Latest News
Ghani orders release of 1,500 Taliban prisoners
President Ashraf Ghani has signed a decree to release 1500 Taliban prisoners, a move to pave the way for the start of the intr-Afghan dialogue.
Sediq Sediqqi, the presidential spokesman said that all released prisoners will have to give “a written guarantee to not return to the battlefield.”
The prisoners will be released from the prison of Parwan province within 15 days, as 100 prisoners will walk out of the custody per day, Sediqqi said.
The rest of 3500 prisoners would be released – 500 prisoners every two weeks – after the direct talks with the militants take place and if the group pledge to reduce the violence, Sediqqi added.
ماده سوم: بعد از آغاز و در جریان مذاکرات مستقیم میان هیات تعیین شده از جانب جمهوری اسلامی افغانستان و گروه طالبان، در هر دو هفته به تعداد 500 تن محبوس مربوط به گروه طالبان که مجموع شان به 3500 تن می رسد، مشروط به اینکه سطح خشونت ها به طور چشمگیر کاهش یابد، رها گردند.
— Sediq Sediqqi (@SediqSediqqi) March 10, 2020
The US and Taliban signed a deal on February 29 in Qatar, according to that, the Afghan government would release up to 5,000 Taliban prisoners ahead of intra-Afghan talks, and in exchange, the militant group would release up to 1,000 Afghan government prisoners.
Meanwhile, the US Special Envoy for Afghanistan Peace, Zalmay Khalilzad tweeted, ” I urge the two sides to sit down immediately for talks on this issue in Doha, Qatar to work out the details. The Afghan government has agreed to do so. When implemented, this will be a significant step in the peace process.”
Khalilzad calls on the Taliban group to fulfill its commitment to reduce violence in the country.
(1/3) President Ghani issued a decree tonight to release up to 5,000 Taliban prisoners starting Saturday from a list provided by the Taliban. The Taliban had already agreed to release up to 1,000 prisoners from the Afghan government side.
— U.S. Special Representative Zalmay Khalilzad (@US4AfghanPeace) March 10, 2020
“Despite these signs of progress, violence by the Taliban remains too high. We expect the Taliban to adhere to its commitments to reduce violence in order to allow for the release of prisoners to be implemented smoothly and the peace process to succeed,” Khalilzad said.
It comes as the US Army has begun pulling out troops from Afghanistan as part of the agreement with the Taliban.
Latest News
UNESCO: 2.4 million Afghan girls denied education since 2021
UNESCO estimates that the ban could force around 600,000 Afghan women out of the workforce by 2066 and cause $9.6 billion in lost income. It could also increase the risk of early marriage.
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) said on Tuesday around 2.4 million Afghan girls have been denied secondary education since the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) returned to power in 2021.
In a statement on Tuesday, UNESCO said Afghanistan is the only country in the world where girls and women are officially barred from secondary and higher education.
The organization warned that the restrictions could increase poverty, reduce employment opportunities and cause long-term damage to Afghanistan’s future.
UNESCO estimates that the ban could force around 600,000 Afghan women out of the workforce by 2066 and cause $9.6 billion in lost income. It could also increase the risk of early marriage.
Girls’ secondary schools were closed in March 2022, followed by a ban on women attending universities in December of the same year. The IEA initially described the restrictions as temporary, but they remain in place.
UNESCO also warned that the restrictions could worsen Afghanistan’s shortage of female teachers. It estimates the country could face a shortage of more than 11,000 qualified female teachers by 2030.
The organization said more than 90% of 10-year-old children in Afghanistan cannot read a simple text, while the national literacy rate is around 37%.
Nearly half of the country’s schools also lack adequate access to water, sanitation or heating, UNESCO said.
According to the report, around three million people returned to Afghanistan in 2025, putting further pressure on the education system. Since 2021, earthquakes, floods and other natural disasters have also forced around 1,000 schools to close.
Russia’s Power Machines Company is interested in investing in the rehabilitation and modernization of Afghanistan’s power plants, Da Afghanistan Breshna Sherkat (DABS) said on Tuesday.
DABS Chief Executive Officer Abdul Haq Hamkar discussed the potential investment with technical officials from Power Machines, with talks focusing on rehabilitating existing power plants, modernizing equipment and expanding power-generation capacity.
According to DABS, Hamkar said the company would cooperate in facilitating preliminary technical assessments of Afghanistan’s power plants and in exploring investment opportunities in the sector.
Denis Rudakov, head of Power Machines’ commercial department, said the Russian company plans to conduct preliminary technical assessments of existing power plants in Afghanistan.
Based on the findings, Power Machines will prepare proposals for rehabilitating facilities, modernizing equipment and increasing electricity-generation capacity, DABS said.
Afghanistan currently has several operational power plants, while efforts are underway to increase their generation capacity and upgrade their equipment, according to DABS.
Zabihullah Mujahid, spokesman for the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA), on Tuesday denied that IEA authorities detained Mahmood Shah Habibi, an Afghan-American businessman the US claims disappeared in Kabul four years ago.
“We have no information about Mahmood Shah Habibi. He is not with the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. If he were, this issue would have been resolved long ago,” Mujahid said.
His remarks came a day after the FBI marked the fourth anniversary of Habibi’s disappearance and renewed its appeal for information about his whereabouts.
According to the FBI, Habibi disappeared near his home in Kabul on August 10, 2022. At the time, he was working as a consultant for Asia Consultancy Group, a Kabul-based telecommunications company. He had previously served as Afghanistan’s director of civil aviation.
The FBI has alleged that Habibi was detained by the IEA’s General Directorate of Intelligence.
The FBI has continued its investigation and in 2025 released a missing-persons poster for Habibi. The U.S. State Department has also offered a reward of up to $5 million for information leading to his location, recovery and return.
UNESCO: 2.4 million Afghan girls denied education since 2021
New attacks on shipping as Iran war talks hit fresh impasse
Tahawol: Hamid Karzai’s call for Afghan reconciliation discussed
Saar: Preparations for IEA’s fifth anniversary discussed
Russian firm eyes investment in Afghanistan’s power plants
Pakistan’s governance system has ‘collapsed’: Mohsin Naqvi
Spain sweep FIFA World Cup player awards after historic triumph
Mango growers suffer heavy losses as exports fall and climate takes its toll
Countdown begins for inaugural Afghanistan Wrestling Premier League
Iran, Afghanistan and Tajikistan discuss expanding regional transit cooperation
Tahawol: Hamid Karzai’s call for Afghan reconciliation discussed
Saar: Preparations for IEA’s fifth anniversary discussed
Tahawol: Iran’s acknowledgment of Afghanistan’s cooperation discussed
Saar: Five years of Islamic Emirate rule in Afghanistan reviewed
Tahawol: Afghanistan: An Alternative to the Strait of Hormuz?
-
Sport3 days agoAfghanistan secure direct qualification for 2027 Men’s ODI World Cup
-
Regional4 days agoGoods transporters to go on strike from Saturday after talks with Pakistan govt fail
-
Latest News3 days agoPakistan-backed armed groups in Balochistan using former Afghan government forces: report
-
Sport4 days agoRashid Khan takes six as Afghanistan thrash Ireland by 92 runs
-
World4 days agoUS Senate passes Russia sanctions championed by Graham; US House next
-
Sport5 days agoAfghanistan ends continental futsal championship with dominant win over New Zealand
-
Business5 days agoUzbekistan, Kazakhstan target Afghanistan in push to expand regional trade
-
Regional5 days agoTrump says he thinks war with Iran will end ‘pretty soon’