After the attack on Chinese Hotel in Kabul almost a  week ago,  the Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP) on 12^th December  has officially claimed the responsibility for today's Hotel attack in Kabul, Afghanistan. Statement makes it clear Chinese nationals were targeted, claiming that 30 Chinese and Taliban were killed & wounded. ISKP along with that published the pictures attackers of the  Longon Hotel. The militant group has identified them as Abu Omar and Abdul Jabbar. No further details have been given apart from a video of pledging allegiance. On the same day Taliban's General Directorate of Intelligence (GDI) - Nangarhar Department claimed that it has recovered a number of weapons and military equipment from an Islamic State Khorasan (ISKP) safehouse during a special operation. IEA has ordered its intelligence to counter the threat of ISKP by taking necessary measures aiming to wipe out ISKP from throughout the country. 5 Chinese nationals were injured in that attack, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin stated that China demands that Afghanistan spare no efforts in searching and severely punishing the attackers, and earnestly strengthen the protection of Chinese citizens and organisations in Afghanistan.  Whereas ISKP seems to move on and continue its militancy aiming to penetrate more into the roots of Afghanistan by expanding its scope of action. In an effort to continue its fundraising campaign, Islamic State Khorasan (ISKP) Tajik chapter issued a long message on social media asking for money for ISKP prisoners in Khorasan and their families. The message also warns followers of avoid donating to fake ISKP channels. Meanwhile ISKP’s parent wing ISIS has recently claimed to kill more than 100 Al-Qaida fighters whileinjuring dozens, and capturing 6 of them, in clashes in Menaka, northern Mali, in an incident earlier this month. In the statement, it says some ISIS fighters were killed due to Malian Army airstrikes during the battle with Al-Qaida.

Moreover Afghanistan’s relationship with Pakistan got another huge dent as on 11^th December, at least 5 people lost their lives & 10 got  injured in the wake of a clash between Pakistani & Afghan Security Forces over border maintenance construction  at Spin Boldak-Chaman Border. The casualties happened when mortar shells in cross fire hit a local market in Pakistani side. Reportedly, IEA forces and Pakistani troops exchanged direct fire starting at 1330 Hours local time, and heavy artillery was used for a duration of one hour. Unfortunately, at 1530 Hours local,  forces of Afghanistan targeted civilian populations with mortars and artillery which led to the martyrdom of SIX (6) Pakistani civilians and injuries to a further THIRTY (30). Pakistani border forces responded in a befitting manner in which 3 Afghan soldiers got killed while more than 20 are reported seriously injured. Afghan forces had then called in additional troops with armed vehicles and heavy weapons to the Spin Boldak-Chaman border to take part in any further fighting with Pakistani border forces. It is also by rumoured by a some channel of sources that the government of Afghanistan has requested for arms & ammunitions from India via unofficial channel to fight against Pakistani aggression along disputed Durand Line. Same type of request has made by Afghanistan from 2 more countries. Whereas on 16^th December, Pakistan’s Foreign Office in Islamabad summoned Afghan Chargé d’Affaires over border Incident.  Pakistan exhibited strong condemnation over incidents of unprovoked cross-border shelling by Afghan Border Security Forces in Chaman-Spin Boldak area, resulting in loss of life and property was conveyed. Apart from that it is reported that in just one week of massive joint anti-smuggling operations by various security and intelligence agencies of Pakistan, the Pakistani government has been able to confiscate $544 million worth of foreign currency and other smuggled goods on the Pakistan-Afghanistan international border which were laundered to Afghanistan. Various foreign currency worth $269,000 and smuggled goods valued at $541 million were confiscated at various Pakistan-Afghanistan border points during the week between December 9 and 15.

Apart from that it is reported that Uzbekistan will start negotiating with foreign investors next year about the construction of the Termez-Mazari-Sharif- Kabul-Peshawar Railway . The total estimated cost of the project is 4.6 billion dollars, within the framework of the project, it is planned to build 765 kilo-meters of railway.

‎The new railway line will connect the ten towns of Uzbekistan, Afghanistan and Pakistan and will be a major transport route and a support for Afghan trade and economy. Moreover, Afghan authorities on 18^th December have distributed China-donated humanitarian aid to 400 needy families in the western Nimroz province, IEA’s provincial director for refugees and repatriation affairs Seddiqullah Nasrat said Monday, “In provincial capital Zaranj city we started distribution of China-donated aid to 400 destitute families, and the aid package includes non-edible and edible items including rice and wheat,". So IEA needs to stay firm and in good terms with these three countries specially rather than having conflicts. Moreover it was informed by multiple local sources that the night of 15th December, late at night, fighters of Afghanistan Liberation Movement (ALM) eliminated a senior personnel of IEA Mullah Abdul Qayyum in Nad Ali district of Helmand province (Shin Kalay) in a clash. Weapons were also  seized. Apart from that news was received on 18^th December that Ghor Provincial Court of Appeal in Afghanistan has carried out Sharia punishment against 12 people including a woman guilty of theft, sexual harassment, and drinking alcohol. The sentence was carried out publicly in the sport stadium of Firozkoh city. On the other hand in an unfortunate incident at least 31 people were killed when a truck carrying fuel exploded in a tunnel north of the capital, Kabul on 17^th December. According to the figures received, the blast also injured at least 35 people and that survivors remained trapped under rubble.  It was not immediately clear what caused the explosion, which happened at around 8.30 p.m. local time. 

Moreover recently on 17th December, the United Nation’s general assembly has postponed the decision on whether representatives of the Afghan Taliban authorities in Afghanistan and Myanmar's military junta can take their countries' seats in the 193-member world body. The UN Credentials Committee had before it two communications concerning the representation of Afghanistan at the 77th session of the general assembly, indicating different individuals as representatives to the current session. The first was dated September 6 this year from the Charge d'affaires of Afghanistan to the United Nations in New York. The second was dated September 17 in 2022 from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Afghanistan. The chair proposed that the committee postpone its consideration of the credentials pertaining to the representatives of Afghanistan to the seventy-seventh session of the general assembly, and to revert to the consideration of these credentials at a future time in the seventy-seventh session. The proposal was adopted without a vote. Allowing both these representations at the UN General Assembly will be tantamount to a move towards international recognition of the Afghan Taliban administration.

Analysis

The situation of Islamic Emirates of Afghanistan is not seeming to be under the control of its government as Afghan Taliban’s economic and foreign policies are currently in a failure state as well as their muscle grip over the security situation. Rather than sustaining it’s economic growth through promoting legal trade and employment opportunities by attracting foreign allied countries, Afghan Taliban are focusing on implementing their ideology and that too contradicting with their actions. On one hand IEA emphasis on Islamic principles and laws and on the other hand they are seeking backdoor monetary and strategic aids from its old enemy (America) and the enemy of it’s neighbouring Muslim country (India). Recently Afghan Taliban has received another package of 40 million dollars from America. Most probably, Afghan Taliban’s supporters would name it as humanitarian aid, but the question is, why they were not sending these weekly packages to Mullah Umer but the current Taliban regime. In my opinion may be the current IEA regime are on the verge to compromise on their claimed principles and are now after materialistic gains rather than ideological advancement [which they actually claim(ed)]. With this regard Islamic State Khorasan Province  (ISKP) mouthpiece al-Azaim has also published a new 73-page booklet on 15^th December targeting the Afghan Taliban and their relations with foreign countries, arguing the Afghan Taliban are gradually adopting a form of democracy by taking orders from foreign countries. Not only that but Afghanistan lately has been engaged with Pakistan on military level at the border of Chaman in which many Muslim soldier and civilians lost their lives on both sides. In addition Afghan Taliban’s support to TTP militants against Pakistan is also not only a diplomatic blunder but also is a cause of regional peace disturbance. And that regional disturbance is infact one of the major causes of failure of Afghanistan as a state. As Chinese Foreign Minister has also reportedly recommended Chinese citizens and organizations to leave Afghanistan as soon as possible; this is exactly what the ISKP attack was expected to achieve. The Afghan Taliban are failing on all fronts due to their totalitarian & odd regime. Attack against the interests of Russia, China, Pakistan & Iran who aided and abetted Afghan Taliban to overthrow the American backed government of Ashraf Ghani in Kabul indicate an inherent policy failure also on the parts of those countries to empower the Afghan Taliban. They sleepwalked into a trap that will continue to haunt the Afghanistan’s near and far neighbors for years to come. In my opinion it is not yet too late that the Emir of Afghanistan along with its government should realize their blunders and reassess, re-establish and refresh its relation with not only Pakistan but also with other countries with common interests and ideologies. It should not allow its land to be used against friendly countries at all. Establishing strong strategic and trade partnership with Pakistan, China, Russia, Uzbekistan, Iran, Kazakhstan and Turkey should be Afghanistan’s top priority in order to form peace and unity in the region.