Reports

On the cold winter nights leading up to Yalda, a group of Afghan women in Islamabad gathered to celebrate the longest night of the year. Organized by the Goharshad Begum Foundation and the Hazara refugee community, the event went beyond a simple cultural festivity. It became a platform where women intertwined art, cultural identity, and messages of resistance to amplify their voices globally.

Recent reports of deep divisions within the Taliban’s leadership have raised questions about the group’s internal dynamics. However, some Taliban officials have dismissed these claims without providing clear explanations, insisting that no disagreements exist among their ranks.

The assassination of Khalil-ur-Rahman Haqqani, the Taliban Minister of Refugees, in a suicide bombing in Kabul has sparked widespread domestic and international reactions. The attack, which also claimed the lives of several others, has been condemned by political figures, regional countries, and international organizations.

The Taliban recently announced a ban on women’s medical education in Afghanistan’s institutes. This decision, issued by the Taliban leader and enforced by the Ministry of Public Health, is part of their broader policy to exclude women from the educational sphere. Reports indicate that institutions defying this order face the risk of closure.

A recent article in the prominent publication Modern Diplomacy examines the complex relations between Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban, highlighting that recent tensions have created new concerns for Islamabad.

The Afghanistan-based media advocacy organization, House of Freedom of Expression, has criticized the recent UNAMA report on the state of media in Afghanistan, describing it as insufficient and incomplete. According to the organization, the report fails to fully capture the depth of the media crisis and the systematic suppression of freedom of expression under Taliban rule.

Kareem Khan, Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), has announced significant progress in the investigation of violations against Afghan women and girls, with results expected to be published soon.

The Global Peace Organization, in its latest report, has urged countries worldwide to engage in constructive dialogue with the Taliban to prevent the normalization of gender apartheid in Afghanistan. The organization also warned global powers against legitimizing the Taliban regime.

A group of Afghan women’s rights activists and protest movements have issued an open letter to Donald Trump, the U.S. President-elect, calling for the immediate cancellation of the Doha Agreement between the United States and the Taliban.

While World Children’s Day is celebrated globally to emphasize children’s rights and ensure a better future for them, in Afghanistan, this day serves as a grim reminder of the dire circumstances facing its children. Stripped of basic rights, Afghan children live in conditions that push their future toward darkness.