As terrorism has became a global issue, terrorist organisations are also seeking more global outreach and recognition. The major terror groups like Daesh, Al-Qaida and TTP in recent times seem to have been expanding their scope. Afghanistan’s role and links to these terror groups have always had importance as most are harboured there. Daesh/ISKP currently seem to be deepening it’s roots not only in Afghanistan but also central and south Asian countries. For instance the Daesh’s perpetrator of Kabul Airport attack (on 5^th Jan. 2023) Abdul Jabbar was originally from Tajikistan. He came from a wealthy family but spent most of his life outside his country, joining ISKP with other Tajik militants. Moreover Islamic State Khorasan ISKP published 2nd issue of Arabic language magazine Sawt Khorasan. The magazine is acting as a platform for IS Arabic speaking supporters from other provinces providing them with ISKP international propaganda reach to attract new recruits. Thus, by exploiting ISKP propaganda machine, articles aim at recruiting supporters from Iran, Egypt, and the Arabian Peninsula, as the issue praises past attacks from IS in Iran; operations from IS Province of Sinai, Egypt; and urging Muslims from Arab countries to join IS. Generally, the issue focuses on criticising states of Turkey, Iran, and Qatar, with a particular emphasis on Saudi Arabia's relations with the Taliban and China.

ISKP has also demonised Afghan Taliban's policies in Afghanistan, including the new constitution. Finally, the issue also threatens new targets of attacks, including Australian Shia Imam and influencer Mohammed Tawhidi, heavily criticising him.

Islamic State Khorasan (ISKP) officially had claimed  suicide attack near Kabul Airport earlier this month and it was  reported that the attacker in the incident previously took part in the attack on the Chinese hotel in Kabul and managed to escape it safely after the operation. Moreover The 16th issue of Khorasan Ghag magazine published on 8^th January by Islamic State Khorasan (ISKP) mouthpiece al-Azaim, mostly boasts about group's attacks in Kabul against Pakistan's embassy, Longan hotel and Kabul Airport. The outfit has gone after China in this edition & has announced an upcoming video product dedicated to Afghan Taliban-China relations. ISKP has also criticised Taliban Supreme Leader Haibatullah Akhundzada as not qualified for the title of Amir ul Momineem (Commander of the Faithful). The biographical section features the story of Abu Taher aka Salman Khorasani, a militant from Khaar, Bajaur, who defected from TTP and joined ISKP in Kunar, becoming a close aide of ISKP 2nd Wali Abdul Haseeb Logari. ISKP al-Azaim Media has also  released a 133-pp Pashto booklet that declared Pakistani Taliban (TTP) as Indian stooges. Its central debate is anti-Afghan Taliban propaganda claiming it as "Pakistani stooges now working for China and other infidel states' interests in the region." However TTP also released new video of terrorist training exercises in Afghanistan. The terrorist are carrying U.S.-made M4(A1) carbine and M16A4 assault rifles.

Moreover on 11^th January, An explosion took place on the road to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as a result of which five civilians were martyred and several more were injured. Islamic State Khorasan (ISKP) claimed the attack near MoFA claiming a higher death toll (20) than that announced by IEA officials. Sources reported that one suicide bomber managed to detonate his suicide vest in front of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, adding the attack was aimed at disrupting a meeting between Taliban & foreign diplomats. Attacker has been  identified as Khyber al-Kandhari. A diplomatic source within the Foreign Ministry who asked not to be identified informed that the explosion occurred when the ministry's employees were on leave. But the same source said that the explosion was strong and there were casualties.

The source also informed that the blast happened while a meeting between IEA representatives and Chinese officials was going on inside the ministry. This is the first mass casualty in 2023, but certainly one of those with the most patients since the beginning of 2022. Moreover on 16^th January, Mursal Nabizada, a former female member of Afghanistan's parliament, had been killed by unknown gunmen at her home in Kabul. Nabizada and her guard were shot dead and her brother was injured in an attack on the weekend. The police and security forces very soon took action and started investigation of the case.

Apart from that since returning to power 17 months ago, the Taliban have imposed severe restrictions on women, keeping them out of government jobs, banning them from secondary schools and universities, and prohibiting them from visiting parks.

The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has called an emergency meeting of Executive Committee on January 11 in Jeddah to discuss humanitarian situation in Afghanistan in light of the recent Taliban ban on female schools & universities & female work in NGOs.The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in its Extraordinaire Meeting has decided to send a Special Envoy to Afghanistan to deliver the OIC’s message on supporting the country and the importance of reconsidering the recent ban on working women and girls’ education. The Australia Cricket team has also declined to play against Afghanistan in the ICC Super League three-match Men’s ODI scheduled for the UAE in March 2023 after  the announcement by the Taliban of further restrictions on women’s and girls’ education and employment.

The United States on 13^th January had pushed the U.N. Security Council to adopt a resolution calling on the Taliban-led authorities in Afghanistan to reverse bans on women working for aid groups or attending universities and high school. The 15-member council met privately on Friday - at the request of the United Arab Emirates and Japan - to discuss the decisions by the Islamist Taliban-led administration, which seized power in Afghanistan in August 2021. In that regard, Senior UN officials had arrived in Kabul on 16^th January for talks as the United Nations chief voiced concern over the Taliban's creation of "gender-based apartheid.

Analysis

The Taliban regime in Afghanistan has started enforcing Sharia laws based on their own interpretation of the precepts of Islam. Pakistan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan etc are among those Muslim countries that have distanced themselves from the Afghan Taliban’s conception and enforcement of Islamic laws. However, the orthodoxy in Taliban ranks poses a more severe challenge to Pakistan compared to the rest of the Muslim world. The Muslim countries are rightly worried about the Afghan Taliban’s view of Islam as it poses more of a political challenge than an ideological one. Muslim societies from Morocco to Indonesia have developed functional compatibility with the modern values of freedom and human rights. Many Muslim countries and groups, including the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, have condemned the Afghan Taliban’s policies of rolling back the rights of women, including the recent ban on higher education for them. However, the Taliban leaders insist that their policies are based on Islamic jurisprudence. Though the OIC has not abandoned its engagement policy with the Taliban regime, it could rethink its approach if Kabul continues with its ideological campaign. Moreover The Afghan Taliban’s approach towards women education has been a case for analysis for decades. The Taliban say that they want to rule under a shariah system. However there are clear Islamic injunctions and a lot of historical precedent regarding women’s rights, including the right education. Why would there be so many madrassas around the world for women mostly some under the supervision of religious governments - if Islam didn’t allow women’s education. It is important to understand the mindset of the Taliban regarding the ban on women’s education.

Afghanistan and parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in Pakistan are dominated by a tribal culture. Until a few decades ago, women’s education was looked down upon even in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Some men too considered school education ‘immoral’ due to propaganda in Pashtun society by some clerics who wanted to get more and more recruits for their seminaries. The situation improved after the Khudai Khidmatgar movement, led by Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan, popularly known as Bacha Khan, launched awareness campaigns, urging education for both men and women.

However, in one form or the other, education for women is still an uncomfortable topic in the Pashtun society, especially among poor families with strong religious tendencies. The main reason for this is poverty and lack of employment opportunities for women, particularly in rural areas. In these areas, the families tend to marry the girls off at an early age. This trend is more pronounced in Afghanistan, where many girls are married off against money. A majority of the current Taliban leaders belong to these Pashtun-dominated areas. Another important reason is the difference between religious and modern education. In the Taliban’s view, modern education is an offshoot of the Western culture, which has nothing to do with education. A long-term policy will be needed to change the way tribal society thinks about women. Long country-wide discussions should be held to raise awareness in the tribal society to support women’s rights. Families educating girls should be provided incentives. Women should also be provided equal opportunities for employment and business.