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ISLAMABAD: Eleven terrorists were killed by Pakistan security forces during an intelligence-based operation in north-western Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, according to Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR). The military media wing said that over the last 48 hours, following intense and fierce exchanges of fire, &ldquo;eleven khwarij&rdquo; were killed in what it described as &ldquo;belonging to Indian-sponsored Fitna-al-Khwarij.&rdquo; Pakistan officially refers to the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) as &ldquo;Fitna al-Khawarij,&rdquo; drawing on a historical term associated with violent extremism, to underscore the group&rsquo;s ideology, attacks against civilians, and rejection of state authority. &ldquo;Weapons and ammunition have also been recovered from killed Indian sponsored Khwarij, who remained actively involved in numerous terrorist activities in the area,&rdquo; the statement said. The military said the operation is continuing to eliminate terrorists hiding in the area as part of Pakistan&#39;s ongoing counterterrorism campaign under &quot;Azm-e-Istehkam,&quot; approved by the Federal Apex Committee under the National Action Plan. It said the campaign by security forces and law enforcement agencies would continue at full pace to eliminate what it described as foreign-sponsored terrorism from the country. Islamabad has intensified counterterrorism operations against terrorist networks operating along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, with Pakistani officials saying Afghan Taliban authorities have yet to take effective and verifiable action against terrorist hideouts and cross-border infiltration routes used for attacks inside Pakistan.

Security

Pakistan security forces kill eleven terrorists during an intelligence-based operation in north-western Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

Pakistan forces kill 11 terrorists in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa intelligence operations

ISLAMABAD: The interim Afghan government&#39;s new decree on marriage separation &quot;reinforces systemic discrimination&quot; and erodes the rights of Afghan women and girls, the United Nations said on Thursday. Published in mid-May, the 31-article code sets out various grounds for separation in Afghanistan, including a husband&#39;s prolonged disappearance, &quot;incompatibility&quot; between couples, renunciation of Islam and &quot;failure on the part of the husband&quot;. The decree, which appeared in the country&#39;s Official Gazette, also states that marriage contracts drawn by relatives &quot;on behalf of a minor boy or girl&quot; can be annulled, which suggests child marriage is permitted in Afghanistan, according to the UN. In most cases, the procedures for women seeking a separation are more complicated than those for men. The document, approved by Supreme Leader Hibatullah Akhundzada, &quot;is part of a broader and deeply concerning trajectory in which the rights of Afghan women and girls are being eroded&quot;, said Georgette Gagnon, deputy special representative of the UN secretary-general. It &quot;further entrenches systemic discrimination in law and practice&quot;, the UN statement said, adding that women and girls are denied &quot;autonomy, opportunities and access to justice&quot;. Since returning to power in 2021, the Taliban government in Afghanistan has banned girls from continuing their education beyond primary school, walking in parks and going to gyms, swimming pools or beauty salons. They are required to cover themselves from head to toe and are barred from many jobs. Any breach of the rules can result in arrest and imprisonment. The UN&#39;s Afghanistan mission (UNAMA) said that following a decree issued in 2021 in which the Taliban authorities had &quot;recognized certain rights for women, including women&#39;s consent to marriage&quot;, subsequent legislation has ultimately eroded those protections.

Afghanistan

The United Nations says the Taliban’s new marriage separation decree further restricts Afghan women’s rights, reinforces systemic discrimination, and raises concerns over child marriage and access to justice in Afghanistan.

UN says Taliban marriage decree deepens discrimination against Afghan women

ISLAMABAD: Afghanistan&#39;s representative to the UN, Naseer Ahmad Faiq, has said that the Taliban regime in Kabul cannot claim the country&rsquo;s permanent representation in the United Nations. In a post on the social media platform X on Wednesday, Faiq said that representation in the world body is the legitimate right of a government, which has attained power and sovereignty through legitimate means and is based on the people&#39;s will. &ldquo;On what basis of positive action and what criterion of legitimacy do the Taliban demand the handing over of Afghanistan&#39;s seat in the United Nations?&rdquo; asked the Afghanistan representative in the UN, while responding to the Taliban Foreign Minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi. Muttaqi had called on the UN to hand over Afghanistan&rsquo;s representation in the UN to the Taliban administration in Kabul.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 1044px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2056940117466448305&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Fdashboard%2F&sessionId=e25130daab5261921bc286898b8a48ef2acefdba&theme=light&widgetsVersion=6a3ad42b224df%3A1778106238597&width=550px">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div> Naseer Faiq, an appointee of the former Afghan president Ashraf Ghani&#39;s government, still serves as the country&rsquo;s legitimate representative in the organization. However, the Taliban regime has its own designated representative who also uses the platform. The United Nations doesn&#39;t recognize the Taliban regime as the legitimate ruler of Afghanistan. Thus, the country&rsquo;s seat in the organization is still occupied by the appointee of the former regime. Faiq said that after five years of the Taliban regime, it has neither responded positively to the legitimate demands of the Afghan people nor to the explicit demands of the international community. He added that the doors of schools and universities remain closed to girls, women are deprived of the right to work and social participation, there is no legitimate and inclusive national system in place, corruption and repression have spread widely, and security in Afghanistan and the region has deteriorated further due to the harboring and support of international terrorist groups. Afghanistan&rsquo;s representative in the UN went on to say that poverty, forced marriages, suicides among youth due to unemployment, targeted killings of former military forces, suppression of freedom of expression, expansion of jihadist madrassas, and the promotion of terrorism and extremism have increased to an unprecedented degree. He said that only a legitimate government, which has guaranteed the rights of all citizens within the framework of the law without discrimination on grounds of gender, ethnicity, or religion, and has remained committed to its national and international obligations, can claim a permanent seat in the UN.

Afghanistan’s UN envoy Naseer Ahmad Faiq rejected Taliban demands for Afghanistan’s UN seat, saying legitimacy requires public mandate, inclusive governance, women’s rights, and compliance with international obligations and commitments standards.

Afghan envoy says Taliban regime not eligible to claim UN seat

ISLAMABAD: The United Nations has warned of a growing and potentially grave threat of nuclear terrorism emerging from Afghanistan under the Taliban.&nbsp;According to a UN report, the Taliban regime has sheltered international terrorist groups to sustain its rule, allowing militant networks operating from Afghan territory to pose a serious danger to global security.&nbsp;The report raises particular alarm over 133 tablets of stolen uranium dioxide taken from Tajikistan, which could potentially be acquired by the banned al-Qaeda network in Afghanistan. &ldquo;I think the threat has never been so high as it is today,&rdquo; according to Mauro Miedico, Director of the UN Counter-Terrorism Centre (UNCCT). &ldquo;Terrorist groups and individuals engage much more strongly with new technologies. Terrorist groups have recruited experts, including AI specialists, and we have seen the use of drones in terrorist acts. This potentially makes it more possible that they will launch a dirty bomb via drone.&rdquo;&nbsp;The report notes that al‑Qaeda has repeatedly signaled intent to conduct nuclear attacks, and that incidents of smuggling and theft of radioactive material have been recorded in several countries.&nbsp;Experts cited in the report say the combination of foreign fighters, modern technology available to militant groups in Afghanistan, and the sanctuary provided by the Taliban creates a real risk of nuclear terrorism.&nbsp;The findings echo warnings previously issued by the United States, Pakistan, European states and Central Asian countries, which have repeatedly described terrorism emanating from Afghanistan as a major security threat.&nbsp;The UN has called for strengthened international cooperation, improved controls on nuclear and radiological materials across the region, and enhanced monitoring and interdiction efforts to prevent dangerous materials from reaching extremist hands.

Artillery shells have hit areas near the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine since the full-scare Russian invasion of the country in 2022. (File photo: United Nations/IAEA)

The report notes that al‑Qaeda has repeatedly signaled intent to conduct nuclear attacks, and that incidents of smuggling and theft of radioactive material have been recorded in several countries.

UN warns of rising nuclear terrorism risk from Afghanistan under Taliban

ISLAMABAD:&nbsp;Pakistan&#39;s Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif visited the Command and Staff College in Quetta on Monday, addressing military faculty and student officers, according to the Prime Minister&#39;s Office. PM Sharif praised the professionalism, operational readiness, and sacrifices of Pakistan&#39;s Armed Forces in defending the nation&#39;s sovereignty, the statement said. He paid tribute to fallen soldiers and acknowledged the military&#39;s commitment to the country&#39;s defense. The prime minister praised Pakistan&rsquo;s military victory led by Chief of Defense Forces Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir during Marka-e-Haq. He stated that Pakistan&rsquo;s restraint response to India&#39;s unprovoked aggression was recognized by the international community. &ldquo;Pakistan&rsquo;s mature, prudent and just stance was also acknowledged by the international community,&rdquo; he said. Pakistan&rsquo;s will &ldquo;defend [its] sovereignty and territorial integrity against any misadventure at all costs.&rdquo; PM Sharif stated how Operation Ghazab lil-Haq (a major counter-terrorism offensive launched by the Pakistan Armed Forces against the Afghan Taliban and its militant faction) was protecting the &ldquo;lives and property&rdquo; of Pakistani citizens against &ldquo;Afghan Taliban-based terrorist&rdquo; groups and dismantle their support networks. He also talked about Pakistan&rsquo;s &ldquo;unwavering support&rdquo; for the people of &ldquo;Jammu and Kashmir&rdquo; and Palestine. The prime minister talked about the importance of military diplomacy and cooperation. He described Pakistan as a regional stabilizer contributing to peace and stability in the region, as the college hosts military students from allied nations, the statement said. Federal Defence, Interior, and Information Ministers and Balochistan&#39;s chief minister accompanied the prime minister. Chief of Defense Forces Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir had received PM Sharif upon arrival at the college. Terrorism cannot derail Pakistan&#39;s progress: CDF&nbsp; Meanwhile,&nbsp;Pakistan Chief of Defense Forces Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir warned that foreign-backed efforts to destabilize the country were doomed to fail, the military&rsquo;s media wing said.&nbsp;In an official statement, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) stated that the Field Marshal while on a visit to Quetta, said Pakistan&#39;s trajectory cannot be derailed by &ldquo;propaganda, fake news, or externally-sponsored terrorism.&rdquo;&nbsp;The CDF told officers and soldiers stationed across Balochistan that those working against Pakistan through proxies will ultimately fall short, given &ldquo;the resilience&rdquo; of the state and the unity of its people.&nbsp;Earlier in the day, the field marshal addressed faculty and student officers at the Command and Staff College in Quetta, one of the military&#39;s premier training institutions. He praised the college&#39;s academic and professional standards, noting that its graduates have consistently performed at a high level throughout their careers.&nbsp;&ldquo;The nature of war is shifting fast,&rdquo; the field marshal told the gathering. He urged officers to stay ahead of emerging technologies and evolving battlefield demands.&nbsp;The CDF called for tighter coordination across all three military branches and greater readiness for multi-domain operations.&nbsp;Turning to the security situation in Balochistan, the field marshal stated that Pakistani armed forces were committed to wiping out terrorism &ldquo;in all its forms and manifestations.&rdquo;&nbsp;He said that &ldquo;lasting stability in the province hinges on governance, development,&rdquo; and a &ldquo;focus on the needs of ordinary citizens,&rdquo; and not security operations alone.&nbsp;CDF Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir also praised the provincial government&#39;s ongoing work toward those goals.

PM Sharif told officers Pakistan's restrained response to India's aggression won international recognition and vowed to defend the nation's sovereignty at all costs while intensifying counter-terrorism operations against Afghan Taliban.

Pakistan's PM honors armed forces' sacrifice at military college

ISLAMABAD: The Taliban have introduced a new family law regulation that recognizes child marriage as legally valid under certain circumstances, drawing renewed condemnation from rights advocates who say the measure further erodes the rights of women and girls in Afghanistan, according to an Afghanistan&#39;s Amu TV report published on Sunday.&nbsp; The relevant 31-article decree, titled, &ldquo;Principles of Separation Between Spouses&quot;, was approved by Taliban supreme leader Hibatullah Akhundzada, according NDTV World.&nbsp;The decree allows relatives other than a child&rsquo;s father or grandfather to arrange the marriage of a minor boy or girl. Under Article 5 of the decree, such marriages are considered legally valid if the prospective spouse is deemed socially compatible and the dowry is considered appropriate. The Taliban have recognized underage marriages in&nbsp;under the article. Although the law permits a child to seek annulment after reaching puberty, it requires a court order, placing the burden on minors to challenge marriages arranged without their informed consent. The provision effectively legitimizes child marriage and strips children, particularly girls, of the ability to make decisions about their own lives. Coercion and fear&nbsp;Article 7 of the decree states that the &quot;silence of a virgin girl&quot; after reaching puberty may be interpreted as consent to marriage, according to the Afghan media report.&nbsp; Human rights advocates argue that equating silence with consent ignores the realities of coercion, social pressure and fear, especially in a society where girls and women have little freedom to express opposition. The Article 9 of the decree, in case of a girl seeking annulment of marriage, places the burden of proof on the girl and gives credence to the husband&#39;s oath in cases of dispute.&nbsp; This, rights advocates argue makes the process of accessing justice difficult for the girl, Hasht-e-Subh Daily reported.&nbsp; Restrictions on women&nbsp;The new regulation comes as the Taliban continue to impose sweeping restrictions on women and girls since reclaiming power in August 2021. Girls have been barred from attending school beyond sixth grade, women have been excluded from universities, and severe limits have been placed on their employment, movement and participation in public life. The United Nations has repeatedly condemned the Taliban&rsquo;s policies, describing them as systematic violations of fundamental rights and warning that Afghanistan is becoming one of the most repressive countries in the world for women and girls. Rights groups say the latest family law codifies discrimination and institutionalizes practices that endanger children&rsquo;s physical and mental well-being. Activists say the regulation reflects the Taliban&rsquo;s broader effort to entrench a legal system that treats women and girls as subjects of male control rather than equal members of society.

Child marriage in Afghanistan - (Photo: Wikimedia commons)

The Taliban’s new family law has sparked condemnation for effectively legitimizing child marriage and expanding restrictions on women’s and girls’ rights by allowing arranged minor marriages and treating silence as consent. 

Afghan Taliban's legalization of child marriage, another assault on women's rights

ISLAMABAD: Russia&#39;s top security official told regional leaders that between 18,000 and 23,000 armed terrorists from more than 20 separate groups are currently active inside Afghanistan, warning that the country remains a direct security threat to the broader region. According to Russia&#39;s state news agency TASS, Russian Security Council Secretary Sergey Shoigu delivered the assessment at the 21st meeting of security council secretaries of Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) member states, held May 14 in Bishkek under Kyrgyz chairmanship. &quot;The situation in Afghanistan is of particular importance for ensuring security in the SCO space,&quot; Shoigu said, as quoted by TASS. &quot;This primarily concerns the threats of terrorism and drug trafficking emanating from its territory.&quot; ISIS presence put at 3,000 fighters Shoigu said ISIS affiliate operating in Afghanistan numbers around 3,000 members, according to Russian data. In 2025 alone, ISIS carried out 12 major terrorist attacks in Afghanistan, killing 40 military personnel and 25 civilians and wounding more than 50 others, as reported by TASS. Foreign fighters flowing in from Syria The Russian official Shoigu said there has been a notable increase in terrorists of Tajik and Uzbek origin entering Afghanistan from Syria. They were drawn from factions of the former Hayat Tahrir al-Sham alliance, which is designated a terrorist organization in Russia. He noted that some of these fighters remain outside the control of the interim Afghan government. Taliban enabling cross-border terrorism While the Afghan Taliban publicly denies hosting terrorist groups, international organizations have documented a starkly different picture on the ground. According to UN Security Council monitoring reports, the Taliban operates what assessors describe as a &quot;permissive environment,&quot; one in which multiple armed groups plan and launch attacks against neighboring states from Afghan soil. The UN has reported that the Afghan Taliban provides approximately $43,000 per month to Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), the largest foreign terrorist &nbsp;group operating in Afghanistan with over 6,000 fighters. According to UN findings, the Taliban&#39;s General Directorate of Intelligence has established guest houses in Kabul for senior TTP leadership. They were also granted movement passes and weapons permits that effectively shield them from arrest. Cross-border attacks attributed to TTP operating from Afghan bases rose from 573 in 2021 to over 1,200 in 2024, according to UN assessments. Pakistan has issued repeated high-level diplomatic protests condemning the Taliban for providing sanctuary and arms used in those attacks. UN Secretary-General Ant&oacute;nio Guterres and multiple UN experts have stated that the Taliban must honor its international obligation to prevent Afghan territory from being used to threaten the security of other states. SCO meeting addresses wider threat landscape As per the SCO&#39;s official readout of the Bishkek meeting, participants also discussed pressing issues in the current international security environment, with specific attention to new risks in cybersecurity and information security. The gathering was attended by heads and senior officials from security council secretariats of member states, along with SCO Secretary-General Nurlan Yermekbayev and the director of the SCO&#39;s Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure. Yermekbayev said the organization is modernizing its security cooperation mechanisms. This includes establishing new specialized bodies to coordinate responses to terrorism, transnational organized crime, and cyber threats, according to the SCO&#39;s statement. UN assessments align with Russian figures International estimates reported by the UN Security Council Monitoring Team as of May 2026 similarly place the number of foreign terrorist fighters in Afghanistan at between 13,000 and 23,000. The UN&#39;s 37th monitoring report, issued in February 2026, found that some fighters have been integrated directly into Taliban-led security structures, a finding at odds with the Taliban&#39;s public position. The SCO&#39;s member states include Russia, China, Pakistan, Iran, and four Central Asian republics; countries that collectively share borders with Afghanistan or face direct spillover from terrorist activity operating on its soil.

Russia's Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu leaves after his bilateral meeting with Indonesia’s Defence Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin at the Defence Ministry in Jakarta on February 25, 2025. (AFP)

Moscow says militants arriving from Syria, rising ISIS attacks and Taliban facilitation of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan have intensified fears that Afghan territory is increasingly being used to coordinate violence, destabilize neighboring countries, and expand extremist networks across Central and South Asia.

Over 20 terrorist groups active in Afghanistan, Russia warns SCO leaders

ISLAMABAD: The Afghan Taliban has enacted a new law that allows authorities to classify occupied land as state-owned property and resell them to residents, raising concerns over possible confiscation of private land and the cancellation of long-standing ownership rights, according to an Afghan media report. The Taliban&rsquo;s Ministry of Justice announced Tuesday that the &ldquo;Law on the Sale and Distribution of State Land Plots and Issuing Construction Permits&rdquo; had been published in the official gazette, according to Afghanistan International. The measure, based on decrees issued by Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada, contains 38 articles across six chapters. Taliban officials said the law was intended to regulate the distribution, sale and ownership of government land for residential and commercial purposes. But several provisions indicate authorities could invalidate previous ownership claims and require residents to repurchase land already occupied by homes and businesses. Under Articles 7 and 8, the Taliban may designate land as &ldquo;state land&rdquo; even if residential settlements or housing developments already exist there. Article 11 imposes strict conditions on landholders. Individuals granted land must take possession within six months, while buyers of commercial properties must complete payment within three months or risk losing ownership rights. The article also states that if construction does not begin within three years, authorities may reclaim the property and cancel allocation contracts. The law further limits individuals to ownership of four residential plots in reclaimed housing developments, allowing the Taliban to confiscate any additional plots exceeding that number. Critics say the provisions could pave the way for widespread cancellation of private ownership rights and confiscation of land where families have lived for years. Articles 4 and 5 state that land prices will be determined solely according to Taliban regulations, leaving residents with no role in setting or negotiating prices. Since returning to power in 2021, the Taliban has established a commission tasked with preventing land grabbing and recovering what it describes as illegally seized state property. However, reports from several provinces indicate authorities have confiscated and registered thousands of acres of privately held land under the designation of &ldquo;state-owned&rdquo; property. The law is likely to deepen concerns among Afghans over property rights and legal protections under Taliban rule, particularly in urban and residential areas where ownership documentation is disputed or incomplete.

Kabul skyline - (Photo: Wikimedia Commons)

The Taliban has introduced a new law allowing authorities to seize land deemed 'state-owned,' including existing residential areas, and resell it to residents under strict ownership conditions.

Afghan Taliban to sell confiscated housing estates back to residents

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Monday summoned the Afghan Charg&eacute; d&rsquo;Affaires and delivered a strong demarche to the Afghan Taliban regime over the deadly terrorist attack on the Fateh Khel Police Post in the northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province&rsquo;s Bannu district. According to a statement by the Foreign Office, the vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED) attack, carried out on May 9 by terrorists belonging to as Fitna al-Khwarij, martyred 15 police constables and injured four others, including a civilian. Pakistan uses the term &ldquo;Kharjis&rdquo; to refer to the proscribed Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), an umbrella network of terrorists groups. The ministry said a detailed investigation, supported by evidence and technical intelligence, indicated that the attack was masterminded by terrorists residing in Afghanistan. Pakistan conveyed its grave concern over the continued use of Afghan soil for terrorist activities against Pakistan and warned that it reserved the right to respond decisively against those responsible for the &ldquo;barbaric act.&rdquo; The Foreign Office said the Afghan Taliban had been reminded of their commitment not to allow Afghan territory to be used for terrorism against other countries. It added that the continued presence of terrorist groups in Afghanistan and the permissive environment enabling their operations had been documented in reports by the United Nations Monitoring Team and other international organizations. Pakistan also urged the Afghan Taliban regime to take &ldquo;concrete and verifiable action&rdquo; against Fitna-al-Khwarij, Fitna al-Hindustan, and ISKP/Daesh elements allegedly operating from Afghan soil. According to the statement, Pakistan had engaged constructively with the Afghan Taliban through several rounds of talks mediated by friendly countries, but the Afghan side had failed to deliver meaningful and verifiable action against terrorist outfits. The Foreign Office reiterated that Pakistan would not compromise on its national security or the safety of its citizens if terrorist groups continued to find sanctuary across the border.&nbsp;Saddened by the tragic eventsUS Embassy in Islamabad conveyed its steadfast commitment to &ldquo;cooperate with Pakistani partners&rdquo; in confronting terrorism whereever it emerges, said in a post on its X.&nbsp;&ldquo;We are deeply saddened by the tragic events in Bannu. Our hearts are with the Government and people of Pakistan, KP police, and the family and friends of the victims,&rdquo; the statement added. The embassy added that Pakistan&#39;s citizens deserve security, peace, and a future &ldquo;unburdened by the scourge of terrorist violence.&rdquo;&nbsp;&nbsp;Iran condemnationIran &ldquo;strongly&rdquo; condemned the &quot;hideous and awkward terrorist attack&quot; on the Fateh Khel police post in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa&rsquo;s Bannu district. In a statement on his X, the Iran&rsquo;s Ambassador to Pakistan Reza Amiri&nbsp;extended his &quot;sincere and deepest condolences&quot; and sympathy to the government, police and people of Pakistan, particularly to the bereaved families. &ldquo;Our thoughts and prayers are with the families who have lost their loved ones. we pray for the safe and speedy recovery of the injured,&rdquo; the statement added.

Police officials and relatives offer funeral prayers for security personnel following a car bombing attack by Fitna al-Khwarij in the Fateh Khel area of Pakistan's Bannu on May 10, 2026. (File photo: AFP)

Foreign Affairs

The Foreign Office says the Afghan Taliban have been reminded of their commitment not to allow Afghan territory to be used for terrorism against other countries.

Pakistan issues demarche to Afghan Taliban over Bannu attack

ISLAMABAD: Afghanistan&#39;s Taliban authorities detained at least three journalists in a single week, including two reporters from the country&#39;s largest broadcaster, in what global rights groups call the systematic destruction of independent media. TOLOnews confirmed Sunday that reporters Mansoor Niazi and Imran Danish have been held since Thursday without explanation. Sources told Amu TV, an Afghan media outlet, that Niazi was seized in western Kabul. His whereabouts remain unknown. A third journalist, Ahmad Jawed Niazi, the director of Paigard News Agency, was also arrested at his Kabul office this week, according to the Afghanistan Media Support Organization, an exiled press advocacy group. Relatives of all three say they have received no information about their conditions or legal status. The detentions are not isolated. At least seven journalists are currently held in Taliban custody, according to media rights organizations. Between August 2021 and September 2024, the United Nations documented 256 arbitrary arrests of media workers and 130 verified cases of torture, used, the UN said, to suppress reporting and extract confessions. The Afghan Taliban, which retook power in August 2021 after two decades of a Western-backed government, has been accused by several rights group, including the Human Rights Watch (HRW), of governing media through a tightening web of rulings and intelligence-led enforcement. A 2024 law bans broadcasting images of humans and animals, forcing some TV stations to air audio only. Political programs must be pre-recorded and submitted for government approval before broadcast. Journalists who violate vague &quot;religious values&quot; guidelines risk detention by the Taliban&#39;s intelligence agency, which operates without judicial oversight, according to Reporters Without Borders. The toll on the profession has been severe. More than half of Afghanistan&#39;s media outlets (roughly 231 stations) have permanently closed since the Taliban takeover, according to RSF. Approximately 60% of the country&#39;s journalists have either fled or left the field entirely. Around 80% of female media workers have been forced out altogether, barred in many provinces from interviewing men, attending press conferences, or even having their voices broadcast on radio. Reporters Without Borders ranked Afghanistan 175th out of 180 countries in its 2026 World Press Freedom Index. UN Special Rapporteur Richard Bennett said in May 2026 that &quot;fear and self-censorship have paralyzed the flow of information&quot; across the country.

A member of the Taliban special forces pushes a journalist (L) covering a demonstration by women protestors outside a school in Kabul on September 30, 2021. (AFP)

Taliban authorities detain three journalists in Kabul in a single week as rights groups warn of escalating repression, arbitrary arrests and sweeping restrictions that continue to dismantle Afghanistan’s independent media.

Articles tagged with "Afghan Taliban"