KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – UN Secretary-General António Guterres has reported that Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada has further consolidated power, strengthening his control through high-level meetings in Kandahar and the appointment of loyalists to key positions.
According to his new quarterly report, these meetings, attended by senior Taliban officials including Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani, Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs Abdul Ghani Baradar, and Acting Chief Justice Abdul Hakim Haqqani, focused on the formation of new administrative bodies and the regulation of international organizations operating in Afghanistan.
Despite a reported 16.8% decrease in security incidents between November 1, 2024, and January 31, 2025, violence remains widespread. Armed opposition groups launched 91 attacks against the Taliban, with the National Resistance Front (NRF) responsible for most of the attacks.
Cross-border tensions with Pakistan have escalated, with six armed clashes reported between Taliban forces and Pakistani border guards, leading to increased military deployments along Afghanistan’s eastern and southern frontiers.
Civilian casualties continue to mount, with at least 81 killed and 111 injured during the reporting period, including women and children. Explosive remnants of war remain a major threat, responsible for nine deaths and 36 injuries.
The crackdown on former government officials and military personnel has intensified, with the UN documenting 18 assassinations and 37 arbitrary arrests. Reports of extrajudicial killings, detentions, and torture persist.
Women and girls remain particularly vulnerable under Taliban rule, with increasing restrictions on their rights. Cases of gender-based violence, including honor killings, forced marriages, sexual violence, and domestic abuse-related suicides, have been reported. Taliban authorities continue to bar women from working in media and international organizations, shut down news outlets, and enforce strict moral codes on content.
Guterres condemned the Taliban’s policies, particularly the ban on female education in medical institutes, warning that the shortage of female healthcare professionals could have “deadly consequences.” He urged the Taliban to reverse restrictions on women’s employment and education, restore media freedoms, and halt corporal punishment and executions.
However, despite repeated international pressure, the Taliban continues to enforce these policies under the pretext of implementing Sharia law.
