These executions took place in sports stadiums across three different provinces. The total number of public executions since 2021 now stands at 10, per AFP.

In a statement, Amnesty International condemned the executions.

“The Taliban de facto authorities continue to flagrantly flout human rights principles with complete disregard for international human rights law. We oppose all executions as a violation of the right to life,” it said.

“Carrying out executions in public adds to the inherent cruelty of the death penalty and can only have a dehumanizing effect on the victim and a brutalizing effect on those who witness the executions,” the statement added.

Amnesty International called on the international community to put pressure on the Taliban “to end this blatant human rights violation and help ensure that international safeguards are respected in Afghanistan.”

The executed individuals were “sentenced to retaliatory punishment” for allegedly shooting other men. The Afghan Supreme Court said their cases were “examined very precisely and repeatedly,” but human rights groups have raised concerns that trials under the Taliban are not fair.

“The families of the victims turned down the opportunity to offer the men amnesty,” per the Supreme Court.

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Social media users shared pictures of the Afghan Taliban’s flag, saying that the flags were displayed at several public places and houses in Gilgit.

تشویشناک | تازہ ترین
گلگت بلتستان کے مرکز گلگت شہر کے مرکزی شاہراہ سمیت گردونواح کے علاقوں میں افغانستان پر غیر قانونی قابض طالبان نامی دہشت گردوں کی قائم غیر قانونی حکومت کے متعدد جھنڈے سڑک/گھروں پر لہراتے ہوئے دیکھائی دئیے ہیں..@a_siab @ManzoorPashteen @memzarma @GulBukhari pic.twitter.com/6E2PhFRgVc

— Shahid Nadeem (@Sumuy0o) May 2, 2023

Pakistan has witnessed a resurgence of terrorism with the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) targeting security officials particularly.

TTP is supported by the Taliban-led Afghan government.

Earlier, a report stated at least 120 policemen were killed and 333 were injured in at least 77 attacks in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, mostly claimed by TTP.

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“They [the Taliban] don’t like being told what to do.”

Former Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan tells @mattfrei Western governments will not be able to influence the Taliban if they isolate them. pic.twitter.com/ikVT4nNGeg

— Channel 4 News (@Channel4News) March 23, 2023

In an interview with Channel 4 News, host Matt Frei said that Pakistan holds an enormous influence on events in neighbouring Afghanistan.

“Would you say to the Taliban running Afghanistan today to let the girls go to school?” the host questioned Imran Khan.

Initially, the ex-premier evaded the question, however, when pressed by the host to answer the question, Imran Khan went on to say “because I know the Afghan character much more than anyone there, especially in the western countries, they do not like to be told what to do”.

The former premier added that if the US wants to influence Afghanistan, they must bring the Taliban to the table.

The ex-premier said that once the Taliban are engaged in dialogue with the western countries, then western countries can discuss human rights abuses in Afghanistan with them.

This is not the first time Imran Khan has defended the Afghan Taliban ban on women’s education. While holding the Prime Minister’s Office, Imran Khan had justified the Taliban banning women’s education in Afghanistan, saying that not providing women with education is part of the ethnic Pashtun culture.

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Afghans make up one of the largest refugee populations worldwide with a large number of them registered in Pakistan. The Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in 2021 has increased the number of Afghan refugees entering neighbouring countries.

Pakistan has an agreement with Afghanistan and the UNHCR, which allows the UNHCR to provide Afghan refugees with registration documents that entitle them to stay in Pakistan and open bank accounts.

Lawyers representing Afghans in detention were quoted as saying that at least four people have died in police custody, and thousands more, including children, are being held in prisons as per a report by The Guardian. 

The report further stated that Pakistan has hardened its stance and launched a crackdown against Afghan refugees.

However, Pakistani authorities denied there was a crackdown against Afghan refugees and added that they are only deporting unregistered refugees.

Pakistan has witnessed a resurgence of terrorism this year. Earlier, a blast in Peshawar mosque inside a police compound claimed the lives of more than 60 people. The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan claimed responsibility for one of the deadliest blasts in the city. Last month a police station in Peshawar was also targeted, resulting in three deaths. Meanwhile, the day after the deadly Peshawar attack, Punjab police thwarted an attack on a police station in Mianwali.

On February 17th, three militants from the banned TTP stormed into Karachi police headquarters, leading to an hour-long operation. During the operation, three militants were killed while two policemen, one Rangers official, and a civilian embraced martyrdom.

TTP has close links with Afghan Taliban.

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According to the 2021 Country Reports on Terrorism by the US State Department, the outlawed TTP operatives use the porous border between Pakistan and Afghanistan and the tribal belt on both sides as a safe haven for their training and deployment.

Pakistan has witnessed a resurgence of terrorism this year. Earlier, a blast in Peshawar mosque inside a police compound claimed the lives of more than 60 people. The TTP claimed responsibility for one of the deadliest blasts in the city. Last month a police station in Peshawar was also targeted, resulting in three deaths. Meanwhile, the day after the deadly Peshawar attack, Punjab police thwarted an attack on a police station in Mianwali.

On February 17th, three militants from the banned TTP stormed into Karachi police headquarters, leading to an hour-long operation. During the operation, three militants were killed while two policemen, one Rangers official, and a civilian embraced martyrdom.

The US State Department report also stated that the TTP has ideological links with Al Qaeda and both terrorist outfits depend on each other for information and members’ operational expertise.

The report also pointed out that a number of attacks in Pakistan in 2021 were also carried out by separatist groups, like Balochistan Liberation Army.

The report also pointed out that Pakistan serves as safe haven for militant groups that carry out attacks in other countries, while simultaneously acknowledging Pakistan’s effort to curtail this practice.

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The report by the US Institute of Peace (USIP)comes amid a resurgence of terrorism in the country.

Earlier, a blast in Peshawar inside a mosque in a police compound claimed the lives of more than 60 people. Banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan claimed responsibility for one of the deadliest blasts in the city. Last month a police station in Peshawar was also targeted, resulting in three deaths. Meanwhile, the day after the deadly Peshawar attack, Punjab police thwarted an attack on a police station in Mianwali.

The report further stated that the Afghan Taliban are very supportive of the TTP and are providing the group with a permissive safe haven.

“The TTP also has a lot of popular support in Afghanistan, where both Taliban and non-Taliban constituencies get behind the TTP due to a fervent dislike for Pakistan,” the report said.

The report added that Afghan Taliban are supportive of TTP because they have a consensus that the Pakistani system is “un-Islamic” so there are a number of Taliban fighters joining the TTP.

The report said the Afghan Taliban are unlikely to shift their narrative that is openly supportive of TTP. This was evident from their rhetoric after the Peshawar blast as they did not openly condemn the attack and entirely put the blame on elements within Pakistan.

However, the report said, the Taliban in Afghanistan understands the importance of diplomatic ties, therefore, moving forward their posture will likely appear like a tug-of-war, alternating between moments of tension and de-escalation.

Regarding Pakistan’s response to the TTP’s resurgence, the report said: “after downplaying the TTP’s strength as well as the Taliban’s influence on and relationship with TTP for several years, Pakistani leaders now seem to be contending with the depth of Taliban support for the TTP. Yet Pakistani officials still seem to be searching for a deal — ideally a cease-fire arrangement — through the Taliban.”

“The military and intelligence leadership, as well as officials at the Foreign Ministry, appear to want to work with the Taliban, viewing it as more favorable than the former republic government — which is indicated by Pakistan continuously asking the international community to engage the Taliban. But the Taliban’s uncompromising commitment to the TTP means that Pakistan has to either ignore the violence or concede to the TTP to maintain a relationship with the Taliban,” the report added.

It also said the deteriorating economy also limits the country’s military response to the threat posed by TTP.

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