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Afghanistan among the ‘worst of the worst’ in violating religious freedom: US panel
Afghanistan should join a list of the “worst of the worst” violators of religious freedom, a U.S. advisory body is recommending to the State Department.
The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, said in its annual report issued Monday, that religious minorities have “faced harassment, detention and even death due to their faith or beliefs” since the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) came into power in August last year.
It also cited attacks on religious minorities by ISIS in Afghanistan, which is an enemy of the IEA.
Afghanistan is among 15 nations that the commission says should be on the State Department’s list of “countries of particular concern.” The commission, in its report summary, defined these as governments as the “worst of the worst” in tolerating or engaging in “systematic, ongoing and egregious violations of religious freedom.”
The commission, created in 1998 under the International Religious Freedom Act, makes nonbinding policy recommendations to the administration and Congress. The State Department has adopted some but not all of its recommendations in the past.
In the new report, the commission recommends maintaining 10 countries currently on the State Department list, including China, Eritrea, Iran, Myanmar, North Korea, Pakistan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan.
It also recommends adding four more in addition to Afghanistan — India, Nigeria, Syria and Vietnam. The commission criticized the Biden administration for removing Nigeria from the list last year.
The report said that in Afghanistan, many minority Jewish, Hindu and Sikh residents have fled the country after the IEA returned to power. It said many members of other religious minorities, such as Ahmadiyya Muslims, Baha’is and Christian converts are worshipping in secret for fear of persecution.
Several deadly attacks on Hazaras, Shiite minority, have been attributed to the ISIS-K (Daesh) which is hostile to the IEA and proven to be a security challenge.
The report said non-Muslim Afghans comprised a tiny fraction of the population. It said 99.7% of Afghans are Muslim, most of them Sunni Muslims, with about 10% to 15% Shiite Muslims.
“The Taliban (IEA), while they promised they would form an inclusive government, promising they would be a different kind of government, their actions have proven otherwise,” commission Chair Nadine Maenza said in an interview. She said that even members of the Sunni majority who don’t share the IEA interpretation of Islamic law are being required to conform to strict dress codes and other measures.
India says a fugitive drug-trafficking kingpin accused of smuggling heroin and methamphetamine from Afghanistan into India has been deported from Turkey and brought back to the country.
Indian Home Minister Amit Shah said on Saturday that Navpreet Singh, also known as “Nav,” was deported from Turkey after Indian authorities tracked him down.
Shah said Singh had obtained Turkish citizenship using the fake identity “Navab Virk” and continued to smuggle heroin and methamphetamine from Afghanistan to India.
The 34-year-old, a native of Punjab, had been wanted in several narcotics cases and was on the run for more than two years. Indian authorities allege that he headed an international narcotics syndicate whose operations in India were managed by his cousin, Prabhdeep Singh.
Prabhdeep Singh, also known as “Harry,” was extradited from Azerbaijan to India in May in connection with a case involving the seizure of 358 kilograms of heroin in 2021.
India submitted its request for Navpreet Singh’s extradition to Turkish authorities in 2023-24, according to officials familiar with the case.
Shah described Singh’s deportation as a “historic milestone” and said the Indian government was committed to dismantling drug-trafficking networks.
The Indian Home Ministry says 288 fugitives from 36 countries have been brought back to India between 2019 and August 2026 as part of efforts to pursue wanted criminals abroad.
Da Afghanistan Breshna Sherkat (DABS) and Tajikistan-based Pamir Energy Company have signed a cooperation agreement to provide electricity to border districts of Badakhshan province.
The agreement was signed in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, by Abdul Haq Hamkar, Chief Executive Officer of DABS, and Amir Khan Rahim, President of Pamir Energy.
The agreement is aimed at expanding cooperation, improving electricity supply and creating the necessary conditions for providing power services to residents of Badakhshan’s border districts.
On the sidelines of the signing ceremony, the two sides also discussed extending a 110-kilovolt power transmission line to Faizabad, the provincial capital of Badakhshan.
Hamkar emphasized the importance of the project in strengthening the province’s electricity infrastructure.
Pamir Energy said it would share relevant proposals with DABS following technical assessments.
In his speech, Hassan emphasized the importance of mutual respect, dialogue, economic cooperation and joint development between Afghanistan and countries in the region.
On the sidelines of the forum, the Afghan ambassador met with Anton Borisovich Doronin, Minister of Economic Development of Russia’s Stavropol region. The two discussed ways to expand trade, investment and economic cooperation.
Hassan also met with a number of Afghan businessmen and representatives of the Afghan community in Russia, listening to their concerns and suggestions.
He assured them that the Afghan embassy would provide necessary support and cooperation in addressing their concerns.
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