Balochistan is a region with a distinct cultural and historical identity that is now divided between three countries: Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan. This week, Iran and Pakistan launched strikes across each other’s borders targeting militants in the Balochistan area.
The region takes its name from the Baloch tribe, who began inhabiting the area centuries ago, and has long been fought over and divided by rulers including the Persians and the British.
The largest portion of the region is in south-western Pakistan, which it joined in 1948 after independence. Though it is Pakistan’s largest province – comprising 44% of the total landmass – its arid, largely desert landscape is the country’s least inhabited and least economically developed region and has been blighted by problems for decades.
Balochistan has a long history of resistance against the government of Pakistan, and militant insurgencies by groups fighting for an independent state for the Baloch people began in 1948, emerging again in the 1950s, 1960s, 1970s and significantly post-2003. The people of Balochistan had long felt their region was neglected in terms of development and political representation, fueling resentment towards the ruling establishment.
In response to the militant insurgency, Pakistan’s military, paramilitary and intelligence forces have overseen a long-running and bloody counterinsurgency and crackdown on the region, with tens of thousands of people “disappeared”, tortured and killed with impunity.
The militant insurgency has also been a long-running source of tensions between Pakistan and its neighbour Iran, which have each accused the other of harbouring separatist terrorists. Cross-border attacks have killed scores of soldiers, police officers and civilians over the past five years.
Iran, in particular, has accused Pakistan of allowing militants from the Sunni separatist group Jaish al-Adl (Army of Justice) to operate freely from Balochistan and carry out attacks on Iranian authorities. As recently as December 2023, 11 Iranian police officers were killed and several injured when Jaish al-Adl militants attacked a police station in Iran’s Sistan and Balochistan province.
In 2023, a total of 10 Pakistani soldiers and security personnel were killed in three separate attacks in Balochistan carried out by militants reportedly operating from the Iranian side.
Pakistan’s decision to respond on Thursday with drone and rocket strikes on Iranian territory was equally unprecedented, pushing relations between the two countries to their worst in years and increasing fears of further regional instability.
Where is Balochistan and why is it the target of Iran and Pakistan strikes?
ISLAMABAD — Almost 100,000 children in Afghanistan are in dire need of support, three months after earthquakes devastated the country’s west, the U.N. children’s agency said Monday.
A 6.3-magnitude earthquake shook Herat province on Oct. 7 and a second strong quake struck the same province days later, on Oct. 11, killing more than 1,000 people. The majority of those dead in the quakes in Zinda Jan and Injil districts were women and children, and 21,000 homes were destroyed, UNICEF said in a statement.
“The atmosphere in these villages is thick with suffering even 100 days after the earthquakes in western Afghanistan when families lost absolutely everything,” said Fran Equiza, UNICEF representative in Afghanistan.
“Children are still trying to cope with the loss and trauma. Schools and health centers, which children depend upon, are damaged beyond repair, or destroyed completely,” he added.
“As if this was not enough, winter has taken hold and temperatures hover below freezing,” Equiza said. “Children and families without homes live in life-threatening conditions at night, with no way to heat their temporary shelters.”
UNICEF said it urgently needs $1.4 billion in 2024 to meet the humanitarian and basic needs of 19.4 million Afghans, half of the population.
The Taliban’s failure to invest in public services has contributed to the deterioration of basic services, hindering the ability of vulnerable communities to recover from shocks and build resilience, the agency added..
“We are grateful to our donor partners who mobilized resources quickly, enabling UNICEF to respond within days to the urgent needs of children and their families in Herat,” Equiza said.
But more help is needed “to ensure that children not only survive the winter but have a chance to thrive in the months and years to come,” he added.
Daniel Timme, head of communications for UNICEF in Afghanistan, said schools, homes, health facilities and water systems were destroyed.
“We have money coming in but it’s not enough. These communities need to be independent again. It’s not enough to put out the fire. We need to make it (Afghanistan) more resilient,” Timme said.
Separately and for all of Afghanistan, UNICEF said Monday that 23.3 million people, including 12.6 million children, are in need of humanitarian assistance” in 2024, “mainly due to the residual impacts of a protracted conflict, extreme climate shocks and the country’s severe economic decline.”___
Associated Press writer Riazat Butt in Islamabad contributed to this report.
Almost 100,000 Afghan children are in dire need of support, 3 months after earthquakes, UNICEF says
Hassan Kazemi-Qomi, Iran’s special representative in Kabul, believes that despite the U.S.’s clear failure in Afghanistan, they continue to try to destabilize the country and support terrorism, especially ISIS.
Qomi made these statements on Tuesday, January 16th, during an interview with the IRNA news agency in Islamabad.
According to the special representative and ambassador of Iran in Kabul, America’s policies have not only failed in Afghanistan after 20 years of occupation but have also failed in other countries like Iraq, Syria, Yemen, and Lebanon.
He emphasized that “instability and insecurity in Afghanistan continue to be America’s priority, and for various reasons, they pursue this policy because, in the view of Americans, Afghanistan can become a place of conflict and confrontation with their rivals and adversaries, such as China, Iran, and Russia, and Afghanistan must continue to follow a confrontational path with these countries.”
According to Qomi, neighboring countries of Afghanistan will be the most affected by the developments and events in Afghanistan, and on that basis, “Afghanistan’s neighbors have the most interaction with the people and government of this country.”
He added, “The more Afghanistan moves toward instability and insecurity, we will witness a flood of Afghan refugees towards neighboring countries, including Iran. If Afghanistan’s economy worsens and poverty intensifies, we will see an increase in drug cultivation and recruitment of forces for terrorist groups like ISIS.”
Qomi also said, “Fortunately, we have achieved a positive approach in negotiations with key regional players, including Pakistan. We emphasize regional cooperation in engaging with Kabul.”
Today, Iran launched missiles into Pakistan’s Balochistan region, causing a rise in diplomatic tensions. In response, Pakistan has recalled its ambassador from Tehran.
Earlier, Kazemi-Qomi had announced during a visit to Pakistan an agreement on the formation of regional contact groups for Afghanistan.
This comes at a time when Iran has maintained good relations with the Taliban in the past two years, despite tensions over water rights and the Helmand River.
Currently, some children in various provinces are getting educated outdoors and do not have access to standard classes.
UNICEF announced the establishment of 950 new community-based education classes in Afghanistan with the cooperation of South Korea.
UNICEF has said that these classes are aimed at helping the education process of children in Afghanistan, and by building these classes education will be provided for more than 140,000 children in Afghanistan.
UNICEF said: “We’re establishing 950 new community-based education classes! That’s 950 new spaces to learn. Inspire. Build a future. With support from the Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs, these 950 community-based classes will provide an education for 140,000 children in Afghanistan.”
Currently, some children in various provinces are getting educated outdoors and do not have access to standard classes.
Meanwhile, girl students who are currently away from education, said that they are waiting for their schools to reopen.
Hadia, a 10th grade student, told TOLOnews: “Currently, we are continuing our lessons at home, but we don’t have the motivation that we had at school and in the class, because our fate is unknown.”
“We hope that the gates of the university will be opened for girls so that we can continue our studies and reach a place and succeed,” said Mursal, another girl student.
At the same time, some women’s rights activists, expressing their satisfaction with the establishment of these classes, asked the Islamic Emirate to provide all the available opportunities for the education of all girls.
“The government of the Islamic Emirate should use these opportunities. Open the closed doors of schools and universities so that they can provide education for women, which is needed today, and consider half of the society,” said Tafsir Syahposh, a women’s rights activist.
“Lack of education itself is a type of darkness and ignorance that spreads in a society. Therefore, the first human right is the right to education,” said Frozan Daudzai, a women’s rights activist.
After two and a half years, there has been no news about the reopening of schools for girls above the sixth grade, and it is not yet clear when the gates of the schools will be reopened for them.
Special representatives stated that the “Regional Contact Group” should define and follow a political, economic and security cooperation package for Afghanistan.
The Iranian Ambassador and special representative to Afghanistan, Hassan Kazemi Qomi, in an interview with Iranian media said that a “Regional Contact Group” has been formed to address the issue of Afghanistan.
Hassan Kazemi Qomi also said that in the meeting with Pakistani officials he also emphasized regional cooperation in engagement with Kabul and he believes that destabilizing Afghanistan is the priority of the United States.
The special representatives stated that the “Regional Contact Group” should define and follow a political, economic and security cooperation package for Afghanistan.
“The neighboring and regional countries should follow their cooperation for the betterment of the political, economic and security situation of Afghanistan,” he said.
“Pakistan is not good for anyone, I think the travel of the Iranian Ambassador to Pakistan has no positive impact,” said Omid Safi, the Director of the National Development Process.
The Iranian ambassador and special representative of this country to Afghanistan also claimed that “Daesh Khorasan” is the policy of United States and is being used to destabilize Afghanistan.
“Americans also follow a destabilition policy — the terrorism phenomenon and development of terrorism are the policies that are supported by America for the destabilizing of this country,” Hasan Kazimi Qomi said.
Hasan Kazimi Qomi also claimed that with the increase of poverty and when the situation of Afghanistan gets more critical, the cultivation of drugs and the recruiting for terrorist groups will also increase.
Iran Forms ‘Regional Contact Group’ on Afghanistan
UNICEF in a report also called for an increase in healthcare services and clean water for children who face challenges from earthquakes.
The United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) said that the last earthquake in Herat affected 96,000 children.
UNICEF in a report also called for an increase in healthcare services and clean water for children who face challenges from earthquakes.
“We cannot continue to establish short-term educational centers here, because it needs more investment to address their basic needs,” said Daniel Timme, head of communications for UNICEF in Afghanistan.
Bibi Gul, a resident of Sia Aab village in Zinda Jan district of Herat, who lives in a temporary camp, is concerned about her two children and asks the aid organizations for help.
“We hope that the government will build our houses soon and give us some fuel in winter,” Bibi Gul said.
UNICEF in the latest report warned that 96,000 children are affected from the earthquake and they need serious assistance in winter, UNICEF added.
“Today UNICEF said that they are concerned about the survival of 96,000 children from the earthquake three months ago. UNICEF asked in the eve of the hard winter, for much more healthcare services for children in this country. Before this, UNICEF has also done a lot to help with the victims of the earthquake, but it needs more work,” said the UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric.
The Ministry of Economy says that efforts are being made to attract more aid with the coordination of organizations, in order to continue to provide health services, shelter and educational services for the affected from the earthquake in Herat.
“The Ministry of Economy is working together with the relevant organizations to support them with providing shelter, education and international aid,” said Abdul Latif Nazari, deputy of the Ministry of Economy.
UNICEF also stated that they set up 61 temporary learning spaces, where almost 3,400 children, more than half of them girls, are able to continue basic education. The rehabilitation work on destroyed classrooms will begin shortly, UNICEF added.
96,000 Children Affected from Earthquake in Herat: UNICEF
The head of the office, Suhail Shaheen, said that the Islamic Emirate plans to repair the weapons left behind by foreign forces in Afghanistan.
The political office of the Islamic Emirate has denied allegations about Kabul’s intention to “access nuclear weapons.”
The head of the office, Suhail Shaheen, said that the Islamic Emirate plans to repair the weapons left behind by foreign forces in Afghanistan.
Earlier, a congressman asked Thomas West, the US representative for Afghanistan, about the Islamic Emirate envoy’s visit to North Korea to “access nuclear weapons.”
“I totally deny such claims, they are not true. The Islamic Emirate is busy repairing the weapons left behind during the past two decades of war, not competing with nuclear weapons. These are baseless allegations,” Suhail Shaheen, head of the political office of the Islamic Emirate, told TOLOnews.
International relations experts expressed various views about the issue.
“Making nuclear weapons or accessing them is propaganda, merely a lie. Many countries like Iran tried to access nuclear weapons but failed,” said Muhammad Hashim Danish, an international relations expert.
“Afghanistan is affected by the economies of other countries. How can the Islamic Emirate think of accessing nuclear weapons,” said Najiburahman Shamal, a political analyst.
Earlier, Zabiullah Mujahid, the spokesperson for the Islamic Emirate, said that Kabul has never had negotiations about accessing weapons with any country, adding that the Islamic Emirate’s forces possess sufficient munitions.
Islamic Emirate Denies Intention to Access Nuclear Weapons
Mujahid said that the Torkham crossing was first blocked by the Pakistani military for commercial trucks.
The Islamic Emirate’s spokesman, Zabiullah Mujahid, said that negotiations are underway with Pakistani officials to facilitate the reopening of Torkham crossing for transit trucks.
The Torkham crossing was closed on Tuesday for the 3rd consecutive day.
Mujahid said that the Torkham crossing was first blocked by the Pakistani military for commercial trucks.
“The traders and patients are facing problems. Negotiations are underway and we will see when it will be solved,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Afghanistan, Pakistan Joint Chamber of Commerce said that in addition to Torkham, Ghulam Khan and Dand-e-Patan crossings have also been closed for commercial trucks.
“On both sides of the Torkham crossing many trucks are stranded. Some of the products are spoiled and there are many transit goods which face fines,” said Naqibullah Sapai, head of the Afghanistan, Pakistan Joint Chamber of Commerce.
Some Afghan traders expressed criticism toward Pakistan, saying that Islamabad always seeks to put political pressure on Afghanistan by creating hurdles ahead of the Afghan private sector.
They said that the problems created by Pakistan are in contrast with all international norms.
“”Pakistan has so far has acted in contrast with international laws. We call on the Islamic Emirate’s leadership to solve the issue through diplomatic paths,” said Zalmai Azimi, a trader.
Over recent months, the political tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan have intensified as Pakistan forced thousands of undocumented Afghan refugees to leave its soil.
Talks Underway to Reopen Torkham Crossing for Commercial Trucks: Mujahid
According to data from the Turkish Ministry of Interior’s Migration Authority, 41,978 Afghan citizens have obtained residence permits in Turkey.
The authority announced on Tuesday that over 30,000 more Afghan asylum seekers in Turkey have received short-term residence documents.
According to the latest data from the Turkish Migration Authority, the number of foreign nationals officially living in the country in 2024 has reached 1,107,032 individuals.
The authority stated that Afghan citizens, with 41,978 residence permits, rank ninth among the highest applicants for residency in this country.
The authority also reported that citizens of Turkmenistan, Russia, and Iraq are the top recipients of Turkish residence permits, respectively.
The authority has also released statistics on undocumented migrants who were detained in 2023 and during the current year.
According to the provided statistics, the highest number of detained undocumented migrants in 2024, with 2,480 cases, were Afghan citizens.
The authority states that in 2023, Afghan citizens also had the highest detention rate among undocumented migrants, with 68,677 Afghan migrants detained in various regions, and some of them were deported.
The authority mentioned on Tuesday that in less than a month, nearly 3,000 Afghan nationals without residence permits have been detained.
Turkey serves as one of the primary migration routes for thousands of Afghan refugees who transit through the country in hopes of reaching Europe.
Over 40,000 Afghan citizens obtain Turkish Residence Permits
Afghan women’s rights defenders who have fled the Taliban’s rule say they are at risk of imminent return to Afghanistan by Pakistani authorities, prompting calls for the Australian government to step in and expedite their protection visas.
The federal government has received more than 215,000 humanitarian visa requests from Afghan nationals since the fall of Kabul to the Taliban in August 2021, granting 15,852 visas so far as of December 2023.
More than 30,000 of those hoping for a ticket to Australia, however, reside in Pakistan, where local authorities are undertaking a mass deportation of Afghans back to Taliban rule.
With just 26,500 places for Afghan nationals in Australia through to 2026, a home affairs department spokesperson said it was prioritising “vulnerable cohorts within refugee populations”.
But the uncertainty, and absence of updates, weighs heavy on women’s rights defenders and their families, who fear being jailed or killed if they are returned to Afghanistan.
Afghan nationals in Australia fear for loved ones in grim wait for split-family visas
Soroya Rahmat, once a law professor in Kabul who ran a pro-bono legal clinic for women experiencing domestic violence, said she was under threat of being returned to Afghanistan within weeks because her authorisation to remain in the country was going to expire.
She said after the Taliban threatened her, her husband and their three young children, the family spent six months moving houses, hiding with friends and family, and wearing disguises before eventually fleeing to Pakistan in the middle of the night.
Life in Pakistan, however, hasn’t been easy or safe. Rahmat said she and her family lived in constant fear of being discovered by the Taliban and punished for her work supporting women before they returned to power.
More than two-and-a-half years after she applied for an Australia visa, Rahmat, who turns 44 next month, said she was losing hope she would get an outcome in time.
“We don’t have a normal life here,” she told Guardian Australia.
“We suffer many dangers here … and the Australian government don’t pay attention, [they] don’t care … it’s painful for us.”
Rahila Askari, who is an Afghan women’s rights activist, at a Kabul children’s orphanage in January 2021. Photograph: Supplied
Rahila Askari, 23, said she had faced similar threats of deportation from Pakistan back to the Taliban-controlled country she calls home.
Having co-founded the Afghanistan chapter of women’s leadership advocacy group, Girl Up, and been outspoken against the Taliban as a student at Kabul University, she said she feared being locked up and tortured as some of her peers had.
One of those peers is Parisa Azada, a friend and former classmate of Askari’s. Azada was reportedly arrested and detained for printing protest banners in Dasht-e-Barchi by the Taliban in November.
Askari stayed in Afghanistan for more than two years under Taliban rule, running a hidden home school to teach young girls to speak English. She left for Pakistan in November 2023 as the threats for her safety worsened.
The Pakistani authorities have warned Askari her visa will expire at the end of the month, possibly forcing her back to the border office at Torkham, on the Pakistan-Afghanistan border where she fears being arrested by the Taliban.
“If I go [to Torkham], it will be the last time that I see this blue sky or my family because it’s not possible to come back from there,” she said.
Askari is awaiting an outcome for the Australian protection visa she applied for in April 2023.
Pakistan’s crackdown on undocumented foreigns is believed to affect about 2 million Afghans in the country. At least 200,000 Afghans had been removed as of early November.
The federal government has said it considers the plight of Afghan nationals awaiting an Australia protection visa outcome and facing the prospect of deportation back to Afghanistan a “high priority” matter.
Many waiting for a ticket to Australia are in Pakistan, where local authorities are undertaking a mass deportation
Susan Hutchinson, the founder of women’s rights defenders advocacy group Azadi-e Zan, said her attempts to bring the urgent cases of these women to the government had been ignored.
Hutchinson, who has written directly to the foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, and the attorney general, Mark Dreyfus, said the federal government was not prioritisingwomen such as Rahmat and Askari who are in need of urgent help.
Priority is given, according to the department’s website, to those who worked as locally engaged employees before the Taliban’s rule, as well as their families. Women and girls, ethnic minorities, LGBTQ+ people and other identified minority groups are also given processing priority.
“These are people who have been nominated by Australian organisations … or they have longstanding relationships with Australians,” she said.
“But the government continues to ignore my requests to communicate about their case.”
A total of 15,852 humanitarian visas have been granted to Afghan nationals since the fall of Kabul, with 3,026 of those granted in the five months to December 2023.
More than 50,000 protection visa requests, however, have been rejected.
Australia only accepts applications from those in Pakistan and Iran, and considers UNHCR-referred Afghan applicants in Turkey, India, Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia.
Any applications made from Afghanistan will be refused, the department’s website says.
A department spokesperson said: “A total of 20,000 places in Australia’s 2023-24 humanitarian program will ensure that we can provide permanent resettlement to those most in need from around the world, and protection in Australia to those who require it.
“The 2023-24 Humanitarian Program intake is the highest the core intake has been since 2012-2013, ensuring we can continue to support commitments to the Afghan community.”
The immigration minister, Andrew Giles, declined to comment, instead directing questions to the department.
Australia urged to speed up visas for Afghan women who fear being sent back to Taliban rule
Afghanistan Peace Campaign
