During a regular press conference held just hours after Taliban forces entered Kabul, foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying stated that China stands “ready to continue to develop good-neighborliness and friendly cooperation with Afghanistan and play a constructive role in Afghanistan’s peace and reconstruction.”[1] But is China anxious to fill the vacuum left by the US withdrawal, intent on redrawing Asia’s […]

The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) has asked to address world leaders at the United Nations in New York this week and nominated their Doha-based spokesman Suhail Shaheen as Afghanistan’s UN ambassador, according to a letter seen by Reuters on Tuesday. Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi made the request in a letter to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday, Reuters […]

Representatives of Russia, China and Pakistan have met with Afghanistan’s interim Prime Minister Mullah Muhammad Hasan Akhund and other officials of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) to discuss international recognition of the new government. A spokesman for the Islamic Emirate said its representatives would work to persuade the international community to recognize the Islamic Emirate government and to prevent […]

The Haqqani network derives its name from Jalaluddin Haqqani, who first fought against the Soviet army in Afghanistan, and later against the United States (US) and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization forces. Following the death of Jalaluddin, the leadership of the group was assumed by his son, Sirajuddin, who is set to head the Interior Ministry, perhaps the most important […]

The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan’s (IEA) deputy minister of culture and information on Tuesday announced the rest of the interim government’s key appointments including cabinet members. Addressing a press conference in Kabul, Zabihullah Mujahid said expertise in the respective fields had been taken into account in appointing the acting ministers and other officials. He said in doing this, the ministries […]

Pakistan or any other country has no right to ask the Taliban for establishing an ‘inclusive’ government in Afghanistan, the movement says. Last week, Prime Minister Imran Khan tweeted he had launched talks with the Taliban on the creation of a broad-based government, On Monday, a Pakistani newspaper quoted Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid as saying he was collecting information about […]

On September 18, 2021, the top leadership of the International Union of Muslim Scholars (IUMS), which is sponsored by the Qatari Regime,[1] hosted in the organization’s headquarters in Doha a delegation on behalf of the Taliban’s government in Afghanistan, headed by Deputy Foreign Minister Sher Mohammad ‘Abbas Stanikzai, which also included Taliban political bureau member Al-Mawlawi Muti’ Al-Haqq, political bureau […]

Russia’s invitation to the Taliban’s since-canceled inauguration ceremony indicates a special relationship has developed between Moscow and the Taliban. Russia – along with Pakistan, China, Iran, Turkey and Qatar — was on a fairly short list of states invited by the Taliban to inaugurate their new government in Kabul on Sept. 11. The Speaker of the Federation Council (Russia’s upper […]

The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan’s head of intelligence directorate in Nangarhar said on Monday that 40 people have been arrested in connection with explosions that rocked Jalalabad city on Saturday and Sunday. The intelligence chief, Dr Bashir, also confirmed that four people had died and six others were wounded in the explosions – three on Saturday and one on Sunday. […]

The Taliban’s record in recent weeks on making good on promises to respect human and women’s rights as well as uphold freedom of the press is mixed at best. Afghanistan’s neighbours and near-neighbours are not holding their breath even if some are willing to give the Central Asian country’s new rulers the benefit of the doubt. A litmus test of […]