Azadi Briefing

Welcome to The Azadi Briefing, an RFE/RL newsletter that unpacks the key issues in Afghanistan. To subscribe, click here.

I'm Abubakar Siddique, a senior correspondent at RFE/RL's Radio Azadi. Here's what I've been tracking and what I'm keeping an eye on in the days ahead.

The Key Issue

The Taliban's spiritual leader, Mullah Haibatullah Akhundzada, appears to have made a rare trip outside his stronghold in southern Afghanistan.

The reclusive leader seldom leaves the southern city of Kandahar, which is known as the birthplace of the Taliban and has become the de facto capital under the militant group’s rule.

But this week, the Taliban said Akhundzada travelled to northern Afghanistan in what is believed to be his first trip to the region since the group’s takeover in 2021.

Videos uploaded by the Taliban on social media showed a long convoy of armored cars traveling to cities and towns in the provinces of Badghis, Faryab, Jowzjan, Balkh, and Samangan.

Akhundzada was not seen in any of the videos or photos released by the Taliban. In its press statements, the Taliban said he met local officials and called on them to enforce a new draconian morality law.

Adopted on August 21, the widely condemned law imposes severe restrictions on the appearances and movements of women and men.

Why It's Important: Akhundzada, a hard-line cleric, is believed to only meet a small cadre of Taliban officials and avoids public appearances. He has rarely met foreign diplomats or dignitaries visiting Afghanistan. The Taliban chief also avoids being photographed or filmed.

Sami Yousafzai, a veteran Afghan journalist and commentator, said Akhundzada’s trip to northern Afghanistan was aimed at projecting power and confidence.

As the Taliban’s “Amir ul-Momineen," or leader of the faithful, Akhundzada has the final say on all important matters.

Akhundzada’s extremist policies, many of them reminiscent of those under the Taliban’s brutal regime in the 1990s, has made the militant group an international pariah.

What's Next: It’s unclear whether Akhundzada will play a more active and visible role, or if his recent trip was a one-off.

But what is clear is that he has consolidated power and empowered extremist clerics within the Taliban, despite growing internal opposition to his policies.

What To Keep An Eye On

Afghan migrants and refugees have complained that they are being detained and harassed in neighboring Pakistan.

Police detained a group of Afghans in a neighborhood in the capital, Islamabad, on September 4.

"We were scared and surprised," Sabira, an Afghan woman, told RFE/RL's Radio Azadi.

She said police questioned several Afghan families visiting a park in Islamabad's B-17 neighborhood.

Why It's Important: The detentions appear to suggest the Pakistani authorities could launch a new crackdown on Afghans.

Last year, Islamabad expelled more than 500,000 Afghans as part of its campaign to deport undocumented migrants from the country.

Earlier this year, Pakistan suspended the planned expulsion of more Afghans amid mounting international pressure.

That's all from me for now.

Don't forget to send me any questions, comments, or tips that you have. You can always reach us at azadi.english@rferl.org

Until next time,

Abubakar Siddique

If you enjoyed this briefing and don't want to miss the next edition, subscribe here. It will be sent to your inbox every Friday.

Welcome to The Azadi Briefing, an RFE/RL newsletter that unpacks the key issues in Afghanistan. To subscribe, click here.

I'm Abubakar Siddique, a senior correspondent at RFE/RL's Radio Azadi. Here's what I've been tracking and what I'm keeping an eye on in the days ahead.

The Key Issue

The Taliban's hard-line higher education minister has defended the extremist group's severe restrictions on female education.

The Islamist group has barred girls from attending school past the sixth grade and banned women from going to university.

In a press conference on August 24, Nida Mohammad Nadim said the Taliban's widely condemned restrictions were "not in conflict with Islam."

He added that questioning the Taliban's policies on education were also banned.

But that has not stopped senior Afghan clerics from criticizing Nadim and the Taliban's controversial education policies.

Mawlana Sibghatullah Mawlawizada, one of the most senior clerics in the western city of Herat, on August 25 challenged Nadim to a public debate.

"I urge him to discuss the [religious] legality of [of the ban on] female education in the presence of national and international media," Mawlawizada said in a video message.

Nadim has not publicly responded to Mawlawizada.

Another leading Afghan cleric, Mawlawi Abdul Sami Ghaznavi, also challenged the Taliban. He said it was the group's "responsibility to create favorable conditions for women's education."

Why It's Important: A growing number of Afghan religious scholars are openly challenging the Taliban's restrictions on female education.

Even some Afghan clerics working for the Taliban-led government have publicly opposed the bans. They have said there is no justification for banning female education under Islam.

Islamic scholars across the world have condemned the Taliban's restrictions. Afghanistan is the only country in the Muslim world where teenage girls and women are banned from receiving an education.

What's Next: Despite domestic and international criticism and pressure, the Taliban is unlikely to reverse its education bans.

Since seizing power in 2021, the Taliban's extremist policies have made its unrecognized government an international pariah.

What To Keep An Eye On

Protesters in northwestern Pakistan have blocked Torkham, a key border crossing with Afghanistan. The move has concerned Afghan traders who fear a big financial hit.

Khan Jan Alakozai, a senior official of the Afghanistan-Pakistan Joint Chamber of Commerce, said thousands of trucks transporting fresh Afghan fruits and vegetables have been stranded at the crossing.

"If the border is not opened, some traders will lose their businesses altogether while others will incur mourning custom duties," he told RFE/RL's Radio Azadi on August 29.

Since August 22, members of a Pashtun tribe displaced by a Pakistani military operation have blocked the crossing in protest.

Why It's Important: The frequent closures of Torkham and Chaman, another key crossing, have disrupted trade between the two neighbors.

In recent years, Islamabad has closed the border crossings after clashes between Pakistani and Taliban border guards.

Pakistan has also shuttered the border to pressure the Afghan Taliban to expel the Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan extremist group, which is believed to be based in Afghanistan.

That's all from me for now.

Don't forget to send me any questions, comments, or tips that you have. You can always reach us at azadi.english@rferl.org

Until next time,

Abubakar Siddique

If you enjoyed this briefing and don't want to miss the next edition, subscribe here. It will be sent to your inbox every Friday.