Azadi Briefing

Welcome to Gandhara's weekly newsletter. This briefing brings you the best of our reporting from Afghanistan and Pakistan.

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This week’s Gandhara Briefing brings you insights into the Taliban turning a blind eye to the opium trade; the militant group banning women from many university courses; and the return of the Pakistani Taliban to the Swat Valley.

Unenforced Taliban Drug Ban

I write about the Taliban turning a blind eye to poppy cultivation despite announcing a blanket ban on illicit narcotics.

Some farmers in southern Afghanistan, where most of the world’s illicit opium is produced, say they are planting their crops openly.

The Taliban has been unable to provide alternative livelihoods for the tens of thousands of farmers who are dependent on the drug trade for survival.

“I support the ban on poppy cultivation if we get some aid to enable us to buy food and medicines for our families,” Abdul Qayyum, a farmer in Kandahar’s Maiwand district, told us.

Naqibullah, a farmer in Uruzgan, said that a wheat crop could not even pay for the labor and investment in fertilizers it requires to grow. “If I don’t plant poppies, I will get nothing,” he said.

“An effective ban on drugs production in the midst of a failing economy is a recipe for disaster,” said David Mansfield, a researcher who tracks drugs and human smuggling in Afghanistan.

TTP Returns To Swat

Daud Khattak reports on the return of the Pakistani Taliban to the Swat Valley, where the militants shot and wounded Malala Yousafzai a decade ago.

In recent weeks, residents of Swat have staged protests to highlight Islamabad’s indifference to the return of the militants. Across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the militants have engaged in extortion and targeted assassinations.

“We don’t want insecurity here because we fear being displaced again,” said Ali Rahman, who was forced to give up his education and flee Swat during a major military offensive in 2009. “That would destroy our business and life.”

Lawyer Ali Sher says the residents of Swat are determined to protect their areas from the militants.

“If the government continues to remain indifferent, the people will block the Taliban from reentering our areas,” he said.

Afghan Women Banned From University Courses

RFE/RL's Radio Azadi reports on the Taliban banning women from applying for many university courses, including journalism, engineering, and economics.

The move came as tens of thousands of Afghan men and women took part in university entrance exams.

“I was heartbroken and disillusioned, so I walked away,” said Fatima, 20. She left the exam after learning that she could not study journalism.

Shamila, a high-school graduate in Kunduz, cannot pursue her dream of becoming a doctor because medicine is not offered in her province. The Taliban has barred women from applying for universities outside their home provinces.

“No one has been able to explain to us why we are deprived of studying our preferred subjects,” she said.

(Watch Radio Azadi’s report on Kabul’s female-only library, which has turned into an oasis for Afghan girls and women.)

Taliban Bans The Hookah

Radio Azadi reports on the Taliban banning hookah smoking, a move that has dealt a blow to cafes in Herat.

The Taliban considers hookah smoking un-Islamic. Cafe owners say the ban will affect their earnings and lead to job cuts.

“How can I run a cafe when I have no income?” asked Omid, who was forced to lay off seven workers after customers stopped visiting his cafe following the Taliban ban. “How can I pay workers when we have no customers?”

Mohammad Qasim, 23, says he plans to leave Afghanistan after losing his job in a cafe.

“I have been forced to go to Iran to look for work,” he said, adding that without his $100 monthly salary, he will not be able to provide for his family of five.

That's all from me this week.

Until next time,

Abubakar Siddique

If you haven't subscribed yet, you can do so here. I encourage you to visit our website and follow us on Twitter and Facebook..

You can always reach us at gandhara@rferl.org.

Editor's Note: The Gandhara Briefing will not appear next week but will return on November 4.

Welcome to Gandhara's weekly newsletter. This briefing brings you the best of our reporting from Afghanistan and Pakistan.

If you're new to the newsletter or haven't subscribed yet, you can do so here.

This week's Gandhara Briefing brings you our reporting on the two best friends killed in the bombing of a Kabul education center and the Taliban forcing students and teachers to sign pledges to follow its interpretation of Islamic Shari'a law.

Afghan Best Friends United In Death

Radio Azadi interviewed the families of cousins and best friends Marzia and Hajar Mohammadi. The 18-year-olds were among the nearly 60 girls and women killed after a suicide bomber struck an education center in Kabul on September 30.

"They were so attached that they spent 12 out of every 24 hours together," said Maryam Mohammadi, Marzia's mother.

"Both were eager to meet their two favorite writers," Marzia's uncle, Abdul Zahir Mudaqiq, said of their dream to meet Turkish-British novelist Elif Shafak and American writer Rachel Hollis.

Despite the tragedy, Hajar's mother, Aziza Mohammadi, said she is determined to educate her three remaining children.

Many victims of the bombing were from the Shi’ite Hazara community, including Marzia and Hajar.

Maryam Mohammadi called on the Taliban to protect the beleaguered community, which has faced incessant attacks from the Islamic State-Khorasan extremist group.

"I don't want my other children to end up like Marzia," she said.

Taliban's Forced Shari'a Pledges

Omid Zahirmal reports on the Taliban ordering male teachers and students in Kandahar to sign pledges that they will adhere to the militant group’s extremist interpretation of Islamic Shari'a law.

"I…son of...promise that I will follow the Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad and all the principles of Shari'a law," reads the one-page document.

The pledge includes following the Taliban's strict dress code for men, including growing a beard, wearing a turban or Islamic cap, and donning the pirhan tumban, the traditional baggy shirt and pants common in rural Afghanistan.

It is the latest attempt by the Taliban to police the appearances of Afghans in public.

This week, Taliban leader Mullah Haibatullah Akhundzada said that clerics were reviewing all of Afghanistan's laws as the group looked to implement a "pure" Islamic system in the country.

Addicts Storm Herat's Streets

Radio Azadi reports on the rapid rise in the number of drug addicts living on the streets of Herat.

The Taliban has taken an extremely hard line in tackling Afghanistan’s massive drug problem, rounding up addicts and locking them up for months as a form of treatment. But the approach has proved ineffective, and some addicts have relapsed.

"Everyone beats us or pelts us with stones," said Zmarai, one of the hundreds of addicts who live on the city’s streets and in parks. "We have no one, and the government must do something for us."

Mohammad Saeed, a physician who heads a drug-treatment center in Herat, says the lack of resources has severely dented their capacity to treat addicts.

"We are not able to offer the complex treatment these addicts require," he said.

Freezing Winter In Ghor

In Ghor, residents are concerned about how they will survive the upcoming winter without adequate fuel and food

The prices of coal and essential food items such as wheat and oil have skyrocketed.

"The price of coal is already out of our reach, similar to that of essential food items," said Ismail. The 45-year-old is responsible for taking care of his 14-member extended family.

"I often have sleepless nights thinking about what we will do this year," said Sarwar, 35, a day laborer.

That's all from me this week.

If you haven't subscribed yet, you can do so here. I encourage you to visit our website and follow us on Twitter and Facebook..

You can always reach us at gandhara@rferl.org.