Behind the Scenes of Buzkashi Events in the Northeast: A Taliban-Engineered Strategy. In recent months, costly and highly competitive buzkashi events have increased across northeastern Afghanistan, particularly in Takhar and Badakhshan provinces. One such event was the final buzkashi gathering in Faizabad, which drew thousands of spectators and sparked widespread reactions, criticism, and protests. Local
Pakistan Seeks a New Chapter of Engagement with Afghanistan’s Tajik Community. Pakistani political activist Jan Achakzai says Islamabad aims to move beyond past tensions and rebuild relations with Afghanistan’s Tajik community, stressing that Pakistan is not an enemy of Tajik people. In a post on X, Achakzai wrote that Tajiks have never made territorial claims
Contradictions in Taliban Decision-Making: Change of Use of Chaman-e-Hozori Defies Official Decrees. Leaked official documents reveal that Kabul Municipality has converted the Chaman-e-Hozori area into a street market and commercial zone, in direct contradiction to decrees issued by Taliban leader Mullah Hibatullah Akhundzada. According to Cabinet Resolution No. 16 dated February 17, 2025, ownership of
Commander Malang: Mullah Omar Was Killed on the Orders of His Close Associates. Commander Malang, a well-known former jihadist commander from southern Afghanistan, has claimed in an interview that Mullah Mohammad Omar, the founder of the Taliban, did not die of illness or in a hospital, but was killed in a tribal area of Chagai,
Taliban force reduction; focus on removing Tajik and Uzbek fighters. The United Nations Security Council has reported that the Taliban have dismissed thousands of their members due to a severe budget crisis. According to the report released on Thursday, December 18, 2025, the majority of those removed are Tajik and Uzbek fighters, particularly in provinces
Denmark: Women’s participation essential for Afghanistan’s political future. Mette Knudsen, Denmark’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, warned during a meeting with Afghan women activists that excluding women from political processes could have serious and irreversible consequences for Afghanistan’s future. Knudsen emphasized that meaningful and effective participation of women is a fundamental requirement for building a sustainable
National Interest: Taliban education system fosters extremism. A recent report by National Interest warns that the rapid expansion of religious schools under Taliban control in Afghanistan could pose a serious threat to regional security and stability. The report notes that since returning to power in 2021, the Taliban have systematically prioritized the expansion of religious
Emomali Rahmon: “A government cannot progress with superstition” – Indirect message to the Taliban. The President of Tajikistan, Emomali Rahmon, emphasized in a recent speech to the country’s House of Representatives the fundamental role of knowledge, awareness, and rationality in the progress of governments. He stated that development is impossible without education and distancing from
“Obey Only”: Mullah Hibatullah’s Warning to Taliban Dissidents. Amid escalating internal divisions within the Taliban, Mullah Hibatullah Akhundzada, the group’s leader, reiterated in a recent speech the importance of obedience, avoiding dissent, and setting aside disagreements. He urged Taliban officials to steer clear of differing opinions, obey one another, and, as he put it, “cling
Decrees or Divine Command? Does Hibatullah See Himself Above the Amir? Mullah Hibatullah Akhundzada, leader of the Taliban, in a recent speech in Kandahar, described the decrees issued under his authority as “commands of God and Islamic rulings.” He emphasized that these decrees are not the product of a few individuals or a specific group,
