Since sweeping to power in mid-August in Afghanistan, the Taliban have imposed widespread restrictions, many of them directed at women. They have increasingly targeted Afghanistan’s beleaguered rights groups, as well as journalists.
It’s been five months since the Taliban took over the reins in Afghanistan, but the National Resistance Force (NRF) is still fighting them, committed to oust the extremists from power. The NRF has issued a video message, which has appeared on social media, in which they are seen urging people of Afghanistan to not be silent.
In a separate audio message, NRF leader Ahmad Massoud clarified that their struggle is not for a specific ethnic group, or geography, but for complete independence of Afghanistan.
Some photos being circulated on social media show that NRF fighters now have the anti-tank guided missiles (ATGM) to destroy the Taliban vehicles.
Reports say that the missiles are guided with advanced targeting systems which pursue the target until the impact.
A Taliban spokesperson, meanwhile, rubbished allegations of female activist Tamana Paryani, who said that Taliban fighters entered her home in Kabul and arrested her. The spokesperson Suhail Shaheen told the BBC that the activist made the video to find asylum abroad. “There was no incident like this,” he said.
An eyewitness had claimed on Thursday that 10 armed men, claiming to be from the Taliban intelligence department, stormed Paryani’s apartment on Wednesday night, smashing the door in and arresting the activist and her three sisters. She was among about 25 women who took part in an anti-Taliban protest on Sunday against the compulsory Islamic headscarf, or hijab, for women.
In the video posted on social media moments before the raid, Paryani appeared frightened and breathless and screamed for help.
To counter the Paryana-led protest, the Taliban on Thursday organised a women’s “protest” in Kabul in favour of burqa/hijab.
The Taliban leaders have also attacked Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, saying that he is a puppet of the ISI. “Such a government is trying to provoke the nationalist Afghans against the Islamic Emirates. This is one of their objectives,” a Taliban spokesperson told a local TV channel.
He also said that Pakistan will collapse soon and it will be on the FATF blacklist.
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