Afghanistan International English

Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said the group has repeatedly sought to resolve tensions with Pakistan through dialogue, but without success. He accused Islamabad of sticking to its previous policies and being unwilling to negotiate a peaceful settlement. afintl.com/en/202610310092

The UK has updated its sanctions records for five Taliban officials, revising identification details, passport numbers and personal information. The changes are administrative and do not impose new sanctions or alter the officials' existing sanctions status. afintl.com/en/202610319362

Leaders of the Organization of Turkic States pledged at their annual summit to continue cooperation through mechanisms such as the Afghanistan Working Group to promote peace, stability and sustainable development in Afghanistan. afintl.com/en/202610310827

Footage obtained by Afghanistan International shows a Taliban police officer slapping a man, believed to be a driver, before striking him with a rifle outside the Mawlana Jalaluddin Balkhi Hospital in Mazar-e-Sharif on Wednesday. The reason for the Taliban officer's violent treatment of the man remains unclear.

The Taliban's morality police in Herat have shut down western Afghanistan's largest UN-established carpet-weaving centre, which had been inaugurated by the Taliban governor. UNHCR representative Arafat Jamal said 348 women worked at the facility. afintl.com/en/202610309692

The UN refugee agency's representative in Kabul, Arafat Jamal, said around 6.3 million Afghans have returned home since 2023, with 60% forced to return. He warned that poverty, unemployment and declining international aid have worsened conditions in Afghanistan. afintl.com/en/202610300028

The Afghanistan United Front, led by Sami Sadat, says it carried out 16 attacks against Taliban forces across eight provinces in the past week. According to statements issued between 22 and 29 October, 18 Taliban members were killed and nine wounded. afintl.com/en/202610307299

Abdul Kabir, the Taliban's Minister of Refugees, and Rabab Fatima, the UN Secretary-General's Special Representative for Afghanistan, discussed UNAMA's role in facilitating engagement between the Taliban and the international community. afintl.com/en/202610306721

The 93rd meeting of the Council of Border Troop Commanders of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) was held in Astana on Thursday, 29 October, with a focus on border security, terrorism, drug trafficking, illegal migration and cross-border organised crime. afintl.com/en/202610309015

The Afghanistan Freedom Front (AFF) said on Thursday it had acquired advanced anti-drone technology to strengthen its defences. A senior member told Afghanistan International that Taliban drone strikes had caused casualties among its forces in Nuristan and Badakhshan. afintl.com/en/202610302431

Sources told Afghanistan International on Thursday that Pakistani troops and Taliban forces had clashed again in Angoor Adda, along the border between Paktika and South Waziristan. Both sides were reportedly exchanging fire using light and heavy weapons. afintl.com/en/202610291575

China's representative to the UN General Assembly's Third Committee urged the international community to adopt a constructive approach towards the Taliban, calling for international sanctions to be lifted and Afghanistan's frozen assets to be released. afintl.com/en/202610293405

Canada's representative to the United Nations said any normalisation of relations with the Taliban must be conditional on concrete human rights measures. The representative reaffirmed Canada's condemnation of Taliban abuses and commitment to international accountability. afintl.com/en/202610297119

The European Union expressed concern over the worsening human rights situation in Afghanistan and strongly condemned severe, institutionalised gender-based discrimination and repression against women and girls, warning that such abuses may amount to crimes against humanity. afintl.com/en/202610296431

The UK's representative to the UN General Assembly's Third Committee expressed deep concern over the deteriorating human rights situation under Taliban rule, pledging continued efforts to hold the group accountable for its actions. afintl.com/en/202610290746

Norway's representative to the UN General Assembly's Third Committee expressed support for international efforts and mechanisms to document human rights violations in Afghanistan, calling for an end to systematic discrimination against women and girls. afintl.com/en/202610295429

Pakistan's Information Ministry on Wednesday, 28 October, rejected the Taliban Defence Ministry's account of clashes in Angoor Adda, calling it fabricated. Both sides have accused each other of starting the fighting and offered conflicting accounts of the incident. afintl.com/en/202610293075

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has released a new report on drug cultivation and production in Afghanistan. Published on Thursday, 29 October, it says opium production reached nearly 1,500 tons in 2026, around five times the previous year's level. afintl.com/en/202610291478

Pakistan's central bank said the country's exports to Afghanistan fell by 88.34% in the first three months of the current fiscal year, dropping from $161 million to around $19 million. Imports from Afghanistan also declined by more than 94%. afintl.com/en/202610284479

A plane carrying 40 Afghan nationals convicted of various crimes arrived in Kabul from Germany on Wednesday, 28 October. Most of the deportees were transferred directly from prison to the airport before being flown to Afghanistan. afintl.com/en/202610282586