Afghan Media Claims Taliban Delegation Visits Indonesia

  Afghan media reported a visit by a Representative of the Afghan Taliban government with a number of Afghan political activists to Jakarta, the Indonesian capital. local News quoted Afghan media as reporting that a meeting between representatives of the Taliban and a number of Afghan political activists was held behind closed doors in Jakarta. Farooq Azam, Advisor to the Taliban government's Ministry of Water and Energy, led the group's delegation, and the total number of participants from both sides was about 30. Several Afghan political and civilian figures, including Kavun Kakar, a lawyer; Omar Samad, a former diplomat; Asila Wardak, former diplomat; Fatemeh Gilani, former head of the Red Crescent; Faiz Zeland, Kabul University professor, Ahsan Zia, Former Minister of Rural Development attended this meeting. So far no information about his agenda has been made public, as the meeting is being held behind closed doors and out of reach of the media. The Taliban and other meeting participants have yet to comment officially on the issue of the meeting.

Afghan Taliban government troops arrested Seyyed Wahdatollah Abdali, a reporter for the Bakhtar news agency in Ghazni province. Since coming to power in Afghanistan on August 15, 2021, the Taliban have tightened restrictions on media and have arrested and jailed scores of Afghan journalists. According to Afghanistan's Shafaqna news agency Wednesday, local officials of the Taliban government in the eastern province of Ghazni have yet to comment on the journalist's arrest. Seyyed Wahdatollah Abdali is around 35 years old and has worked as a reporter at the Bakhtar News Agency in Ghazni province for about 15 years. Bakhtar News Agency is currently under the control of the Taliban. According to this report, three other Afghan journalists are also in the custody of the Taliban. Meanwhile, the Afghan Taliban government forces recently suspended the activities of three media outlets in Nangarhar province in the east of the country. The Taliban group is accused of violating freedom of information and abusing journalists. In April this year, more than 600 Afghan journalists sent an open letter to UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres demanding more attention to the plight of media activists in Afghanistan under Taliban control. Despite facing international criticism, the Taliban continue to persecute journalists and media workers.(PH)