Islamic Emirate Says It Is Coordinating With Tajikistan on Border Issues

February 1, 2026 Current News Articles

TOLOnews

TV Network

31 Jan 2026

The incident, according to authorities in Dushanbe, resulted in the deaths of three individuals.

According to reports by Tajik media citing officials from the country’s security forces, an armed clash has occurred along the border between Tajikistan and Afghanistan.

The incident, according to authorities in Dushanbe, resulted in the deaths of three individuals.

The reports say that border forces of Tajikistan’s State Committee for National Security stated the clash took place on Thursday evening near one of the border posts. A group that had entered from inside Afghanistan and was attempting to cross the border illegally engaged in an armed confrontation with Tajik border guards.

Tajik authorities said that during the exchange of fire, three individuals were killed, while two others retreated back into Afghan territory.

The report adds that several weapons and a quantity of narcotics were also seized following the incident.

According to a section of Tajik media reports: “During the exchange of fire, three individuals were killed at the scene. The identities of the deceased were announced as Javid son of Dawlatmand, Rashid son of Dawlatmand, and Saber son of Zahir, residents of Takhar province. Two other individuals returned to Afghan territory under the cover of darkness.”

Military analyst Asadullah Nadim said that most incidents along the Afghanistan–Tajikistan border are linked to smuggling and require greater intelligence cooperation, closer coordination between border forces, and stronger preventive measures by both countries to stop smugglers from crossing the border.

Reacting to the incident, the spokesperson of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan told TOLOnews that Afghan and Tajik border forces remain in coordination, that the recent incident has been shared with the Islamic Emirate, and that steps will be taken to prevent similar incidents in the future.

Zabihullah Mujahid, spokesperson for the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, said: “The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan is making efforts to resolve border-related issues and to prevent smuggling. For many years, this border has been used by smugglers through various methods. Although our forces are aware of these issues, the border area is extensive, and at times smugglers take advantage of this. In the recent incident, smugglers attempted to cross the border and were confronted by Tajik border police. Nevertheless, our forces remain in coordination with Tajik forces, have shared the issue, and will work to prevent such incidents in the future.”

This comes as, in a previous incident in which two Tajik border guards were killed, the foreign minister of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan described the event as an attempt to disrupt relations between Kabul and Dushanbe.

Afghanistan’s Embassy in Japan Officially Ceases Operations

February 1, 2026 Current News Articles

By Fidel Rahmati

Khaama Press

January 31, 2026

Afghanistan’s embassy in Japan has officially ceased operations, marking another diplomatic closure following political changes that disrupted overseas missions since the takeover.

Shida Mohammad Abdali, Afghanistan’s ambassador to Japan, has announced that the operations of Afghanistan’s embassy in Tokyo have been officially suspended as of today, Saturday.

In a statement posted on his X account, he wrote that today marked the final working day of Afghanistan’s embassy in the Japanese capital.

He added, “With a heavy heart, I am leaving Tokyo.”

Before its closure, the embassy functioned as the official diplomatic channel between Afghanistan and Japan and provided consular services to Afghan nationals residing in the country.

The shutdown follows the suspension of activities at several Afghan embassies worldwide after the return of the Taliban to power in 2021.

Many diplomats appointed by the former Afghanistan government have been dismissed, while the management of some missions has changed temporarily or under pressure.

Japan has not formally recognized the Taliban-led administration, maintaining limited engagement focused mainly on humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan.

Since 2021, dozens of Afghan diplomatic missions have either closed or reduced operations, creating uncertainty over legal status, staffing, and funding.

The closure has raised growing concerns among Afghan citizens abroad about access to diplomatic representation and essential consular services.

More than 120 dead after multiple suicide and gun attacks in Pakistan, officials say

February 1, 2026 Current News Articles

The Guardian

Associated Press

Pakistan’s military said on Saturday that multiple suicide and gun attacks by “terrorists” across the restive south-western province of Balochistan killed 33 people, including civilians, while security forces responding to the violence killed 92 assailants.

Analysts described it as the deadliest single day for militants in decades.

During the attacks, Baloch insurgents targeted civilians, a high-security prison, police stations and paramilitary installations. Eighteen civilians, 15 security personnel and 92 insurgents were killed, the military said.

Though Baloch separatists and the Pakistani Taliban frequently target security forces in Balochistan and elsewhere in the country, coordinated attacks on this scale are rare. Authorities said at least 133 militants have been killed across Balochistan over the past 48 hours, including 92 on Saturday.

The military and Pakistan’s interior minister Mohsin Naqvi said the attackers had the backing of India.

There was no immediate response from New Delhi, which has denied such allegations previously.

The BLA released videos showing female fighters taking part in the attacks, apparently part of propaganda efforts to highlight the role of women among the militants.

Shahid Rind, a spokesperson for the Balochistan government, said most of the attacks were foiled. They came a day after the military said security forces this week raided two militant hideouts in the country’s south-west, killing 41 insurgents in separate gun battles.

The provincial chief minister, Sarfraz Bugti, wrote on X that security forces were chasing the insurgents. He said at least 700 insurgents were killed by security forces in the past year.

Earlier on Saturday, authorities said that insurgents destroyed rail tracks, prompting Pakistan Railways to suspend train services from Balochistan to other parts of the country. Targets were police, prison, paramilitary forces and passengers

The attacks began almost simultaneously across the province, the provincial health minister, Bakht Muhammad Kakar, said. He said two police officers were killed in a grenade attack on a police vehicle in Quetta, the provincial capital. The government declared an emergency at all hospitals.

Dozens of insurgents also attacked a prison in Mastung district, freeing more than 30 inmates, police said. In other attacks, militants attempted to storm the provincial headquarters of paramilitary forces in Nushki district, but the attack was repelled, police said.

Insurgents hurled grenades at the office of a government administrator in Dalbandin district, but a swift response by security forces forced them to flee, according to local authorities.

Attacks on security posts in Balincha, Tump and Kharan districts were thwarted, while in Pasni and Gwadar, insurgents attempted to abduct passengers travelling on buses along highways, police said.

The BLA is banned in Pakistan and designated a terrorist organisation by the US. It has been behind numerous attacks in recent years, and Pakistan says the group enjoys the backing from India, a charge New Delhi denies.

Pakistan has repeatedly said that Baloch separatists, the Pakistani Taliban and other militants are using Afghan soil to launch attacks inside Pakistan. Kabul denies the claim.

Abdullah Khan, managing director of the Islamabad-based Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies, told the Associated Press that the “terrorists linked to BLA or other groups had never before been killed in such a large number in a single day” in Balochistan.

Baloch separatist groups and the Pakistani Taliban, known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, or TTP, have intensified attacks in Pakistan in recent months. The TTP is a separate group but allied with Afghanistan’s Taliban, who returned to power in August 2021.

Balochistan has long been the site of an insurgency by separatist groups seeking independence from Pakistan’s central government in Islamabad.

How the blockade between Afghanistan and Pakistan is affecting people on both sides

February 1, 2026 Current News Articles

Betsy Joles

Heard on All Things Considered

National Public Radio

January 30, 2026

Borders between Pakistan and Afghanistan have been closed since October, disrupting trade around the region. It’s part of a broader dispute over how to handle increasingly active militant groups.

AILSA CHANG, HOST:

In October, Pakistani and Afghan forces traded fire across their shared border. It’s part of a broader conflict between the neighbors over rising militancy in the region. Since then, borders between the countries have been closed with few exceptions. Trade has ground to a halt. Betsy Joles spoke to people who’ve been affected by this blockade, and sent us this report.

BETSY JOLES, BYLINE: Near the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, a group of truck drivers gathers around the dying coals of a campfire. They’ve been unable to get the goods they’re carrying into Afghanistan.

JOLES: One of these drivers is an Afghan, Anwar Zadran, who was bound for Kabul with a truck full of cement. He’s been stuck here on the Pakistan side for more than three months. Every day, Zadran wears the same thin clothes he arrived at the border in. When he hand-washes them, the winter sun is barely strong enough to dry them out.

JOLES: “I wish the border would open soon so that we can get some relief,” Zadran says.

Truck drivers on this route are used to intermittent closures of the border, which snakes for more than 1,600 miles between Pakistan and Afghanistan. These closures usually last a few weeks tops, but this one has stretched on much longer, disrupting business across the region. Shahid Hussain is a trader in the Pakistani city of Peshawar, some 40 miles from the border. On a small whiteboard in his office, he’s written out alternate routes for his goods headed for Central Asia.

SHAHID HUSSAIN: Islamabad to Tashkent via Afghanistan – 1,581 kilometers.

JOLES: He’s figuring out how to send these shipments through China instead of Afghanistan. Hussain compares his business of more than 20 years to a tree with its water supply cut off.

JOLES: In early January, business leaders from Pakistan and Afghanistan formed a joint committee to assess the border situation. Jawad Hussain Kazmi heads the committee from the Pakistan side.

JOLES: He says the Pakistani government has a one-point agenda when it comes to reopening the border, and that’s improved security. Pakistan has seen an uptick in militant attacks on its soil since the Taliban took over Afghanistan in 2021. Many of these attacks have been carried out by the Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan, also known as the Pakistan Taliban. Pakistan’s prime minister, Shehbaz Sharif, said during a workshop in Islamabad in late January that his country wants the Taliban to stop harboring militant groups. But…

JOLES: So Pakistan shut its borders. The Taliban government in Afghanistan has repeatedly rejected Pakistan’s accusations. It sees the border closure as a pressure tactic from Islamabad and is seeking to diversify trade with India and others. The dispute has urgent consequences. One significant Pakistani export that is shut out of Afghanistan is medicine.

JOLES: At a wholesale market in Peshawar, shopkeepers pack medical supplies into cardboard boxes.

JOLES: Afghanistan relies on Pakistan for more than 60% of its medicine, and Pakistan’s yearly pharmaceutical exports there are worth around $200 million. In addition to wholesale buyers, shopkeepers say Afghan patients visit the market to buy medicine in bulk that’s hard to get in their country. Aslam Pervez, a business owner and trade leader here, says he worries for patients who are insulin dependent.

JOLES: He says, for them, it can be life-threatening.

JOLES: “We can’t change our neighbor,” Pervez says. “It’s the people from both sides who are going to be the losers.” With Wasim Sajjad in Peshawar, I’m Betsy Joles for NPR News.

Islamic Emirate Urges UN Neutrality in Afghanistan’s Internal Affairs

January 31, 2026 Current News Articles

Bibi Amina Hakimi

TOLOnews’ Reporter

31 Jan 2026

According to Mujahid, Afghanistan’s internal issues are solely the concern of its people.

Zabihullah Mujahid, spokesperson for the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, has emphasized the need for the United Nations to maintain neutrality toward Afghanistan, stating that assessments of the country’s situation should be fair and free from prejudice.

According to Mujahid, Afghanistan’s internal issues are solely the concern of its people, and the United Nations as an institution responsible for defending the rights of states at the global level should have a responsible and realistic understanding of Afghanistan’s conditions.

Referring to past experiences, Mujahid added that Afghanistan has gone through various political structures and witnessed the presence of different groups and segments of society; however, this diversity has failed to ensure lasting security, stability, and peace.

He said: “Our society and our people need unity and cohesion. They require real stability and peace, as well as unity. This can only be achieved when a single government, under a single leadership, governs with responsibility and strong commitment.”

Jannat Fahim Chakari, a political analyst, believes: “In Afghanistan’s constitution, any international provision that contradicts Islamic law is rejected and not accepted. Under such a framework, Afghanistan can be integrated into the international community.”

Some political analysts argue that the Islamic Emirate’s emphasis on national sovereignty and internal unity is part of an effort to consolidate its political legitimacy at the international level.

They note that while stability and security are among the fundamental needs of the Afghan people, the international community and the United Nations simultaneously expect such stability to be accompanied by respect for human rights, inclusive participation, and political accountability.

Moien Gul Samkani, another political analyst, stressed: “The United Nations can play a strategic role between the Islamic Emirate and the international community and, through dialogue, offer solutions that would allow Afghanistan to obtain an active seat at the United Nations.”

Meanwhile, Hema yatullah Ahmadi, another political analyst, said: “The three main issues emphasized by the international community are human rights, ethnic participation in governance, and political accountability. The Afghan government has largely been able to protect the lives, property, and dignity of the people, and all ethnic groups have a share in governance an important achievement in itself.”

At the same time, yesterday, UN Secretary-General António Guterres announced that the United Nations is pursuing four main objectives in Afghanistan: inclusive representation of all ethnic groups in institutions, respect for human rights, particularly the rights of women and girls preventing the activities of terrorist groups, and managing drug trafficking.

UK Envoy Says a Peaceful Afghanistan Requires Respect for All Rights

January 31, 2026 Current News Articles

By Fidel Rahmati

Khaama Press

January 31, 2026

Britain’s envoy for Afghanistan warned that new court rules threaten justice and peace by discriminating against women, ethnics and dissenting citizens.

Richard Lindsay, the UK’s representative for Afghanistan, said a just and peaceful Afghanistan requires respect for the rights of all citizens.

He said the Taliban’s newly approved criminal code for their courts shows the opposite, institutionalising discrimination against women, minorities and those defying imposed social norms.

Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada recently endorsed the group’s “criminal code for courts,” making it binding across the country.

Since returning to power in 2021, the Taliban have steadily imposed strict legal and social restrictions, particularly targeting women’s rights and religious freedoms.

The code has triggered widespread criticism from political groups and rights advocates, who warn it could deepen repression and erode basic protections.

Under the code, violence against women and children is narrowly defined as severe physical harm, while psychological and sexual abuse are not explicitly prohibited.

The Taliban justice ministry has rejected criticism, saying opposition to its laws is a religious crime and that all legislation is derived from Hanafi jurisprudence, the Quran and Sunnah.

Qatar Reaffirms Key Role in UN-Led Efforts on Afghanistan

January 30, 2026 Current News Articles

TOLOnews

TV Network

30Jan 2026

The two sides discussed cooperation between the United Nations and Qatar, particularly in the humanitarian and development sectors related to Afghanistan.

Qatar has once again reaffirmed its pivotal role in hosting dialogues and supporting international efforts to address the situation in Afghanistan.

In this context, Mariam bint Ali bin Nasser Al-Misnad, Qatar’s Minister of State for International Cooperation at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, met with Indrika Ratwatte, Deputy Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Afghanistan with the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) and Resident Coordinator in Afghanistan.

During the meeting, the two sides discussed cooperation between the United Nations and Qatar, particularly in the humanitarian and development sectors related to Afghanistan.

The Qatari minister emphasized Doha’s position as a key platform for Afghanistan-related dialogue and assured that Qatar will continue to host these discussions. She reiterated that Qatar remains a political, humanitarian, and logistical partner of the UN and will support UNAMA’s mission in Kabul.

A portion of the Qatari Foreign Ministry’s statement reads: “The Minister of State for International Cooperation affirmed that Doha would remain a platform for dialogue and a logistical, political, and humanitarian partner for the United Nations to facilitate its missions in Afghanistan.”

She also stressed Qatar’s ongoing commitment to supporting the Afghan people and called for continued and enhanced international cooperation to respond to Afghanistan’s urgent humanitarian needs, particularly in health, education, and economic empowerment.

Khalil Ahmad Nadim, a political analyst, stated: “Qatar acts as a protector of U.S. interests and holds a strong position in the international community. It has consistently coordinated UN and global aid to Afghanistan.”

This meeting comes as the Doha Process continues to serve as one of the most important diplomatic frameworks for discussions on Afghanistan’s future. Qatar is actively working to maintain its mediating role and host these processes to enhance coordination between the United Nations and the global community.

UN Chief Highlights Women’s Rights, Security and Inclusion in Afghanistan

January 30, 2026 Current News Articles

Bibi Amina Hakimi

TOLOnews’ Reporter

30 Jan 2026

António Guterres added that engagement with the Islamic Emirate in some areas has had positive effects.

António Guterres, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, said at a press conference in New York that the organization is pursuing four objectives in Afghanistan.

He said a fundamental condition for sustainable peace in Afghanistan is that the country’s institutions must be genuinely inclusive and represent all ethnic groups and all segments of Afghan society. He also stressed respect for human rights, especially the rights of women and girls, as well as preventing the activities of terrorist groups and combating drug trafficking, noting that progress has been made in some areas.

Guterres said: “We remain totally committed to four essential objectives in Afghanistan. First, to make sure that the Afghan institutions are really inclusive and that all ethnic groups are represented and all sectors of society are represented. We consider that a basic condition for the consolidation of peace. Second point, we believe, it’s absolutely essential to respect human rights, but essentially rights of women and girls. Rosemary DiCarlo managed to guarantee the possibility of our staff women to work in the field, but not in our headquarters, and we are very frustrated with that.”

He added that engagement with the Islamic Emirate in some areas has had positive effects. Referring to cooperation with the Islamic Emirate to support the private sector, he said this has made it possible for women to work in several fields in Afghanistan.

However, he criticized that these efforts are still not sufficient, and described restrictions on girls’ education and women’s access to UN offices as worrying.

The UN Secretary-General said: “This is a dilemma that we face every day. Should we go on engaging in some specific areas? Some of them with some positive impact, namely in relation to the private sector, it has been possible to have women working in several areas of Afghanistan. But at the same time, we are deeply frustrated by the fact that we remain without our staff, our female staff, not being able to go to our headquarters. They are able to work in the field, but not in our headquarters, what is unacceptable. And the fact that we still do not have access of girls to, I would say, standard secondary education and above.”

Meanwhile, some political analysts say the presence of UN representatives in Afghanistan is beneficial in improving the country’s links with the international community.

Abdul Sadiq Hamidzoy, a political analyst, said: “The presence of UN representatives in Afghanistan affects the political and economic environment and can help develop Afghanistan’s relations with countries in the region and the world.”

Enayatullah Homam, another political analyst, said: “The United Nations can act as a megaphone and a channel for agreements between the two sides. Both sides can negotiate there, but the UN alone cannot make decisions, and decisions made are not enforceable.”

Last Friday, Rosemary DiCarlo, the UN Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, visited Kabul on a three-day trip and held meetings with officials of the Islamic Emirate to review ongoing challenges and explore ways for constructive engagement.

Australia to Suspend Afghanistan Embassy Operations

January 30, 2026 Current News Articles

By Fidel Rahmati

Khaama Press

January 30, 2026

Australia’s Foreign Ministry announced the Afghanistan embassy in Canberra will be suspended after June 30, 2026, following an agreement on an orderly and dignified transition process.

The ministry and Afghanistan embassy issued a joint statement Friday saying the transition will occur without compromising either party’s principled positions on Afghanistan’s current situation.

The Afghanistan embassy in Australia has been among the last diplomatic missions worldwide still operating under credentials from the pre-August 2021 government. Most countries have closed Afghanistan embassies or allowed them to operate in diplomatic limbo, neither recognizing Taliban authority nor fully severing ties, creating challenges for Afghanistan’s citizens abroad who need consular services like passport renewals and document authentication.

Australia’s Foreign Ministry emphasized the country has no intention of accepting any diplomat, honorary consul, or representative appointed by the Taliban regime in Kabul.

US Senate Committee Approves Bill to Block Access to American Aid in Afghanistan

January 30, 2026 Current News Articles

By Fidel Rahmati

Khaama Press

January 30, 2026

The US Senate Foreign Relations Committee has approved a bill aimed at cutting off Taliban access to US financial assistance to Afghanistan, according to a committee statement.

Committee Chairman Jim Risch said the legislation was passed on Thursday and is designed to ensure that not a single dollar of US taxpayer money reaches terrorist organizations operating in Afghanistan.

Risch said US forces fought the Taliban for years, noting that more than 2,000 Americans were killed and over 20,000 wounded during the war. He added that any US funds reaching the Taliban would insult veterans and their families.

The bill, titled “No Tax Dollars for Terrorists,” was previously approved by the US House of Representatives and now moves one step closer to becoming law.

Risch said the measure must still pass a full Senate vote before being sent to President Donald Trump for signature. The legislation was introduced last year by Republican Congressman Tim Burchett, who has argued that US aid mechanisms lack sufficient safeguards against Taliban misuse.

Under the bill, the US State Department would be required to develop and enforce strict policies governing any foreign assistance that could benefit the Taliban, including oversight of trust funds and Afghanistan’s central bank.

The move follows earlier reports by the US Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR), which found that the Taliban had benefited from US-funded assistance. Since the Taliban returned to power, the United States has provided about $3.8 billion in aid to Afghanistan, much of it intended for humanitarian purposes.

The Guardian

Associated Press

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