Afghanistan: General News and Discussion

[MH.Yang]

The Taliban can integrate all unemployed refugees into the military to prevent them from being incited and destabilizing society. Then organize this refugee army to cultivate wasteland or build infrastructure.

Which local forces that do not obey central orders should be eliminated as soon as possible, and their wealth and resources should be seized for central use.

We should make peace with all neighboring countries as soon as possible and not get involved in any external wars. We need to repair infrastructure as soon as possible, create a safe environment, and create a favorable business environment to attract foreign investment.

 

[safriz]

Back in the 90s immediately after the soviets left, the Afghans had better Ballistic missiles than Pakistan, leftovers from USSR.
They fired half of those Scuds on Pakistan. Literally every say that TV news would be that Afghanistan fired Scud missile on Pakistan.
The other half they fired on each other

 

[Starlord]

They have a budget ? and where will their military budget go ? buying suicide jackets ? lol

 

[Asfandyar Bhittani]

The number of women prisoners in Afghanistan has risen by 435 percent to 1,825, with women now held in 34 prisons, according to figures released by the Taliban’s Interior Ministry.

Of the total, 469 women are held in Kabul, the largest concentration in a single location, followed by Herat and Balkh. The data show the number of women detainees has increased 18.7 percent compared with last year.

The Taliban regained power on August 15, 2021. Amnesty International has reported that in the early days of Taliban rule, the group opened the doors of many prisons across the country. An investigation by Afghanistan International said Taliban decrees, largely moral and religious in nature, have significantly broadened the grounds for the detention and punishment of women.

Sharp Rise Compared With The Republic Era

According to data from World Prison Brief, during the republic period from 2001 to 2021, the number of women prisoners in Afghanistan never exceeded 1,000. In 2021, the final year of the republic order, there were 840 women prisoners.

Nearly four years after the Taliban’s return to power, the total prison population has reached 24,446, including 1,825 women held in women’s facilities.

Distribution By Province

Afghanistan has 71 prisons in total, 34 for women and 37 for men. Kabul alone has four detention facilities, with women held at Badam Bagh prison.

Kabul has the highest number of women prisoners, followed by Herat with 294, Balkh with 141, Nangarhar with 85 and Kandahar with 57.

Panjshir has the fewest women prisoners, with one, followed by Bamiyan with three, Maidan Wardak with six, and Logar and Zabul with seven each.

Women make up 7.5 percent of the total prison population. Observers say the figure is significant given Afghanistan’s social structure and restrictions that confine many women to their homes.

Taliban Directives & Women’s Imprisonment

The Taliban do not release case details of women prisoners, but the group’s Supreme Court regularly announces public floggings of women, most commonly for alleged extramarital relationships or “running away from home.” In many cases, women are sentenced to prison in addition to corporal punishment.

UN and human rights reports offer insight into the causes of women’s arrests. In an April 2025 report, the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan said the Taliban had granted broad powers to its Vice and Virtue apparatus, with the detention of women forming part of enforcement.

The Afghan human rights organisation Rawadari said the Taliban’s penal code has lowered the threshold for criminalising women. Under Article 34, a woman who repeatedly goes to her parental home and does not return to her husband’s house can be deemed a criminal. Family members who prevent her return can face up to three months in prison.

Rawadari said the provision disproportionately affects women fleeing domestic violence. Under the code, a husband is punished only if severe injury or visible bruising is proven before a judge, while other forms of physical, psychological or sexual violence are not explicitly prohibited.

Article 37 prescribes one year in prison for a woman accused of touching, shaking hands with or hugging a non-mahram man. Article 59 mandates two months in prison for boys and girls who dance, as well as for spectators.

The UN special rapporteur has warned that under the Promotion of Virtue law, enforcers are required to ensure women’s voices are not heard outside the home, exposing women to punishment even in semi-private spaces.

A report by The Guardian said that after women were barred from work and poverty deepened, some women in Kabul turned to begging, only to be arrested.

Amnesty International has also reported that during waves of arrests linked to dress codes and Taliban restrictions, women have faced degrading treatment, torture and, in some cases, sexual assault in detention.

Sociologist Ali Shiva told Afghanistan International that excluding women from work reduces household income and forces families into risky survival strategies, making women, particularly female heads of households, more vulnerable to criminalisation and exploitation.

The US State Department’s Trafficking in Persons report and organised crime indices identify Afghanistan as a source country for trafficking and exploitation, with women and children among the most at-risk groups.

Overall, analysts say Taliban restrictions, particularly under the Vice and Virtue framework, have significantly expanded the scope for the arrest and imprisonment of women across Afghanistan.

 

[Pakistan Space Agency]

Bloody Hell. That's a true sign of pure evil.

Anyway, it's Afghandu country, Afghandu rules.

 

[Pakistan Space Agency]

How is Afghanistan with a total budget of $3.12 billion expected to become the richest country in the region as claimed @battalion25 from Post Number 55?

Table 1: Battalion25's Prediction - Afghanistan going to be the richest in the region

-​	Day​	Date​
Predicted​	Friday​	8 August 2025​
Target​	Wednesday​	7 August 2030​
No. of Days​	-​	1,826​

Table 2: Progress So Far

-​	Day​	Date​
Predicted​	Friday​	8 August 2025​
Today​	Monday​	29 January 2026​
No. of Days​	-​	174​

 

[Distant_Observer]

To view this content we will need your consent to set third party cookies.
For more detailed information, see our cookies page.

Accept third party cookies

 

[ghazi52]

30,000 Afghans to perform Hajj as pilgrimage costs reduced​

by The Frontier Post

KABUL (Pajhwok): The Ministry of Hajj and Religious Affairs (MoHRA) announced on Saturday that 30,000 Afghans will travel to Saudi Arabia to perform Hajj this year, with the cost per pilgrim reduced by nearly 16,000 afghanis compared to last year.

Speaking at a press conference at the Government Media and Information Centre (GMIC) in Kabul, the Minister of Hajj and Religious Affairs, Dr Noor Mohammad Saqib, said that Afghanistan’s Hajj quota for solar year1405 will remain at 30,000 pilgrims, with a commitment to seek an increase in future years.

He explained that the quota includes ordinary citizens, Mujahideen, government employees, heirs of martyrs, persons with disabilities and refugees.

This year, each pilgrim will pay 266,400 afghanis, bringing the total cost of Hajj operations to 7,818,300,720 afghanis. Last year, the cost per pilgrim stood at 282,090 afghanis, representing a reduction of 15,690 afghanis per pilgrim.

Dr Saqib stated that contracts for accommodation, meals, transport and other related services have been finalised on schedule. In Mecca, modern accommodation close to the Grand Mosque (Haram Sharif) has been arranged for all 30,000 pilgrims.

In Medina, lodging has been secured in the central area near the Prophet’s Mosque, enabling pilgrims to perform their rituals with ease and comfort.

He added that agreements have been signed with Ariana Afghan Airlines and Kam Air to organise the transportation of pilgrims from the country’s four zones to Medina and Jeddah.

Nationwide registration for Hajj has been reopened this year, and pilgrims will be selected through a lottery system.

Since the re-establishment of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, 87,104 registered Hajj applicants from previous years had remained on waiting lists, with some expected to wait until the 1412 solar year.

However, due to the transparent and fair allocation of quotas, the ministry has been able to send nearly all waiting pilgrims to Hajj within five years.

The minister also noted that pilgrims may obtain Hajj payment schedules from the central Hajj, Umrah and Pilgrimage Department, as well as provincial offices, starting Monday, 2 February. Payments can be made through designated banks.

Approximately 30,000 Afghans also performed Hajj last year.

 

[ghazi52]

Drug use shifting to synthetics, misuse of medicines in Afghanistan: UNODC​

by The Frontier Post

KABUL (Pajhwok): A new publication by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) finds that drug use in Afghanistan remains dominated by traditional substances, while the use of synthetic drugs and misused pharmaceutical medications is rising.

The UNODC assessment, released today (Sunday), shows that men most frequently cited cannabis (46%) and opium (19%) as the drugs used in their communities, while “Tablet K” (11%) and methamphetamine (7%) were also reported.

This publication is the third and final volume of UNODC’s National Survey on Drug Use in Afghanistan (NSDA), funded by UNDP. It builds on two earlier health-focused volumes: one mapping treatment facilities for substance use disorders, and another assessing high-risk drug use. The last national survey of drug use in Afghanistan was conducted in 2015.

The findings highlight the economic burden of household dependence. The cost of substances such as methamphetamine and opium can exceed a full day’s wage. For instance, one day of methamphetamine use can cost up to 138% of a casual worker’s daily income or 67% of a skilled worker’s wage.

Respondents linked ongoing drug use primarily to poverty, unemployment, and financial hardship. Other contributing factors included physical pain and ill health, psychological distress, family challenges, and dependence. Overall, the results show strong links between substance use and broader socio-economic pressures.

 

[ghazi52]

IEA names key appointments across ministers, provinces, govt offices​

by The Frontier Post

KABUL (Pajhwok): The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) has announced a number of new appointments across several ministries, government departments and provinces.

IEA chief spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said on his X handle that the appointments were made in compliance with orders from the IEA leadership.

He said former Deputy Minister of Hajj and Religious Affairs Sheikh Rahman Mansour has been appointed governor of Parwan province, while former Nimroz governor Mawlawi Tor Jan Ahmadi named governor of Daikundi province.

Mujahid added that former Deputy Minister of Urban Development and Housing Haji Arsala Kharoti has been appointed Deputy Minister of Rural Rehabilitation and Development.

The former Deputy Director of the Administrative Affairs Office has been named Deputy Minister of Urban Development and Housing, while former member of the Supreme Court’s Darul Ifta Mufti Mohammad Taher Ahmad has been appointed Director General for the Preservation of Jihadi Relics.

 

[ghazi52]

To view this content we will need your consent to set third party cookies.
For more detailed information, see our cookies page.

Accept third party cookies

 

[ghazi52]

Afghanistan may resume active role in SCO: Diplomat​

The Frontier Post

KABUL (Pajhwok): Afghan Ambassador to Russia, Gul Hassan, has stated that Afghanistan is currently an observer state in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and that Kabul is considering resuming active participation in its activities.

In an interview with TASS news agency, he said: “Yes, Afghanistan is an observer state in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and, in accordance with this status, participates in its meetings.”

When asked whether Afghanistan is considering resuming cooperation with the SCO, the ambassador responded affirmatively. According to him, thanks to the efforts of Moscow and Beijing, most of the organization’s member states “have come to the conclusion that it would be viable to restore Afghanistan’s active participation in the SCO’s work.”

“We also count on Afghanistan’s participation in the organization’s upcoming meetings,” he added.

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is an international alliance established in 2001 among several Asian countries with the aim of strengthening security, economic and cultural cooperation.

China, Russia, India, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan are full members of the organization, while other countries participate as observers or dialogue partners.

 

[ghazi52]

Peace is established in Afghanistan, concerns about the presence of non-state groups are 'baseless': Zabihullah Mujahid

Taliban government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid,

Taliban government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid has dismissed reports of the presence of any foreign or non-state group in the country as baseless and said that peace has prevailed in Afghanistan.

He wrote on the social networking website X that "We assure you that Afghanistan is safe, there are no foreign or extremist groups here."

Zabihullah Mujahid claimed, writing, "ISIS has been defeated in Afghanistan, but unfortunately it has established bases in neighboring countries."

According to him, "When we say that the land of Afghanistan will not be used against anyone, it means that no one needs to worry."

The statement by the Taliban spokesman came at a time when the United Nations Security Council meeting expressed concern over the presence of ISIS and other foreign groups in Afghanistan.

Natalia German, head of the UN Counter-Terrorism Committee, said that in the past six months, ISIS has carried out terrorist attacks around the world that have had devastating effects.

Representatives of several countries, including Pakistan, China, the United States and the United Kingdom, described the presence of ISIS's Khorasan branch in Afghanistan as a "serious threat" to the region and the world.

It should be remembered that after the Taliban came to power, this organization has claimed responsibility for several attacks in Afghanistan.

On the other hand, Pakistan's representative to the United Nations, Asim Iftikhar Ahmed, has also said that terrorist groups have regained their strength after the Taliban returned to power.

He said that Pakistan has suspended trade and transport with Afghanistan for about four months due to concerns about terrorism, especially the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

 

[ghazi52]

To view this content we will need your consent to set third party cookies.
For more detailed information, see our cookies page.

Accept third party cookies

Afghanistan: A minister of the Taliban regime, who is responsible for an important part of the country, had neither seen nor eaten a simple and world-famous food (donut), but when he saw a board written in English, he showed so much sensitivity that he immediately ordered it to be removed.

The real problem is not with the English language, but with the lack of knowledge, enlightenment, and understanding of the world.

If a minister is so unaware that he doesn’t even know about something as simple as a donut, then how much understanding can he possibly have about the economy, technology, international relations, educational reforms, and other important issues?

When people like this come to power, instead of working for the country’s progress, they try to hide their ignorance — and this effort is often fulfilled at the cost of others’ rights, freedoms, and development.

In short:
Taking down an English board is easy,
but eliminating ignorance and narrow-mindedness is an extremely difficult task.

 

[ghazi52]

To view this content we will need your consent to set third party cookies.
For more detailed information, see our cookies page.

Accept third party cookies