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 with 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

Erstwhile allies Pakistan and Afghanistan's hard-line Islamist rulers continue to spar over the Taliban's alleged support to militants fighting Islamabad.

"It is the responsibility of the security and intelligence agencies of Pakistan to carry out their duties properly and not to blame Afghanistan," chief Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said on August 9

His statement was an apparent response to an August 7 speech by General Asim Munir. The head of Pakistan's powerful military said Islamabad was concerned "over sanctuaries available to banned outfits and the liberty of action they enjoy on Afghan soil," vowing that his country will dismantle terrorist organizations.

"The involvement of Afghan nationals in terrorist incidents in Pakistan is detrimental to regional peace," Munir said.

On August 6, Taliban Defense Minister Mullah Mohammad Yaqoob called on his fighters to obey a recent decree by their supreme leader, Mullah Haibatullah Akhundzada, which forbids them from engaging in jihad outside Afghanistan.

"If mujahedin (Taliban forces) continue to fight despite orders from the emir to stop, then it is not jihad but rather hostility," Yaqoob said.

The decree is part of the Taliban's response to Islamabad's accusations that Afghan fighters are involved in attacks on Pakistani forces by the Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and other jihadist groups who shelter inside Afghanistan.

Why It's Important: The public bickering indicates that Islamabad now sees Taliban-ruled Afghanistan as a major security threat after abandoning efforts to end the TTP's insurgency through peace talks brokered by the Afghan Taliban.

Since the Taliban returned to power, partially enabled by Pakistani support for its two-decade-long insurgency, the TTP dramatically escalated its attacks on Pakistani forces.

Islamabad's efforts to end the violence by offering concessions to the group in talks mediated by the Taliban backfired as the TTP violence turned into an expanding insurgency. The group is trying to regain control of large swathes of the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province bordering Afghanistan.

But under Munir's leadership, the Pakistani military is pressuring the Afghan Taliban to rein in the TTP because of its close organizational and ideological alliance with its Afghan hosts.

What's Next: There are no signs that the TTP is stepping back from its violent campaign against Pakistan.

With elections looming, Pakistan will be governed by an interim caretaker government in the near future.

The continuation or increase in Pakistani Taliban violence will prompt Munir to exert more pressure on the Afghan Taliban in this sensitive period, further tearing apart the two former allies.

What To Keep An Eye On

Humanitarian aid groups operating in Afghanistan warn about the dangerous consequences of severe funding shortfalls as they grapple with one of the world's worst humanitarian crises.

The UN estimates that nearly 30 million Afghans out of a population of 40 million need humanitarian assistance as they struggle with the consequences of a collapsing economy.

Afghanistan is still reeling from the loss of development and financial aid after donors stopped funding one of the world's most aid-dependent countries following the Taliban's return to power two years ago.

"We need some $110 million immediately to store food for the winter for nearly 3 million people," said Wahidullah Amani, a spokesman for the World Food Program in Afghanistan.

The International Rescue Committee (IRC), a U.S. NGO, expressed concern over diminishing funds to respond to Afghanistan's humanitarian crisis.

The IRC says that only 23 percent of the $4.6 billion humanitarian appeal has been funded this year. By the same time last year, 40 percent of the previous plan was funded.

Why It's Important: This is a vital issue, as the Taliban's cash-strapped, unrecognized government is unlikely to fund humanitarian operations or pull an economic miracle.

Western donors are unlikely to shower aid on Afghanistan in a world struggling with multiple humanitarian crises because of the Taliban's harsh policies and extensive human rights abuses.

This will expose more of the most vulnerable Afghans to extreme hardship in the near future.

That's all from me for now. Don't forget to send me any questions, comments, or tips that you have. You can always reach us at azadi.english@rferl.org.

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

I'm Frud Bezhan, regional desk editor for Iran, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. Here's what I've been tracking and what I'm keeping an eye on in the days ahead.

The Key Issue

The Taliban has closed many of the Afghan offices of the Imam Khomeini Relief Committee, a prominent charity linked closely with the Iranian government, according to Iranian media reports.

Iran’s Jamaran news website said the charity’s offices in the cities of Kabul, Herat, and Mazar-e Sharif have been shut down and sealed by Taliban fighters in recent weeks.

The website -- which is close to the family of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the founder of the Islamic republic -- added that the Imam Khomeini Relief Committee was not given prior notice or offered any reasons for the closures.

Only the charity’s office in the Afghan city of Zaranj, near the Iranian border, is still believed to be operating. Both the charity and the Taliban have yet to comment on the reported shutdowns.

The charity, whose head is chosen by Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has a long history of operations in Afghanistan and was registered with the Taliban’s Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs.

Why It's Important: Iran has been suspected of using the Imam Khomeini Relief Committee and other state-backed charities to promote its conservative brand of Shi’a Islam around the world.

The charities spread anti-Western propaganda and are seen to be tied to Tehran's long-standing effort to export the Islamic Revolution. Many of the charities build schools and mosques and help the poor.

An extremist Sunni militant group, the Taliban has imposed increasing restrictions on Afghanistan’s Shi’ite minority, which makes up around 15 percent of the population. The Taliban has prevented Afghan Shi’a from marking important religious holidays and banned the teaching of Shi'a jurisprudence in universities in Afghanistan.

The closure of the offices of the Imam Khomeini Relief Committee is likely an attempt by the Taliban to curb Iran’s influence in Afghanistan. It also comes amid tensions between the Taliban and Iran over cross-border water resources. Following deadly border clashes in May, the Taliban and Tehran have traded threats and accusations.

What's Next: With tensions still high between the sides, the Taliban and Iran are likely to engage in tit-for-tat moves.

In recent months, the authorities in Iran have intensified the deportation of Afghan refugees and migrants and imposed more restrictions on Afghan nationals living in the Islamic republic.

In retaliation, the Taliban could target more Iranian organizations and activities in Afghanistan.

What To Keep An Eye On

The Taliban has shut down three local media outlets -- Hamisha Bahar Radio and Television, Radio Nan, and Radio Jawanan -- in the eastern province of Nangarhar.

Taliban fighters stormed the studios of Hamisha Bahar Radio and Television on July 31 after the media outlet provided journalism training for young Afghans, including girls, according to an employee who spoke to RFE/RL’s Radio Azadi on condition of anonymity.

The employee said Taliban fighters beat the reporters and sealed the studios of the station.

Why It's Important: Since seizing power in 2021, the Taliban has waged a brutal crackdown on independent reporters and media outlets.

The militants have beaten and jailed reporters and forcibly closed down scores of radio and TV stations as well as newspapers. In its attempts to crush dissent, the Taliban has also targeted human rights defenders, women activists, and intellectuals.

Cases of arbitrary arrests and detention, threats, and intimidation of journalists have sharply increased during the past year.

The Taliban has also severely restricted female education and banned co-education.

That's all from me for now. Don't forget to send me any questions, comments, or tips that you have. You can always reach us at azadi.english@rferl.org.

Until next time,

Frud Bezhan

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