Afghanistan – The Commune https://thecommunemag.com Mainstreaming Alternate Fri, 14 Nov 2025 10:29:43 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.8.3 https://thecommunemag.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/cropped-TC_SF-1-32x32.jpg Afghanistan – The Commune https://thecommunemag.com 32 32 Terror Module Member, An Islamist Doctor From Kashmir, Linked To Delhi Blast Probe Reportedly Fled To Afghanistan In August: Reports https://thecommunemag.com/terror-module-member-a-kashmiri-doctor-linked-to-delhi-blast-probe-reportedly-fled-to-afghanistan-in-august-reports/ Fri, 14 Nov 2025 06:01:35 +0000 https://thecommunemag.com/?p=133871 A senior member of the Kashmir-based terror module currently under investigation for the Red Fort blast is believed to have travelled to Afghanistan in mid-August, according to intelligence sources cited by The Print. Agencies suspect the group was preparing what could have been the largest coordinated terrorist attack in India since 1993. Intelligence officials told […]

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A senior member of the Kashmir-based terror module currently under investigation for the Red Fort blast is believed to have travelled to Afghanistan in mid-August, according to intelligence sources cited by The Print. Agencies suspect the group was preparing what could have been the largest coordinated terrorist attack in India since 1993.

Intelligence officials told the publication that Muzaffar Ahmad Rather, a 33-year-old paediatrician from Srinagar, left India earlier this year and was expected to act as a liaison between the Kashmir group and Afghanistan-based jihadist commanders for guidance on bomb-making and assault tactics. Muzaffar is the elder brother of Adeel Ahmad Rather, the 31-year-old doctor arrested by the Jammu and Kashmir Police from Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh, as the alleged head of the module.

According to the J&K Police, a Kalashnikov rifle and ammunition were recovered from one of Adeel’s lockers during raids linked to the investigation. The case has also drawn attention to a network of Kashmiri doctors who were working at Al Falah Hospital in Faridabad.

Among them was Dr Umar un Nabi, who died in the 10 November blast near Delhi’s Red Fort metro station. Officials said he was driving a white Hyundai i20 that exploded while he was allegedly attempting to flee with explosives collected by the group.

The Rather family did not respond to The Print’s request for comment regarding Muzaffar’s current location.

Journey to Afghanistan

An intelligence officer told The Print that Muzaffar first travelled to Dubai before departing for Afghanistan. The officer said Muzaffar informed his family that he wished to “serve a truly Islamic society and state.” Intelligence assessments suggest Muzaffar had previously attempted to reach Afghanistan in March 2022 along with two other doctors, Faridabad-based senior resident Muzammil Ahmad Gani and his colleague Umar un Nabi via Turkey. The group reportedly failed in the attempt, which investigators believe may have been a turning point in their radicalisation.

Officials stated that extremist groups have increasingly relied on online platforms to deliver basic training in weapons use, combat tactics and improvised explosive devices.

A second intelligence officer said Muzaffar’s eventual departure to Afghanistan indicated that planning for the attacks had reached a critical phase.

Cleric’s Role and Funding Trail

Intelligence sources also told The Print that Kashmiri cleric Irfan Ahmad, who ran a study circle in Srinagar, introduced the doctors to jihadist commanders operating in the Kunar region of Afghanistan. The cleric is alleged to have facilitated access to assault weapons that had been hidden by Nadeem Muzaffar, a former member of the Al-Qaeda-linked Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind who was killed in 2018.

The study group was said to be influenced by a strain of Deobandi ideology associated with Hyderabad cleric Abdul Aleem Islahi, and by Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind’s rejection of militant factions tied to state intelligence networks.

Investigators alleged that Lucknow-based doctor Shaheen Saeed largely funded the group’s foreign travel and procurement of chemicals for the planned bombings.

According to the United Nations Security Council, Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad have operated training camps in southern Afghanistan in recent years, and several Kashmir-linked jihadists have held roles in these networks.

Background of the Suspects

A National Investigation Agency (NIA) official told The Print that investigators have sought to understand why Adeel and his associates established a terror cell after 2021. Adeel, the son of a local tehsildar from Wanpora village, studied at Crescent School and Yar Kushi Pora Government School before earning admission to the Government Medical College, Srinagar, in his first attempt. He completed senior residency in 2024.

Muzaffar, the eldest surviving brother, completed his medical degree two years earlier, while another elder brother, Zakir Ahmad Rather, is a veterinary scientist. Their sister, Gowhar Jan, holds a postgraduate degree in medicine and is married to a pharmaceutical businessman in Kulgam. She said it was “impossible to believe” that her brothers were involved in terrorism, describing them as deeply religious and compassionate.

Adeel married psychiatrist Syed Ruqaya in early October. Guests told The Print that Muzaffar’s absence at the wedding was attributed to employment in Dubai. After the ceremony, the couple took an eight-day trip to Kerala before returning to work.

Plans and Material Prepared

Intelligence officials said the group faced logistical difficulties in advancing its plan. While they managed to acquire timers, they reportedly had only three vehicles and struggled to source detonators. This led them to experiment with acid-based triggering mechanisms.

Investigators believe the group had accumulated several thousand kilograms of ammonium nitrate and other incendiary materials since 2022. Comparisons have been drawn to the 2006 Mumbai train bombings, in which seven IEDs packed with ammonium nitrate killed over 200 people.

The investigation into the Red Fort blast and the wider terror module remains ongoing.

(Source: The Print)

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From Strategic Depth To Strategic Death: How Pakistan’s Afghan Gamble Consumed Its Own Soul https://thecommunemag.com/from-strategic-depth-to-strategic-death-how-pakistans-afghan-gamble-consumed-its-own-soul/ Sun, 02 Nov 2025 14:08:02 +0000 https://thecommunemag.com/?p=132899 General Zia-ul-Haq’s doctrine of “strategic depth” promised Pakistan security against India through control over Afghanistan. Four decades later, it has delivered only chaos, radicalization, and a collapsing state. When Pakistan’s military ruler General Zia-ul-Haq conceived the doctrine of strategic depth in Afghanistan during the late 1970s, it was hailed within Rawalpindi’s corridors as a stroke […]

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General Zia-ul-Haq’s doctrine of “strategic depth” promised Pakistan security against India through control over Afghanistan. Four decades later, it has delivered only chaos, radicalization, and a collapsing state.

When Pakistan’s military ruler General Zia-ul-Haq conceived the doctrine of strategic depth in Afghanistan during the late 1970s, it was hailed within Rawalpindi’s corridors as a stroke of genius, a long-term plan to secure Pakistan’s vulnerable western flank, expand its influence into Central Asia, and neutralize the perennial threat from India. In this vision, Afghanistan would become both Pakistan’s ideological buffer and its geopolitical backyard. But history has a brutal sense of irony. What was once imagined as Pakistan’s path to regional dominance has turned into the very instrument of its undoing. Today, Afghanistan stands not as Pakistan’s strategic depth but as its strategic death, a mirror reflecting Pakistan’s own self-destruction.

The Roots of an Illusion

Pakistan’s fixation with Afghanistan predates Zia’s military regime. The seeds of paranoia were sown in the early years after independence. From 1947 onwards, Afghanistan refused to recognize the Durand Line as a legitimate border and instead supported the concept of Pashtunistan, claiming Pakistan’s North-West Frontier Province (now Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) and parts of Balochistan as its own. These irredentist claims led to repeated diplomatic ruptures, including the severance of relations in 1955 and 1962. For a fragile new state already obsessed with the Indian threat on its eastern frontier, the specter of an unfriendly Afghanistan on its west was intolerable.

By the time the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan in 1979, Pakistan’s military establishment saw an unprecedented opportunity. General Zia-ul-Haq, a hardline Islamist and master manipulator of Cold War geopolitics, perceived the Afghan jihad not merely as an anti-Soviet campaign but as a vehicle for Pakistan’s grand ambitions. With massive U.S. and Saudi funding, Zia sought to create a pliant, pro-Pakistan regime in Kabul that would forever silence Afghanistan’s territorial claims and extend Islamabad’s influence deep into Central Asia.

Zia’s generals rationalized this policy with strategic logic. They argued that Pakistan’s narrow geography made it vulnerable to India. In the event of a war, a friendly Afghanistan would provide the Pakistani army “space to fall back” and regroup. But beneath this military jargon lay a deeper ideological project to Islamize both Pakistan and Afghanistan under the banner of a shared jihadist identity that could serve as Pakistan’s tool for regional dominance.

The late Pakistani scholar Eqbal Ahmed warned against this dangerous delusion, calling Pakistan “a country caught in an iron web of wrong assumptions, magmatic concepts, failed policies, and increased sectarian violence.” His words now read like prophecy.

The Mirage of Strategic Depth

The entire doctrine was built on a fatal misreading of history and geography. Real security does not come from manipulating neighbors or nurturing militias; it comes from internal cohesion, economic strength, and peaceful diplomacy. Zia’s Pakistan ignored this fundamental truth and instead chose to export instability under the banner of “Islamic solidarity.”

During the 1980s, Pakistan became the primary conduit for U.S. and Saudi aid to the Afghan Mujahideen. The Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) handpicked militant leaders like Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, funnelling weapons and money to factions that promised loyalty to Islamabad. Yet as soon as the Soviets withdrew and the Afghan factions began fighting each other, Pakistan’s dream of controlling Kabul began to unravel.

Seeking to impose order, the ISI midwifed the rise of the Taliban in the 1990s—a movement of Pashtun seminarians trained in Pakistan’s Deobandi madrassas. Initially, Islamabad viewed the Taliban as obedient protégés who would secure Pakistan’s western border and grant it leverage over India. But this illusion crumbled swiftly. Once in power, the Taliban refused to recognize the Durand Line, rejecting Pakistan’s territorial claims. They also began fostering a radical Pashtun Islamic identity that transcended borders, seeping back into Pakistan’s own Pashtun regions.

Even worse, the Taliban gave ideological and logistical sanctuary to extremist Sunni groups such as Lashkar-e-Jhangvi and Sipah-e-Sahaba, whose sectarian terrorism plunged Pakistan into internal bloodshed. What was meant to be a forward defense became an inward contagion. Instead of exporting jihad, Pakistan imported it.

ISI: A State Within a State

No institution embodies Pakistan’s Afghan misadventure more than the Inter-Services Intelligence. During the Afghan jihad, the ISI evolved from a mere intelligence agency into a parallel state apparatus. Flush with U.S. dollars and Saudi riyals, it acquired unaccountable power and ideological autonomy. Under Zia’s patronage, the ISI fused Islamist zeal with Cold War opportunism, building networks of militants and madrassas that operated outside civilian oversight.

When Zia died in a plane crash in 1988, the ISI had become a monster too large for any civilian government to control. Its Afghan policy splintered into competing fiefdoms, each pursuing its own factional agenda. Many ISI officers, themselves Pashtuns and steeped in jihadist ideology, began to identify more with the Taliban than with Pakistan’s national interest. “These officers became more Taliban than the Taliban,” one ISI veteran admitted to author Ahmed Rashid.

This ideological capture destroyed the agency’s analytical capacity. Strategy gave way to dogma. Instead of recalibrating after 9/11, Pakistan doubled down, playing a duplicitous game of supporting the U.S.-led “War on Terror” while secretly sheltering Taliban elements. The short-term tactical success of keeping Western funds flowing only deepened Pakistan’s long-term strategic disaster.

Talibanization and Internal Collapse

When the Taliban retook Kabul in 2021, Pakistan’s generals once again celebrated, claiming vindication of their decades-long pursuit of “strategic depth.” But within months, the euphoria evaporated. The Taliban refused to recognize the Durand Line, engaged in deadly clashes with Pakistani forces, and allowed the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) to operate freely from Afghan soil.

For Islamabad, the nightmare had come full circle. Afghanistan was no longer a buffer; it was a base for Pakistan’s internal enemies. The very militants Pakistan had nurtured now targeted its soldiers, schools, and civilians. The porous frontier became a revolving door for weapons, narcotics, and radical ideology.

The Talibanization of Pakistan is now an undeniable reality. In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and parts of Balochistan, local Taliban factions openly challenge state authority. Sectarian groups act with impunity, enforcing their version of Sharia and undermining the rule of law. Public sympathy for hardline Islamists runs deep, thanks to decades of state-sponsored radicalization.

Meanwhile, Pakistan’s economy has collapsed under debt and mismanagement, its politics are paralyzed by civil-military tensions, and its once-vaunted army now faces an existential crisis of legitimacy. As inflation soars and governance crumbles, ordinary Pakistanis are left hostage to the chaos their rulers unleashed.

From Failed State to Dying State

Today, Pakistan stands perilously close to implosion, economically bankrupt, politically fractured, and ideologically consumed. The dream of “strategic depth” has degenerated into a nightmare of strategic death.

Far from expanding Pakistan’s influence, Zia’s vision has trapped the country in perpetual instability. To its west lies a hostile Taliban regime; to its east, an assertive India; to its southwest, an alienated Iran; and to its north, a disenchanted China increasingly wary of Pakistan’s internal chaos. Instead of being a regional pivot, Pakistan is now a regional liability.

This collapse is not a sudden accident but the cumulative outcome of decades of hubris. The military’s obsession with controlling Afghanistan, its cynical use of Islam as an instrument of power, and its relentless suppression of civilian politics have hollowed out the Pakistani state. Every attempt to use religious militancy as a tool of strategy has rebounded with deadly force.

As the French scholar Olivier Roy foresaw in 1997, “The de facto absorption of Afghanistan will accentuate centrifugal tendencies within Pakistan.” That centrifugal disintegration is now unfolding before the world’s eyes.

Conclusion: The Death of a Doctrine

The tragedy of Pakistan lies in its refusal to learn. The illusion of strategic depth was built on three fatal assumptions: that Afghanistan could be controlled, that religious extremism could be weaponized without consequence, and that India could be undermined through endless proxy wars. Each of these has proven disastrously false.

Afghanistan remains fiercely independent, its soil now a refuge for anti-Pakistan militants. Islamist extremism has metastasized within Pakistan, eroding the state’s coherence. And India, far from being destabilized, has emerged as a global power while Pakistan sinks deeper into isolation.

General Zia’s doctrine promised security through expansion but delivered insecurity through implosion. In the end, Afghanistan did not become Pakistan’s fortress; it became its graveyard.

The verdict of history is unforgiving: what Pakistan’s generals once hailed as strategic depth has turned out to be strategic death, a slow, self-inflicted unraveling of a nation that mistook fanaticism for foresight and illusion for strategy.

Dr. Prosenjit Nath is a techie, political analyst, and author.

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A Strategic Blunder: How Pakistan’s Kabul Strike Accelerates Its Regional Decline https://thecommunemag.com/a-strategic-blunder-how-pakistans-kabul-strike-accelerates-its-regional-decline/ Sat, 11 Oct 2025 05:29:55 +0000 https://thecommunemag.com/?p=131203 In the wake of Pakistan’s claimed “precision” airstrike on Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) targets in Kabul, regional observers have been quick to question both the success and the strategic wisdom of the operation. The strike, touted as a bold move against terrorism, may have far-reaching consequences beyond the immediate tactical objective. While Islamabad celebrates a symbolic […]

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In the wake of Pakistan’s claimed “precision” airstrike on Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) targets in Kabul, regional observers have been quick to question both the success and the strategic wisdom of the operation. The strike, touted as a bold move against terrorism, may have far-reaching consequences beyond the immediate tactical objective. While Islamabad celebrates a symbolic show of force, the reality on the ground could spell deeper instability for Pakistan itself, with ripple effects across Afghanistan, the Pashtun belt, and regional geopolitics involving China, Russia, India, and the United States.

Now let us dissect Pakistan’s motivations, missteps, and the broader implications of this operation, arguing that the strike may have accelerated Pakistan’s loss of influence in Afghanistan, while emboldening militant factions and straining regional fault lines further.

Let us assume that the TTP leader(ship) has been eliminated – so what, the group is without leadership for now! Then what, new leadership will emerge and that’s how it has always been. The group will prevail and grow.

Reports to the contrary suggest that Noor Wali Meshud has survived, so what – the strikes were just symbolic and unsuccessful! Then what, the scale and intensity of actions and operations by TTP in Pakistan especially in KPK province is going to skyrocket.

Neutralising terrorist leadership may delay terrorism but is not going to stop it.

Pakistan has just implemented India’s playbook. They are good and fast learners.

Timing and location of these strikes has just ensured the snapping the last thread of leverage that Pakistan and ISI had with Taliban. They have a more hostile neighbour to their west than to their east. This will have serious ramifications in terms of Pakistan – Afghanistan relationship, role of Afghan refugees within Pakistan, Pashtun dynamics in the region and involvement of extra regional players. Pakistan just lost Afghanistan.

Somewhere a hunch in me suggests the involvement of a likely pro Pakistan faction of Taliban in enabling these strikes – may be the Haqqanis! If it is them – the wedge between different factions of Taliban widens. Either they get into a fight in disarray or the pro Pakistan factions will be eliminated. If this hunch of mine isn’t true, then Pakistan has lost any semblance of leverage over any faction within Taliban.

This strike doesn’t bode well for the interests of China and Russia in this region, and they won’t take it lightly. What happens to Trump’s greed for Bagram base? No idea – but one thing is sure – intel and surveillance support for this strike for sure has come from the Americans. This makes the regional dynamics more complex.

With the acting FM of Afghanistan in India, India will hedge with a statement castigating Pakistan for violating the sovereignty of Afghanistan but will have a wide field for play in the covert background. Our leverage will further increase with and in Afghanistan (read Taliban). We should quietly secure and grow our interests in Kabul (rest is better unsaid here).

Prognosis

Taliban will up the anti-Pakistan ante in Kabul. Pakistan will support ISKP against Taliban (NRF is a small inconsequential player as of now). TTP will intensify its actions and operations in KPK and Balochistan. Pakistan is going to see a wild-wild West. Afghanistan will again witness a complex turmoil and so will western provinces of Pakistan. We should just cement our interests and watch the play unfolding with popcorn in our hand, without losing sight of internal security within Bharat. TTP leader eliminated or alive doesn’t matter – TTP ideology has survived much more than these strikes and is still alive and until Pakistan stops supporting any form terrorism, it will remain a victim to the same of its own doing.

Kautilya is a defence enthusiast.

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Afghanistan: 45-Year-Old Man Marries 6-Year-Old Girl; Taliban Intervenes, Asks Man To Wait Till She Turns 9 https://thecommunemag.com/afghanistan-45-year-old-man-marries-6-year-old-girl-taliban-intervenes-asks-man-to-wait-till-she-turns-9/ Fri, 11 Jul 2025 07:11:41 +0000 https://thecommunemag.com/?p=120782 A disturbing case of child marriage in southern Afghanistan has triggered widespread condemnation after reports emerged that a six-year-old girl was married to a 45-year-old man in Helmand province’s Marjah district. The incident, which has gone viral on social media following the circulation of images from the wedding ceremony, has prompted criticism from Afghan citizens, […]

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A disturbing case of child marriage in southern Afghanistan has triggered widespread condemnation after reports emerged that a six-year-old girl was married to a 45-year-old man in Helmand province’s Marjah district. The incident, which has gone viral on social media following the circulation of images from the wedding ceremony, has prompted criticism from Afghan citizens, human rights organisations, and international observers.

According to US-based Afghan news outlet Amu.tv, the man—who already has two wives—allegedly paid the girl’s family in a traditional walwar arrangement, a customary bride price determined by the girl’s appearance, education level, and perceived social value.

Local Taliban officials reportedly intervened after learning of the marriage and stopped the man from taking the child to his home. However, they stated that the girl could be sent to her husband’s household once she reaches the age of nine. While both the groom and the child’s father were arrested in Marjah, no formal charges have been filed. The girl currently remains with her parents, according to Hasht-e Subh Daily.

Since the Taliban’s return to power in 2021, rates of child marriage have surged sharply. A 2024 report by UN Women noted a 25% rise in underage marriages and a 45% increase in early childbearing, correlating the trend with the regime’s ban on girls’ education and the economic crisis affecting families nationwide. Afghanistan remains one of the countries with the highest number of child brides globally, according to UNICEF.

The country currently lacks a legal minimum age for marriage. The previous civil code, which set the minimum age for girls at 16, has not been reinstated. Marriages are now governed by the Taliban’s interpretation of Islamic law, primarily the Hanafi school of jurisprudence, which permits marriage at or around the onset of puberty. However, there is no formal or medical consensus on the age at which this occurs.

Human rights groups argue that such interpretations leave children vulnerable to abuse and exploitation. Girls subjected to early marriages often face severe health risks from premature pregnancies, as well as social isolation, lack of education, and increased exposure to domestic violence.

Last month, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for Taliban Supreme Leader Haibatullah Akhundzada and Chief Justice Abdul Hakim Haqqani on charges of crimes against humanity, specifically regarding their policies against women. The Taliban dismissed the warrants, calling them an “insult to the beliefs of Muslims.”

Meanwhile, restrictions on women continue to intensify across Afghanistan. Girls are banned from secondary schools and universities, and women are excluded from most public-facing jobs and recreational spaces. Travel without a male guardian is prohibited, and face coverings are mandatory in public.

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Pakistan Authorities Clueless As Deadline For Mass Deportation Of Afghan Refugees Approaches Islamabad https://thecommunemag.com/pakistan-authorities-clueless-as-deadline-for-mass-deportation-of-afghan-refugees-approaches-islamabad/ Fri, 21 Mar 2025 06:39:28 +0000 https://thecommunemag.com/?p=110765 The Pakistan government has not set any guidelines as the deadline for the mass repatriation of Afghan refugees from the country is just ten days away, leaving relevant departments clueless. The Afghan Commissionerate in Pakistan which is responsible for Afghan refugees under the federal administration has reportedly not received any official instructions from the government, […]

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The Pakistan government has not set any guidelines as the deadline for the mass repatriation of Afghan refugees from the country is just ten days away, leaving relevant departments clueless.

The Afghan Commissionerate in Pakistan which is responsible for Afghan refugees under the federal administration has reportedly not received any official instructions from the government, according to media reports. Pakistan’s government has not issued any directives to the concerned authorities regarding the repatriation of refugees, causing confusion among them, the country’s leading daily, The Express Tribune, reported on Friday.

Pakistan has set a March 31 deadline for the deportation of all Afghan refugees. However, some Afghans are hoping for an extension of the deadline. As relations with Afghanistan reached an all-time low, Pakistan’s Foreign Office confirmed the deadline is still in place. Meanwhile earlier this week Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi called for the gradual repatriation of Afghan refugees.

Addressing an iftar gathering for diplomats in Kabul at which Pakistani Charge d’Affaires Ubaidur Rehman Nizamani was present, he stated that over the past four decades, millions of Afghans have migrated to different countries, including Pakistan and Iran. “Refugees should be respected and their return should be gradual and dignified, and there are some problems that make it difficult to prepare for the arrival of refugees all at once. Pakistan’s leading newspaper Dawn reported quoting Muttaqi. Recently, the US-based advocacy group Human Rights Watch slammed Pakistan for the forced deportation of Afghan refugees.

“Pakistani officials should immediately stop coercing Afghans to return home and allow those facing expulsion to seek protection,” said Elaine Pearson Asia Director at Human Rights Watch. According to the rights watchdog, Pakistani police have raided houses, beaten and arbitrarily detained people, and confiscated their refugee documents, including residence permits. They have also demanded bribes to allow Afghans to remain in Pakistan.

The United Nations has reported that most Afghans who have returned to Afghanistan have cited fear of detention by Pakistani authorities as the reason they left. Masood Rahmati, an Afghan journalist, said that even Afghans who are registered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) or who had valid residence cards were not safe in Pakistan. Several reports revealed that Afghan refugees are facing massive harassment and abuse in Pakistan.

Asking various human rights organisations to take action on their behalf, the Afghan refugees stated that despite holding valid legal documents, they are facing the threat of illegal detention, deportation, and discrimination.

–IANS

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Afghan Police Arrest 34,000 Beggars To End Begging Culture https://thecommunemag.com/afghan-police-arrest-34000-beggars-to-end-begging-culture/ Sun, 09 Feb 2025 12:53:43 +0000 https://thecommunemag.com/?p=107726 Police in Afghanistan have arrested more than 34,000 beggars from across the country over the past year to give an end to the culture of begging in society, a deputy on counter-narcotics of the Ministry of Interior Affairs said. “We have arrested 34,377 beggars over the past year,” the National Radio and Television of Afghanistan […]

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Police in Afghanistan have arrested more than 34,000 beggars from across the country over the past year to give an end to the culture of begging in society, a deputy on counter-narcotics of the Ministry of Interior Affairs said.

“We have arrested 34,377 beggars over the past year,” the National Radio and Television of Afghanistan (RTA) quoted Mullah Abdul Haq Akhund Hamkar on Sunday as saying. Major parts of the collected beggars were fake and professional, the official told the state-owned media outlet, saying the police after investigation have allocated a monthly allowance to the needy one and referred the professional beggars to the concerned entities for further investigation, Xinhua news agency reported.

A commission was established to register beggars and categorise them as “professional”, “destitute” or “organised”, which involves taking their biometric data and fingerprints. According to Taliban officials, nearly 60,000 beggars have already been “rounded up” in Kabul alone. The death of detainees rounded up under anti-begging laws is factored into the wording of the Taliban’s new law, in which Article 25 states: “If a beggar dies while in custody and has no relatives or if the family refuses to collect the body, the municipal officials will handle the burial.”

Under the new laws, those classed as “destitute” are legally entitled to financial assistance after their release, but none of the women said they had received any help. Officials in Balkh said that they have begun a campaign to round up beggars in Mazar-e-Sharif city and other parts of the northern province. The officials said that the beggars will be provided with 2,000 Afs per month after the completion of the process. “If they are really poor and vulnerable, we will provide them with 2,000 Afs per month,” said Noor-ul-Huda Abu Idris, the deputy governor of Balkh.

“There could be some fake beggars and there could be real beggars. This will be distinguished in the future because this commission is formed for this purpose,” said Faizullah Faizi, head of the commission to round up beggars. The Afghan caretaker government, according to the official, is committed to fighting the culture of begging as part of efforts to keep the society clean. More than 23 million Afghans, about half of the population of the war-torn country, have reportedly been facing a food crisis.

–IANS

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Multiple Explosions Rock Kabul As Pak-Afghan Border Clashes Intensify https://thecommunemag.com/multiple-explosions-rock-kabul-as-pak-afghan-border-clashes-intensify/ Sat, 28 Dec 2024 14:43:43 +0000 https://thecommunemag.com/?p=102570 Afghanistan’s capital Kabul has become the epicentre of multiple explosions during the last 24 hours as border clashes between Pakistan and Afghan forces intensify. At 10 a.m. on Saturday, an explosion was reported in Kabul close to the office of the interior ministry in front of Sheikh Zayed Hospital. The latest explosion in Afghanistan’s capital […]

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Afghanistan’s capital Kabul has become the epicentre of multiple explosions during the last 24 hours as border clashes between Pakistan and Afghan forces intensify.

At 10 a.m. on Saturday, an explosion was reported in Kabul close to the office of the interior ministry in front of Sheikh Zayed Hospital. The latest explosion in Afghanistan’s capital is the second within 24 hours with the first being near the Indian Embassy at Kabul’s Shahri Naw area on Friday.

“No casualties have been reported. A search operation has begun in the vicinity. The motive behind the blast is unknown as of now. There has been no official word about the incident as yet also,” said Samiullah, a local resident of Kabul. Saturday’s explosion in Kabul follows what seems like a series of targeted attacks around sensitive locations in the capital.

On Friday, around 3:30 p.m., an explosion was heard by the locals near the Indian Embassy located at the Shahri Naw area in Kabul. The Afghan Taliban regime opted to remain silent on the incident.

However, reports suggested that the explosion resulted in at least 17 casualties. “Yesterday’s explosion killed dozens and it seemed to be targeted somewhere near to the Indian Embassy in Kabul. On December 24, an Afghan staffer of Indian consulate in Jalalabad was attacked and injured,” said a local source in Kabul.

Pertinent to note that the explosions in Kabul are happening at a time when clashes between Pakistan and Afghanistan have intensified on the border. During the early hours of Saturday, heavy exchange of fire was reported between Afghanistan and Pakistan on the Dande Pattan-Kurram border.

“There have been injuries reported on both sides. We still do not have a confirmation on the casualties,” said a local source in Kurram district of Pakistan’s Khyber Pukhtunkhwa (KP) province. Moreover, at least four security personnel have been martyred, while at least 11 have been injured in heavy clashes with the militants in KP’s Bajaur district.

“Four security personnel have died and 11 injured during the intelligence-based operation (IBO) in Mulla Said Banda, Salarzai area of Bajaur district. The injured include a major ranked officer. There have been casualties among militants also. However, the militants have been surrounded and the firing is still going on,” said a security source.

The latest episode of heavy clashes between militants and the security forces along with a fresh exchange of heavy fire along the Pak-Afghan border has forced hundreds of families, residing in Afghanistan’s Landoro Sadiqo village of Khost province to leave their homes due to fear of further armed clashes.

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, during his recent address at a Cabinet meeting, stated that the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) is a “red line” for the country, urging the Taliban-led Afghan interim government to take decisive action against the group.

“Since TTP operates from Afghanistan, the Afghan government must take solid action to prevent attacks on Pakistan. If this continues, it will be unacceptable. Pakistan will defend itself at all costs,” he said.

The fresh Pak-Afghan clashes are also a result of the recent airstrikes by Pakistan in Afghanistan, that targeted hideouts of TTP in Paktika province of Afghanistan, which borders with Pakistan’s South Waziristan tribal district of KP province. Reports of casualties were confirmed by the Afghan Taliban, who stated that they would respond to Pakistan’s aggression with full force.

“The Pakistani side should understand that such arbitrary measures are not a solution to any problem. The Islamic Emirate will not leave this cowardly act unanswered and considers the defence of its territory an inalienable right,” said Enayatullah Khowarazami, spokesperson of the Afghan Taliban’s Defense Ministry.

–IANS

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Pakistan Violently Uproots 1.7 Million Afghans, Creates A Massive Humanitarian Crisis https://thecommunemag.com/pakistan-violently-uproots-1-7-million-afghans-creates-a-massive-humanitarian-crisis/ Fri, 03 Nov 2023 14:09:50 +0000 https://thecommunemag.com/?p=63603 As Pakistan sheds tears over how the Islamic terror organization Hamas is being treated, it has started the process to deport an estimated 1.7 million Afghans who have been residing in the country without legal status for over 30 years. At the same time, the liberal and Islamic brigade in India is all quiet as […]

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As Pakistan sheds tears over how the Islamic terror organization Hamas is being treated, it has started the process to deport an estimated 1.7 million Afghans who have been residing in the country without legal status for over 30 years. At the same time, the liberal and Islamic brigade in India is all quiet as a massive humanitarian crisis is being unraveled in a very sensitive territory with serious consequences.

Pakistan which is famous for being a leader of the Global Islamic Community or Ummah, has now started to uproot Afghans from its territory with violence and degradation. For these Afghan refugees, their homeland Afghanistan is alien to them as they only grew up in Pakistan and have no idea what future is in store for them as they enter into a country that is ruled by the Taliban.

For Pakistan, the Afghan refugees were nothing but a meal ticket that was the outcome of the Cold War when the erstwhile Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan in 1979 resulting in millions pouring into Pakistan. The number of refugees was again very high for a country like Pakistan to handle but for a very long time, they received a lot of funds from the US and Saudi Arabia.

The fact is Pakistan still receives funds for housing these refugees which will not end. This is why it is now necessary to conduct a thorough financial reporting, auditing, and forensic accounting of how the funds were used over the years. However, the probable reason for deporting these Afghans could be because of the decrease in funding for these refugees and it is no longer viable for Pakistan to host them given their precarious economic condition.

The Afghans who have over the years set up legitimate businesses in Pakistan are now being forced to move stripping them of their livelihood, safety, and their lifetime savings overnight. What is even more challenging for these displaced refugees is to find a suitable shelter as winter sets in. 

But what is even more hypocritical is the silence of the Indian liberals and Islamists who cried foul when the Modi government introduced the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) in 2019. Even people in Pakistan called this law undemocratic while they shamelessly persecuted Hindus and other minorities. 

Afghan refugees in Pakistan have been a significant humanitarian issue for several decades after the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan and Millions of Afghans fled their war-torn country and sought refuge in neighboring Pakistan. The Afghan refugee crisis has persisted for years due to ongoing conflicts, insecurity, and instability in Afghanistan.

Key points about Afghan refugees in Pakistan:

  1. Historical Context: The Afghan refugee crisis in Pakistan began with the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979. Millions of Afghan refugees crossed the border into Pakistan, seeking safety and shelter.

  2. Refugee Camps: Pakistan established refugee camps to provide shelter, food, and basic services to Afghan refugees. These camps were often run by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and various NGOs.

  3. Repatriation Efforts: Over the years, there have been several repatriation initiatives to encourage Afghan refugees to return to their homeland. These have been supported by the UNHCR and the Pakistani government.

  4. Security Concerns: The long-standing presence of Afghan refugees in Pakistan has posed security challenges for both countries. Pakistani authorities have at times expressed concerns about militants hiding among the refugee population.

  5. Legal Status: Many Afghan refugees in Pakistan do not have legal status, and they often live in precarious conditions. In recent years, the Pakistani government has initiated efforts to regularize the status of some Afghan refugees.

  6. Education and Health: NGOs and humanitarian agencies have provided education and healthcare services to Afghan refugees in Pakistan. Despite challenges, many refugee children have had access to schools and healthcare facilities which will now end as they have to move to Afghanistan which is ruled by the Taliban that does not allow education for women.

  7. Economic Impact: Afghan refugees have also had an economic impact on Pakistan, both positive and negative. Some have contributed to the labor force, while others have faced challenges in finding employment.

  8. Recent Developments: The situation of Afghan refugees in Pakistan has become more complicated with the return of the Taliban to power in Afghanistan in 2021. The instability in Afghanistan has led to renewed concerns about the security and humanitarian needs of Afghan refugees, particularly women who will have no rights under the Taliban rule.

It seems the life of Palestinians is more valuable than that of Afghans and Pakistan has no qualms when it comes to deporting Afghan refugees who stand to lose everything, including their life, under the Taliban. 

Pakistan is an Islamic state and yet its treatment of the two nationalities is hypocritical. 

It must be noted that if there had been any action by the Indian government against the Rohingya Muslims, there would have been condemnation from Pakistan, and from India, the left-liberal-Islamists cabal would be up in arms over this injustice. Also, they are quiet when it comes to Uyghur Muslims in China who are placed in concentration camps called reeducation camps. 

Therefore it seems as long as a Muslim persecutes a Muslim, all is well because critiquing the situation that is developing in the Pakistan-Afghan border will be politically incorrect.

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Indian Flag Banned By I.N.D.I Ally? Fans Prevented From Carrying Indian Tricolour For Pak-Afg Match In Chepauk, Pakistan T-Shirt Clad People Allowed https://thecommunemag.com/indian-flag-banned-by-i-n-d-i-ally-fans-prevented-from-carrying-indian-tricolour-for-pak-afg-match-in-chepauk-pakistan-t-shirt-clad-people-allowed/ Mon, 23 Oct 2023 10:14:00 +0000 https://thecommunemag.com/?p=62738 It has been reported that ticket-holding spectators to the Pakistan versus Afghanistan world cup match at the Chepauk stadium have been prevented from carrying the Indian tricolour with them. According to a report by News Tamil 24×7, officials have informed that the Indian national flag is not allowed to be carried inside the stadium due […]

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It has been reported that ticket-holding spectators to the Pakistan versus Afghanistan world cup match at the Chepauk stadium have been prevented from carrying the Indian tricolour with them.

According to a report by News Tamil 24×7, officials have informed that the Indian national flag is not allowed to be carried inside the stadium due to the match between Pakistan and Afghanistan teams.

Police officials stationed at MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chepauk, Chennai (Assembly constituency of DMK Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin) have been seizing the Indian flags carried by the fans.

The report by News Tamil 24×7 noted that one of the police officials dumped the seized Indian flags into a dustbin which enraged the people. Later, the same police official took the flag from the bin and kept it inside his car.

https://twitter.com/NewsTamilTV24x7/status/1716373726961230063

On the other hand, those wearing Pakistani team t-shirts have been allowed inside the stadium notes the News Tamil 24×7 report.

The latest development comes against the backdrop of DMK Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin coming out in support of Pakistani cricketer Mohammad Rizwan after an enthusiastic crowd chanted ‘Jai Shri Ram’ when he was making his way back to the pavilion after getting out at 49 runs.

BJP Tamil Nadu President K. Annamalai condemned the incident saying “Gopalapuram Scion Thiru Udhayanidhi Stalin  had problems with the #JaiShriRam chant during the Cricket match against Pakistan, having forgotten the treatment meted out to our players in Pakistan in the past. DMK Minister Thiru Ponmudi’s son & TNCA President Thiru Ashok Sigamani has taken their political propaganda one step further and have insulted our Nation’s flag today. The police outside the stadium disallowed fans from carrying the Indian flag to today’s match in Chepauk. Who gave TNCA this right? We demand the strictest action against the police officers for insulting our National flag, and the DMK should apologise to the people of our state, failing which, @BJP4TamilNadu will be compelled to protest against this Corrupt DMK government for denigrating the sanctity of the Tricolor.

https://twitter.com/annamalai_k/status/1716386749608567065

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Kerala YouTuber Yaseen Travels To Afghanistan And Vlogs, Calls Taliban As Peaceful https://thecommunemag.com/kerala-youtuber-yaseen-travels-to-afghanistan-and-vlogs-calls-taliban-as-peaceful/ Wed, 20 Sep 2023 14:59:03 +0000 https://thecommunemag.com/?p=60737 A YouTuber from Kerala named Muhammed Yaseen whose channel name is “Yaseen Vlogs” has shared a video called “Welcome to Taliban.” In the video Yaseen who is from Kerala is speaking in Malayalam and English and claims that the Taliban are very nice people and one can travel safely across Afghanistan. Many on social media […]

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A YouTuber from Kerala named Muhammed Yaseen whose channel name is “Yaseen Vlogs” has shared a video called “Welcome to Taliban.” In the video Yaseen who is from Kerala is speaking in Malayalam and English and claims that the Taliban are very nice people and one can travel safely across Afghanistan. Many on social media are calling it a public relations video shot by this Youtuber for the Taliban.

Yaseen Mohammad Yaseen, a native of Wayanad, has over 8 lakh followers on his YouTube channel. According to the videos, he entered Afghanistan through the Tajikistan border. He mentions that during his stay in Tajikistan, he stayed with 2 Pakistanis and 1 man from Afghanistan. 

Yaseen has documented his travels in Afghanistan as videos on his YouTube channel. He has apparently visited many places in Afghanistan like Kunduz, and Mazar-i-Sharif to name a few. 

In one of his YouTube videos, Yaseen is seen praising the roads in Afghanistan, however, he conveniently or deliberately forgot that most of the infrastructures like roads, highway, power grids, and dams was built by the Indian taxpayers.

He has also shared videos of him having lunch and dinner with the Taliban and is very happy when told that there is no violence in Afghanistan after the Taliban took control. 

In another video, Yaseen is asking his fellow Muslims to join him in Afghanistan where they can have the latest assault rifles, machine guns, and American-made guns that the US had left behind. Yaseen is seen traveling with a Taliban leader in a car and later holds guns. Yaseen also shows a letter that was supposedly issued to him by the Taliban to travel all across Afghanistan.

The video already has over 1.5 lakh views and was shot at Mazar-i-Sharif and he can be heard praising the Islamist regime while admiring their guns. As the video became public on various social media platforms such as X (formally Twitter), many have called for immediate intervention from the central government.

In all the vlogs that he made in Afghanistan, not even one woman is seen in public, and throughout his recordings, he seems to be very happy with his Sharia-compliant surroundings.

Taliban came to power in dramatic fashion in August 2021. After taking power, this puritanical Islamic regime carried out many extrajudicial executions, arbitrary arrests, torture, and unlawful detention. Pre-pubescent girls were again forced to marry older men but all such injustices seemed not to deter Yaseen from enjoying himself in Afghanistan.   

Kerala has a long history when it comes to its native Muslims joining terror organizations and such videos will only entice other Muslims to join the Taliban which has imposed strict Sharia laws in Afghanistan and has put many restrictions on women. Under the Taliban rule, women can no longer pursue education and employment, and Yaseen praising the Taliban rule and instigating people to join him is a matter of national security.

As the video became public on various social media platforms such as X (formally Twitter), many have called for immediate intervention from the central government.

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