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Closure of government offices and ministries hampers service delivery

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Most government departments and ministries in Kabul remain closed a week after the Taliban’s takeover of the capital, despite an improved security situation and repeated calls by the Taliban for government employees to return to work.

Kabul residents have now also started calling for government offices to reopen.

One resident, Mohammad Reza Nawoandish, said: “I have been going to the Ministry of Higher Education for a few days to get a document, but there is no one to do the work for us and submit our documents to us.”

“The ministries are closed and the people are facing problems, now the (security) situation is also good and we want the ministries to be opened so the people can solve their problems,” said Shir Ali, another resident.

“The ministries must be opened, the people are in trouble, although the security has improved, but the provision of services has been closed and this problem must be solved,” said Hussain Saddiqi, another resident.

The Taliban, meanwhile, say the opening up of Afghan ministries and institutions depends on staff returning to work. They assured government workers that they have no need to be afraid.

“The Islamic Emirate has announced that everyone should come to work and there is no obstacle but the employees are not willing to work, and the Emirate is trying to get the ministries to work as soon as possible, and we ask the employees to return to their jobs without any fear,” said Mawolavi Bilal Nazari, a Taliban member.

Haji Mohammad Idris has meanwhile been appointed as acting director of the Central Bank in a bid to resolve the issue of banks being closed, said Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid.

On the other hand, experts have said the Taliban needs to announce the formation of a government as soon as possible.

“The Taliban must decide on governance as soon as possible so that the people know their fate and the Afghan administration must be activated and the people must be able to go about their daily lives; the Taliban are in a situation where they have to prove to the people that they have programs for the people,” said Hekmatullah Adalatyar, an international affairs analyst.

Following the takeover of Kabul by the Taliban last Sunday, most ministries except for the Ministry of Health and Urban Traffic have remained closed.

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43 killed, 158 injured in traffic accidents during Arafah and Eid holidays in Afghanistan

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Afghanistan’s General Directorate of Traffic Police has reported that 117 traffic accidents occurred across the country over a five-day period from Friday to Tuesday, coinciding with the Day of Arafah and Eid al-Adha holidays.

According to an official statement, these incidents resulted in 43 fatalities and 158 injuries. The deceased include 31 men, 2 women, and 10 children, while the injured consist of 123 men, 11 women, and 24 children.

Traffic authorities cited driver negligence as the primary causes of the accidents. The department urged the public to exercise greater caution and adhere to traffic laws, especially during holidays and national events.

 

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IEA expresses condolences over Air India plane crash that killed hundreds

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The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) has extended condolences to India following the crash of a commercial aircraft that resulted in many casualties.

In a message posted on X, Abdul Qahar Balkhi, spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said the ministry is “deeply saddened” by the tragic incident.

“IEA-MoFA is deeply saddened by crash of an Indian commercial aircraft, and expresses its sympathies and condolences to the families of the victims and government of India,” Balkhi wrote.

The Air India plane with 242 people on board crashed just after take off in Ahmedabad. More than 290 people have died in the incident.

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US defense chief Hegseth downplays NATO allies’ role in Afghanistan war

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US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Wednesday appeared to minimize the contributions of America’s NATO allies during the war in Afghanistan. His comments echoed a recurring message from the White House and President Donald Trump: that NATO member nations must bolster their defense spending to meet alliance commitments.

Speaking before the US Senate Armed Services Committee hearing, Hegseth recalled a remark often made by U.S. troops during his own service in Afghanistan. Referring to the ISAF (International Security Assistance Force) patch worn by coalition soldiers, he said it was jokingly interpreted by many U.S. soldiers as “I saw Americans fighting.”

“Ultimately it was a lotta flags. Lotta flags. [But it] was not a lot of on-the-ground capability,” Hegseth continued in disparaging the NATO troops. “You’re not a real coalition, you’re not a real alliance, unless you have real defense capability, and real armies that can bring those to bear.”

His comments sparked immediate criticism from Senator Chris Coons, who pointed to the significant sacrifices made by NATO allies after 9/11, when the alliance invoked Article 5 for the first time. Coons emphasized that countries like Denmark, despite their small populations, endured high per-capita casualties — second only to the U.S.

“Let’s just make clear for the record that our military partners in Afghanistan included many who served and died,” Coons said.

Hegseth pushed back, saying his remarks weren’t meant to disregard those sacrifices.

“Don’t try and make it look like I don’t care about the investments of our partners,” said the secretary. “Of course I do. I recognize that there were lives lost from other countries. But the bulk of the effort was Americans.”

Over the two-decade war in Afghanistan, 31 other countries joined the U.S.-led effort. The U.S. suffered 2,461 military deaths, with the UK next highest at 457. Other NATO allies also lost personnel in combat and non-combat incidents.

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