All posts tagged: Taliban

Ireland cricketers can ‘boycott’ Afghanistan series amid ‘moral discomfort’ of hosting 5 home ODIs

Ireland cricketers can ‘boycott’ Afghanistan series amid ‘moral discomfort’ of hosting 5 home ODIs

Published by Webster

2 min readMar 24, 2026 08:09 PM IST Having decided to go ahead with their five-match home ODI series against the Afghanistan men’s cricket team, the Cricket Ireland board has said that it will leave it up to the players to commit to their participation. Amid calls for a boycott, Ireland had last week announced the five-match series slated to be held in August, despite carrying a ‘moral discomfort’ of playing against a board that has disregarded women’s cricket. Female participation in sports was barred in Afghanistan five years ago when the Taliban reassumed power in the country. Greame West, director of high performance at Cricket Ireland, said that the board will leave it up to the players to decide on their availability for the series to be played in Bready and Stormont. “I think you have to. We have had conversations with both the men’s and women’s teams to gauge opinion. There are concerns, as you would anticipate, but when we had similar conversations with the board and considered all the factors, there is …

Did you know Dhurandhar’s Chaudhary Aslam was actually Sanjay Dutt’s fan in real life, was called ‘baba cop’

Did you know Dhurandhar’s Chaudhary Aslam was actually Sanjay Dutt’s fan in real life, was called ‘baba cop’

Published by Parlour News

Actor Sanjay Dutt is winning hearts with his commanding turn as the late Pakistani police officer Chaudhary Aslam in Aditya Dhar’s blockbuster franchise Dhurandhar. While audiences are applauding his intense portrayal, here’s an interesting real-life twist – the police officer he essays on screen was, in fact, an ardent fan of the Bollywood star himself. Sanjay Dutt essays the role of late Karachi SP Chaudhary Aslam Khan in Dhurandhar. Sanjay Dutt’s Dhurandhar character has a personal connect to him The spy thriller takes inspiration from real-life events to craft a semi-fictionalised narrative of India’s war against terror in Pakistan, with a sharp focus on the criminal networks operating in Karachi’s Lyari. The film brings to the screen several characters rooted in reality, including the late Karachi SP Chaudhary Aslam Khan, portrayed by Sanjay Dutt. It has now come to light that the police officer was a fan of Sanjay Dutt, with those close to him even affectionately nicknaming him “baba cop” – a nod to the actor’s iconic persona. The real-life connection between Sanjay and …

India dismisses Pakistan’s accusation of backing Afghan Taliban| India News

India dismisses Pakistan’s accusation of backing Afghan Taliban| India News

Published by Parlour News

India on Thursday rubbished Pakistan’s allegations of an Indian hand in recent clashes between Pakistani troops and the Taliban and said such “storytelling” will not change the fact that Islamabad backs cross-border terrorism. External affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said as a state sponsor of terrorism for decades, Pakistan has zero credibility when it comes to cross-border terrorism. This was the latest instance of the Indian side backing the Afghan Taliban regime in Kabul in ongoing clashes with the Pakistani military. Fighting between the two sides intensified on February 26, when Afghanistan launched an offensive along the border in retaliation for Pakistan’s air strikes targeting the Pakistani Taliban. When external affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal was asked at a weekly media briefing about Pakistan’s accusations about Indian involvement in backing the Afghan Taliban, he replied: “We reject such baseless allegations. It has become second nature for Pakistan to blame India for its own misdeeds. “As a state sponsor of terrorism for decades, Pakistan has zero credibility when it comes to cross-border terrorism. No amount of …

Javed Akhtar condemns Taliban’s new law allowing domestic violence, jailing women: ‘Being done in the name of religion’

Javed Akhtar condemns Taliban’s new law allowing domestic violence, jailing women: ‘Being done in the name of religion’

Published by Parlour News

The Population Foundation of India (PFI) on Thursday termed as “shocking and dangerous” reports that the Taliban has formalised domestic violence as permissible so long as it does not result in “broken bones”, saying such a move amounts to legalisation of abuse. Now, award-winning lyricist and screenwriter Javed Akhtar has reacted to the new laws and strongly reacted to them through his new statement on X. (Also read: ‘Absolutely despicable’: Swara Bhasker condemns Taliban’s new law allowing domestic violence, jailing women) Lyricist Javed Akhtar has strongly reacted to the new Taliban laws. (PTI Photo) (PTI01_05_2026_000126A) (PTI) What Javed said In his new X post on February 21, Javed said, “Talibans have legalised wife beating but without any bone fracture. If a wife goes to her parent place with out the husband’s permission , she will be jailed for three months . I beseech the Mufties and mullas of India to condemn it unconditionally because it all is being done in the name of their religion.” About the laws The lyricist’s comments after news emerged that …

Afghanistan’s 1st Envoy In India After Taliban Takeover Takes Charge In New Delhi | India News

Afghanistan’s 1st Envoy In India After Taliban Takeover Takes Charge In New Delhi | India News

Published by Webster

Last Updated:January 10, 2026, 13:09 IST Noor Ahmed Noor, appointed by the Taliban, arrives in Delhi as Charge d’Affaires amid evolving India-Afghanistan ties, though India does not officially recognise the Taliban govt. Afghanistan appointed Noor Ahmed Noor at its Embassy in Delhi. (Image: X) Nearly five years after the Taliban seized control of Kabul, the Afghan government appointed diplomat Noor Ahmed Noor to its embassy in New Delhi. The Taliban-appointed diplomat has arrived in Delhi to assume duties as Charge d’Affaires. His appointment was finalised following a visit by Taliban Acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Mottaqi to Delhi in October 2025, during which he met External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar. Noor had accompanied Mottaqi during that visit and also travelled with him to the Darul Uloom madrassa in Deoband. In December 2025, Noor visited Dhaka, where he reportedly met several Islamist leaders ahead of Bangladesh’s February 12 elections. Although Noor serves as Director General of the First Political Division of the Afghan Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Kabul, officials said he is yet to submit …

After Muttaqi, Taliban Commerce Minister Azizi Lands In India: Exclusive On What 5-Day Visit Means | India News

After Muttaqi, Taliban Commerce Minister Azizi Lands In India: Exclusive On What 5-Day Visit Means | India News

Published by Webster

Last Updated:November 19, 2025, 14:42 IST According to top intelligence sources, Taliban’s Nooruddin Azizi is likely to urge the Indian Government for full scale cooperation to establish an air brigade for trade Taliban’s Commerce and Industry Minister Nooruddin Azizi being welcomed on his arrival in India. (News18) Afghan Taliban’s Commerce and Industry Minister Nooruddin Azizi will visit India, marking the beginning of his five-day visit. Azizi will meet his Indian Counterpart, other officials and business community. According to top intelligence sources, the Minister is likely to urge the Indian Government for full scale cooperation to establish an air brigade for trade. “After closure of transit trade with Pakistan, the Afghan Taliban regime is turning towards Iran and India. Kabul Wants Maximum Usage Of Chahabahar Port In Iran and Trade Air-Bridge Between Kabul and New Delhi,” said sources. Kabul is aiming to increase trade volume with India from the current around $900 million to around $2-$3 billion USD. Pleased to meet FM Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi of Afghanistan today in New Delhi. This visit marks an …

‘Obvious Conflicts Of Interest’: India Shreds Pakistan For Heading UN Taliban Sanctions Panel | India News

‘Obvious Conflicts Of Interest’: India Shreds Pakistan For Heading UN Taliban Sanctions Panel | India News

Published by Webster

Last Updated:November 15, 2025, 18:31 IST Indian envoy said that countries with vested interests should not be allowed to chair committees dealing with sanctions or counter-terrorism Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations, Parvathaneni Harish. (PTI file photo) India on Friday threw shade at Pakistan’s leadership in key United Nations Security Council (UNSC) committees, calling it an “obvious conflict of interest.” Speaking at a debate on the working methods of the Council, India’s Permanent Representative, Ambassador P. Harish, said that countries with vested interests should not be allowed to chair committees dealing with sanctions or counter-terrorism. “Obvious and outright conflicts of interest can have no place in the Council,” Harish said, in a veiled reference to Pakistan. The Indian envoy did not explicitly name the country or the committees, but the remarks were widely understood to target Pakistan’s role as head of the Taliban sanctions committee and co-chair of the counter-terrorism committee. The 1988 sanctions committee, named after the resolution that created it, has the authority to impose travel bans on Taliban members. The …

Pak Taliban group claims Islamabad bombing, Sharif blames India & Afghanistan

Pak Taliban group claims Islamabad bombing, Sharif blames India & Afghanistan

Published by Parlour News

Even after the terror group Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing that 12 people in Islamabad on Tuesday, Pak PM Shehbaz Sharif has sought to pin it on India. Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif says Afghanistan gives shelter to Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, and alleged India gives them backing.(AFP) He condemned the perpetrators, calling them “Indian-sponsored terrorist proxies”. “These attacks are a continuation of India’s state-sponsored terrorism aimed at destabilizing Pakistan,” he added, as per a report by his country’s news agency Associated Press of Pakistan (APP). India has not reacted yet to the allegations, as of 7:30 pm, November 11, but has in the past rubbished such assertions by Pakistan’a. Sharif, without citing evidence, also claimed the same network operating from Afghan territory had attacked children in Wana. He was referring to the Monday attack outside a Cadet College in Wana, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, bordering Afghanistan in which three people died. According to security officials, this attack too was carried out by the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). Addressing the Inter-Parliamentary Speakers’ Conference in Islamabad, Shehbaz …

Pakistan deputy PM Ishaq Dar laments ‘costly cup of tea’ in Kabul amid Afghanistan tension

Pakistan deputy PM Ishaq Dar laments ‘costly cup of tea’ in Kabul amid Afghanistan tension

Published by Parlour News

Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar reiterated his frustration over “a cup of tea” in Afghanistan’s capital of Kabul, which he claims to have proved costly for Pakistan, describing it as a “big mistake” that “should not be repeated”, Tolo News reported. Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar was referring to the 2021 visit of the then-Inter-Services Intelligence Directorate (ISI) chief Lt Gen Faiz Hameed to Afghanistan(AFP File) Speaking during a Senate session on Wednesday, Pakistan’s Deputy PM slammed the previous Imran Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government in a veiled attack, saying that under the pretext of that “cup of tea”, Pakistan’s borders were opened to Afghanistan, a decision he described as a major mistake. “It was a big mistake and should not be repeated,” Dar said during the session, as quoted by Tolo News. According to Tolo News, Dar was referring to the 2021 visit of the then-Inter-Services Intelligence Directorate (ISI) chief Lt Gen Faiz Hameed to Afghanistan after the Taliban took over control of the country following the withdrawal of US …

How the sport became haram overnight

How the sport became haram overnight

Published by Webster

The man on the other side of the line wants to be called Shuja. It’s not his real name. It’s a pseudonym that he makes up on the spot during the long-distance phone call to ensure his safety. He is, after all, currently living in Afghanistan, where 10 days ago, chess – his enduring passion since childhood – was outlawed with an edict from the all-powerful Amr bil Ma’ruf wa Nahi ‘an al-Munkar (the Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice under the Taliban). With one decree, chess became a dangerous pursuit overnight. Playing the sport in Afghanistan is now haram. Forbidden. Shuja, he explains, in the local language means ‘to be brave’. Having any link to the now-forbidden shatranj while living in Afghanistan requires plenty of courage after the sport was temporarily suspended in the country due to “religious considerations”. The phrase temporary suspension is a false dawn: since the government has not provided any timeline for the suspension to be lifted or remedial measures that the sport must take …