Azadi Briefing

Welcome to The Azadi Briefing, an RFE/RL newsletter that unpacks the key issues in Afghanistan. To subscribe, click here.

I'm Abubakar Siddique, a senior correspondent at RFE/RL's Radio Azadi. Here's what I've been tracking and what I'm keeping an eye on in the days ahead.

The Key Issue

Pakistan’s defense minister and spy chief visited Kabul on February 22 for talks with senior Taliban officials.

The high-profile visit appeared aimed at easing tensions over recent border clashes and closures, as well as militant attacks in Pakistan.

The Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has staged a string of deadly attacks in Pakistan in recent months. Islamabad has accused the Afghan Taliban of sheltering the Pakistani militant group.

In response, the Taliban has accused Islamabad of allowing U.S. drones to fly over its territory and into Afghanistan. The Afghan militants have also accused Islamabad of turning a blind eye to Islamic State-Khorasan (IS-K), a foe of the Taliban that is present along the Afghan-Pakistan border.

In a February 22 statement, Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry said that "the two sides agreed to collaborate to effectively address the threat of terrorism."

The Taliban said it expressed its "clear and thorough" views on "drone flights over our territory and the activities of the armed opposition," in an apparent reference to IS-K.

Why It's Important: Attempts by the Afghan Taliban and Pakistan to smooth over their differences appear to have failed.

The Taliban on February 22 agreed to reopen the key Torkham border crossing, days after closing it and accusing Pakistan of unilaterally changing entry rules for Afghans. But on February 23, Islamabad closed its side of the border.

The Afghan Taliban and Pakistan have been close allies for decades. But their relations have plummeted since the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan in 2021.

Instead of providing the security bulwark Islamabad expected from the Taliban in return for allegedly sheltering its leaders and helping its insurgency for over two decades, Taliban-ruled Afghanistan has become a security concern for Pakistan.

The Taliban's ideological and organizational ally, the TTP, has recuperated under its rule. Its attacks inside Pakistan have soared since Afghan Taliban-brokered peace talks between the TTP and Islamabad last year failed.

What's Next: It is unclear if the sides are willing or able to smooth over their differences.

The Afghan Taliban is unlikely to crack down or expel the TTP, although it could convince the militants to decrease their attacks inside Pakistan.

If the TTP continues to wreak havoc in Pakistan, Islamabad could resort to military action inside Afghanistan, a move that would likely escalate tensions even further.

The Week's Best Story

The Taliban has banned begging and rounded up thousands of impoverished Afghans seeking alms on the streets of Kabul in recent months. But many of Kabul’s poorest are now going door-to-door around the city in search of food or cash in order to survive. Among them is Shakiba, who told Radio Azadi that she has “no choice but to send my children to people's houses to beg."

What To Keep An Eye On

The Taliban announced on February 22 that it has established a consortium with companies from Russia, Iran, and Pakistan in a bid to attract investment.

Taliban Commerce Minister Nooruddin Azizi said his ministry and 14 Afghan businessmen had signed a memorandum of understanding with foreign firms to assess up to $1 billion in various projects, including in the fields of mining, power, and infrastructure.

The Taliban also announced this week that it would turn former foreign military bases in Afghanistan into special economic zones.

Why It's Important: The cash-strapped Taliban government, which remains unrecognized by any country, has tried to attract foreign investment, but international sanctions and isolation have hampered those efforts.

The Taliban has turned to neighbors like Pakistan, China, and Iran, as well as Russia. But the Pakistani, Iranian, and Russian governments and firms are unlikely to be able to invest heavily in Afghanistan. Islamabad is struggling with a sharp economic downturn. Meanwhile, Tehran and Moscow are reeling from crippling Western sanctions.

The Taliban, however, appears to be successfully generating much needed revenue, mainly through tax collection and exports. A recent World Bank report said Afghan exports, including coal, rose to $1.7 billion last year, surpassing the figures for the past two years.

That's all from me for now. Don't forget to send me any questions, comments, or tips that you have.

Until next time,

Abubakar Siddique

If you enjoyed this briefing and don't want to miss the next edition, subscribe here. It will be sent to your inbox every Friday.

Welcome back to The Azadi Briefing, an RFE/RL newsletter that unpacks the key issues in Afghanistan. To subscribe, click here.

I'm Mustafa Sarwar, a senior news editor at RFE/RL's Radio Azadi. Here's what I've been tracking and what I'm keeping an eye on in the days ahead.

The Key Issue

Key Taliban officials have recently appeared to criticize the militant group's supreme leader, Mullah Haibatullah Akhundzada, whose repressive policies have alienated Afghans and isolated the Taliban's unrecognized government internationally.

Sirajuddin Haqqani, the Taliban's powerful interior minister, gave a speech on February 11 in which he appeared to accuse Akhundzada of "monopolizing power" and "hurting the reputation" of the militant group.

Another influential Taliban official, Defense Minister Mullah Mohammad Yaqoob, said in a February 15 speech in Kabul that the militant group "should never be arrogant" and must "always respond to the legitimate demands of the nation."

Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid told RFE/RL's Radio Azadi on February 16 that "all members share the same thoughts, beliefs, and ideology," adding that Haqqani and Yaqoob were merely making suggestions.

Why It's Important: Haqqani and Yaqoob's public comments appear to have lifted the lid on the widening rifts within the Taliban, which has come under national and international condemnation for its severe restrictions on women's rights and human rights abuses.

As the Taliban has attempted to transform from an insurgency into a functional government after seizing power in 2021, there have been mounting reports of infighting.

Akhundzada, who rarely travels outside his stronghold in the southern province of Kandahar, has consolidated power and empowered ultraconservative clerics who share his extremist views.

What's Next: It is unclear yet if growing internal and foreign criticism will force Akhundzada to moderate his policies.

Experts do not expect internal differences to lead to an open revolt. But the infighting suggests that a growing number of Taliban officials believe change is necessary.

The Week's Best Stories

• A devastating humanitarian and economic crisis has forced some Afghans to turn to the booming methamphetamine industry to eke out a living and stave off starvation. Thousands of people are believed to be earning money by collecting ephedra, a wild herb that is used to make crystal meth. "For now, it is our only source of income," harvester Ahmad Wali told Radio Azadi. "We collect it from the mountains and sell it in the city."
• After 30 years in business, Gul Rahman says he may have to close his Kabul butcher's shop. The economic collapse since the Taliban regained control in Afghanistan has seen demand for meat plummet. "I can say many people can't afford to buy meat once a month," Rahman told Radio Azadi in this video. "People have a lot of troubles. If it goes on like this, I guess I will leave this occupation because there's no business."

What To Keep An Eye On

Taliban fighters stormed the offices of the private Tamadon TV station in Kabul on February 14, a witness told Radio Azadi on condition of anonymity.

The armed men, who identified themselves as Taliban Interior Ministry personnel, seized three vehicles belonging to the TV station. It was unclear if any staff members were detained.

A spokesman for the Taliban later said that "our forces entered the television [station] by mistake." The Afghanistan Journalists Center, a local watchdog, accused the Taliban of "intimidation."

Broadcasting mainly religious content, Tamadon TV was established by Ayatollah Mohammad Asif Mohseni, a prominent Afghan Shi'ite cleric who died in 2019.

Why It's Important: In the past, Afghanistan's Sunni Taliban rulers have suppressed the country's Shi'ite Hazara minority.

Since regaining power, the Taliban has tried to assuage Hazara fears of discrimination and persecution. But rights groups have documented the extrajudicial killings and forced evictions of Hazara by the Taliban in parts of the country.

The raid on Tamadon TV is also the latest attempt by the Taliban to suppress media freedom in Afghanistan. The militants have waged a brutal crackdown on dissent that has targeted journalists, human rights defenders, and intellectuals.

The Afghanistan Journalists Center said it recorded 260 cases of press-freedom violations in 2022, including "detentions, threats, assaults, and restrictions on media outlets, journalists, and in particular women journalists."

That's all from me for now. Don't forget to send me any questions, comments, or tips that you have.

Until next time,

Mustafa Sarwar

If you enjoyed this briefing and don't want to miss the next edition, subscribe here. It will be sent to your inbox every Friday.