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Taliban failed to adhere to their commitment following prisoners’ release: Atmar
Acting Foreign Minister Mohammad Haneef Atmar says that the Taliban had agreed, but failed to adhere to their commitment, “to reduce violence following the completion of prisoners’ release.”
In a statement released on Friday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that Atmar on Thursday met the Ambassadors of Turkmenistan, China, and Iran, Deputy Ambassador of the Russian Federation, and the Charge d’Affaires of the Indian Embassy in Kabul.
Minister Atmar briefed the SCO Ambassadors on the positive developments related to the peace process, including the start of direct negotiations, a national consensus on reconciliation, and international support to the Afghan peace Process evident at the statements of representatives of various countries at the opening ceremony of Afghanistan Peace Negotiations in Doha.
Atmar has also highlighted current challenges and hurdles to peace talks’ progress, including the rising level of violence and delays on moving to the main agenda of peace negotiations, the statement noted.
Acting FM @MHaneefAtmar held a meeting with Ambassadors of #SCO countries on #AfghanPeaceTalks. They discussed the unacceptable level of violence, agreeing on a #DeconflictingMechanism, finalizing the rules and procedures immediately & initiating talks on the actual #PeaceAgenda. pic.twitter.com/YRvgntWD9m
— MFA Afghanistan 🇦🇫 (@mfa_afghanistan) October 2, 2020
Reflecting on the high level of violence, Atmar called for the formation of a “Deconflicting Mechanism” aimed to reduce and monitor violence.
According to the statement, he noted that such a mechanism had been agreed upon by the two parties.
Minister Atmar also talked about the Government’s initiative to seek the crucial engagement of the Organization of Islamic Conference in Afghan peace talks, especially in providing expert Islamic advice to the negotiating parties.
The Acting Foreign Minister emphasized that “regional and international cooperation was vital to achieving an acceptable end-state that ensures the protection of our shared security interests.”
The Ambassadors and Diplomatic Representatives of SCO declared their countries full support for the peace talks between the Government and the Taliban, the statement underscored.
“They also praised the achievements of the Afghan people and Government over the past 19 years and reaffirmed their commitment to preserving them,” the statement concluded.
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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.
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