[AfghanDigest] LAST 24 HOURS
- TAKHAR WOMEN’S RIGHTS ACTIVIST AND BROTHER RELEASED – The prominent women’s rights activist, Parisa Mobarez, and her brother were released by Taliban officials in the Province yesterday. They had been held for nearly a day and the charges filed against them have not been made public.
- PAKISTAN VISA ISSUE – Less than two days after Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced it would work to make the visa application process easier, reports out of Sweden say the Pakistan Embassy there issued approximately 1,600 visas to Afghans who had submitted fraudulent Swedish documents. Unconfirmed reports suggest that Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry has halted the visa issuance process for all Afghans around the globe. A second unconfirmed report alleges that all Pakistan visas that have been issued to Afghans have been canceled. We are seeking to confirm what actions, if any, Pakistan has taken with regard to visas for Afghans.
- INTERIOR MINISTER RECEIVES A YELLOW CARD FROM THE SUPREME LEADER AFTER SPEECH – After Sirajuddin Haqqani’s critical remarks in Khost the other day, the spokesman for the Taliban told news outlets that such remarks should be made in private rather than in public.
- SEVERAL AID AGENCIES IN GHOR CEASE OPERATIONS AFTER REPORTEDLY BEING FORCED TO PAY BRIBES TO TALIBAN – Several aid organizations told AMU TV they were halting operations in the Province until the Taliban cease demands for 30% of all food and cash aid for residents. The Taliban Security Forces are thought to be extorting the agencies across many Provinces and the Taliban leadership’s continual calls for ‘better order in the forces’ seem to amount to little. In addition to cash and food, medical supplies are often plundered and then sold to the sick at a markup. Several late reports arrived stating the Taliban had fired some officials in Ghor over these issues. We have yet to confirm the veracity of these claims.
- TALIBAN URGED BY THE UN TO REINSTATE WOMEN JUDGES AND LAWYERS – The head of UNAMA, Roza Otunbayeva, made the recommendation while meeting with the Taliban’s Chief Justice in a meeting to discuss the new legal framework being implemented in Afghanistan. She said the judges and lawyers play a critical role in representing women and children.
CONFLICT TRACKER
Uruzgan: An unidentified militant group assassinated a Taliban Intelligence Official (Qari Kamal-Dabaidah) in the capital. It is not clear what method the attackers used and which group carried out the operation.
NEXT 24 HOURS
HOUSE SEARCHES SLOWLY RESTARTING IN KABUL – After a short hiatus, Taliban security forces have renewed search efforts in Kabul. Yesterday, the searches focused on the 4th Police District. While the searches are not nearly as large as the spate that occurred over the previous two weeks, they are expected to continue. A sizable presence of Taliban trucks and personnel has been reported at the airport and this could signal more searches in the neighborhoods adjacent to the facility. It is not clear what the Taliban are searching for at this time and sources in the Police and Ministry of Defense admitted that no clear objective had been given to the security forces. |