and hunger.
The Taliban's restrictions on women's education and employment have significantly exacerbated the crisis. Girls remain banned from secondary education, entering their fifth year of restrictions, and women's employment in the public sector remains low.
The UNDP estimates that excluding women from the economy could cost Afghanistan 5.8% of its GDP between 2024 and 2026.
Afghanistan's humanitarian needs are growing while international assistance is declining sharply. After reaching $3.8 billion in 2022, aid fell dramatically in 2024, with only 31% of the required $3 billion secured by October. The UN Food and Agriculture Organization warns that 17.4 million people are projected to face acute food insecurity in 2026, with 4.7 million affected by acute malnutrition.
The Taliban have previously rejected allegations of systematic abuses, insisting that their amnesty policy remains in force. However, UN officials and rights groups say the latest figures point to a persistent gap between official statements and realities on the ground.
