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Taliban supreme leader says Afghan women given “prosperous life”

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The Taliban supreme leader, Mullah Hibatullah Akhunzada had come up with an astonishing statement where he claimed that he had made the lives of Afghan women much better under the Sharia law.

Akhunzada, who is based in Kandahar, in his Eid message, said that they were able to bring reforms in many sectors, including reforms in women’s hijab (scarf) and that women’s rights have been ensured based on Sharia.

The Taliban leader also claimed his government has adopted necessary steps for the betterment of women’s lives. However, the statement did not mention girls’ education and women’s rights to work.

Akhunzada, the leader of Taliban that rarely appears in public or visits the capital city Kabul from Kandahar, has said that under the rule of Islamic Emirate, bold steps have been taken to save women from much oppression, including forced marriages to provide them with comfortable life according to the Sharia law.

“Reforms are underway in law-making, governance, judiciary, economy, culture and other related fields. These are the goals and values for which we have fought and made great sacrifices,” the statement reads.

However, since the Taliban takeover of power in August 2021, the Taliban has taken stronger action against the women, and already banned girl’s education after the sixth grade. The women were also barred from public life and work, and even those working with NGOs and UN organizations were ordered to stay at home.

The message was distributed in five languages – Arabic, Dari, English, Pashto and Urdu, where Akhundzada said at the “national level, the independence of Afghanistan has been restored once again, brotherhood and national unity have been strengthened, all kinds of prejudices such as race, language and region have been eliminated, the territorial integrity of the country has been preserved and all borders are strictly defended and protected.”

Stealing the government assets

He also blamed previous high-ranking officials of the republic government and accused them of stealing the government assets. “Afghanistan’s national assets, such as customs and revenues, mines, state land, forests and other common assets have been taken from powerful individuals and now being protected as state assets.”

He also hinted toward the economic sector and rejected the economic crisis and claimed the economic collapse was prevented as a result of “Islamic Emirate’s wise measures, sincerity and transparency.”

For the first time in recent history, Afghanistan has become economically self-sufficient, furthermore, concrete steps have been taken and are underway in rehabilitation, reconstruction, agriculture, mining and other related sectors, Akhundzada claimed.

But the UN says over 28 million population of Afghanistan needs humanitarian support and labeled Afghanistan as the worst humanitarian crisis.

Meanwhile, Akhundzada said that significant steps have been taken to divert beggars from begging and thousands of beggars who are in need are being given assistance by the government.

Poppy cultivation in Afghanistan

He also spoke about cultivation of poppy and praised his government’s efforts in taking steps to eliminate the menace.

“Farmers are looking for alternatives and legal cultivation is expanding, meanwhile, a ban has been imposed on production, trafficking and use of all kinds of drugs and now, many citizens, specially the youth are saved from this harm,” he added.

However, the United Nations’ annual World Drug Report has spoken differently and reported the narcotics situation worldwide in which Afghanistan continued to account for the majority 80pc of global illicit opium production in 2022.

The UN Office on Drugs and Crime’s (UNODC) in its annual report said that while global opium production remained high at 7,800 tons in 2022, which was mainly driven by high levels of production in Afghanistan, the Taliban’s ban this year on poppy cultivation “may have an impact on the 2023 opium harvest there.”

“The benefits of a possible drastic reduction in illicit opium cultivation in Afghanistan in 2023 will be global but will be at the expense of many farmers in the country who do not have alternative means of income generation. Shared responsibility calls for donors, in particular those that will benefit most from reduced trafficking of Afghan heroin, to urgently provide support for the people in rural areas of Afghanistan to develop livelihoods away from illicit opium cultivation,” the report added.

The Taliban leader also said that many institutions of the “Islamic Emirate are working to treat those who became addicted in the past 20-year and efforts are underway to bring them back to a normal life.

Taliban leader asks his men to treat people properly

Calling on his members, Akhundzada said that the Taliban officials should carry out the given responsibility seriously, emphasizing over wellbeing of the people to be remained on top. “Keep your doors open toward the people, do things efficiently and never treat people in a way that makes them feel less than you. This is the same nation who sacrificed their lives and properties during the past 20-year. I instruct the security officials to pay full attention to the well-being, service and safety of the citizens, especially during Eid. Consider all measures for the welfare and safety of the countrymen and extend your help and support to the families of martyrs, disabled and orphans,” Akhundzada ordered his men.

The world yet to recognize the government of Taliban

The world did not recognize the government of Taliban so far and put the rights of women as key demand to do so.

Afghanistan’s UN envoy Roza Otunbayeva in his speech to the UN security council said that Taliban rulers want UN recognition but reject the world body’s key values.

Otunbayeva said that it is “nearly impossible” for the international community to recognize the Taliban government as long as restrictions on women and girls remain in place.

“In my regular discussions with the de facto authorities, I am blunt about the obstacles they have created for themselves by the decrees and restrictions they have enacted, in particular against women and girls,” Otunbayeva added.

The Taliban has initially promised a more moderate rule than during their first time of governing from 1996 till 2001, but by passing each time, they returned to more restrictions and barred girls from schools and women from most jobs and public places including work, gyms, parks, and baths.

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Afraid of the gun; Taliban supreme leader fears of a coup

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Hibatullah Akhundzada, the supreme leader of the Taliban, has ordered the security institutions that without his permission, “no one can distribute or use the military equipment registered by the ministries of defense and interior, the directorate of intelligence and other independent institutions.”

Experts and analysts have considered this move by Hibatullah as last resort to weaken the position of defense minister, Yaqoob Mujahid, interior minister, Sirajuddin Haqqani and the head of Taliban intelligence, Abdul Haq Wasiq in order to prevent a possible internal coup that was initiated by these three top officials.

In the first article of the order, it is mentioned that no person can distribute military equipment registered in the reserves of the ministries of defense, interior and intelligence, or issue an order to distribute it without the order of Hibatullah.

This decree titled “Regarding the distribution, protection and supervision of registered military equipment”, specifies that whenever an Emirate entity (Taliban-related entity) needs weapons, ammunition, night vision cameras, telecommunications and other military equipment” must receive the approval order from the leader of the Taliban.

Also, in the second article of this decree, it is stated that whenever one of the military departments of the Taliban needs military equipment, it must send its request to Hibatullah’s office in Kandahar.

In the third article of the decree, it is emphasized that if the military equipment was distributed or used without the permission of the Taliban leader before the issuance of this decree, they must be returned to the reserves.

Ministries of defense, interior and head of intelligence department are banned from disturbing military weapons.

According to this article, Hibatullah entrusted the ministries of defense and interior, as well as the general directorate of Taliban intelligence, with the responsibility to report the list of available military equipment to the directorate of registration, and protection of military equipment.

This order of the Taliban leader has been considered as another step in the direction of concentrating more power in the hands of Mullah Hibatullah in Kandahar. Many have seen it as a sign of Hibatullah’s increasing distrust of senior Taliban officials in Kabul. Previously, some senior Taliban officials, including Sirajuddin Haqqani, have openly disobeyed Hibatullah’s order to prohibit photography and filming and have not followed the order of their supreme leader.

(R) Defense Minister Mullah Yaqoob Mujahid and (L) Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani.

Previously, several reports have been published about the sale of military equipment left over from the US troops and Afghan security forces during the republic government. Even the US-elected president Donald Trump, repeatedly mentioned this issue during his election campaigns. Not long ago, the government of Pakistan also announced that the Pakistan security forces have discovered and confiscated a car carrying US weapons smuggled from Afghanistan.

Pakistani media reported that this equipment included M4 assault rifles, night vision cameras and thousands of rounds of ammunition, which were transported in a truck carrying vegetables. Pakistani security officials have estimated the total value of weapons smuggled from Afghanistan in this truck to be 126,354 US dollars.

The cost of US’s remaining equipment in Afghanistan estimated over 7 billion US dollars

The Pentagon has already announced that after the withdrawal of US forces from Afghanistan, about 7 billion dollars of military equipment fell into the hands of the Taliban. This equipment reached the hands of the Taliban after the fall of Afghanistan on 15 August, 2021.

It has been reported that when the US forces left Afghanistan, there were 78 US-made aircrafts in the country, whose value reached 1 billion dollars. According to CNN, with the end of the US military presence, a total of more than 9,000 air-to-ground munitions worth more than six and a half million dollars have remained in Afghanistan.

The report also states that out of a total of 96,000 military vehicles, more than 40,000 units, including 12,000 Humvees (armored tanks), fell into the hands of the Taliban. Moreover, out of a total of more than 400,000 weapons that the US gave to the forces of the former Afghan government, about 300,000 remain in the country.

Almost all “communications equipment, including mobile base stations, portable and hand-held commercial and military radio systems, and associated transmitters and encryption devices, all remain in Afghanistan,” according to the report.

The report added that “almost all” of the equipment for night vision cameras, surveillance, biometric and positioning equipment,” a total of nearly 42 thousand pieces of specialized equipment, remained in Afghanistan.

Meanwhile, Five Mi 17 helicopters of the then Afghan army, which were transferred to Ukraine for repair before the collapse of the government, have also returned to Afghanistan and now are used by the Taliban.

It should be noted that the internal rivalries in the Taliban, especially among the different factions of this group, is one of the important reasons for Mullah Hibatullah’s distrust of some Taliban officials. Some officials, including interior minister Sirajuddin Haqqani and defense minister Mohammad Yaqub Mujahid, gained a lot of power, especially during the Taliban’s war against foreign forces, and Mullah Hibatullah may be worried that these officials are trying to expand their power, which is a clear threat to his position as the Taliban leader.

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China’s BYD prepares to launch latest SUV, the Sealion 07, in Europe despite EU tariffs

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BYD, the world’s largest electric vehicle (EV) maker, is set to launch its latest SUV, the Sealion 07, in Europe, undeterred by recent tariff increases on Chinese-made electric vehicles. This strategic move highlights BYD’s commitment to expanding overseas sales despite economic barriers.

Deliveries of the Sealion 07 are scheduled to begin in 2025, marking BYD’s seventh all-electric model in the European market, the company announced on Wednesday. Additionally, BYD plans to enter the South Korean market next year, adding to its existing presence in 95 countries worldwide.

This European expansion comes on the heels of the European Union’s decision last month to impose new tariffs—ranging from 17% to 35.3%—on Chinese electric vehicles following an anti-subsidy investigation. BYD’s EVs are subject to a 17% tariff, in addition to the standard 10% tariff applied to all pure electric cars imported from China. These tariffs, which took effect last month, will remain in place for five years. Meanwhile, U.S. tariffs on Chinese-made EVs increased from 25% to 100% as of September, citing similar concerns.

Despite the added costs, BYD’s vehicles continue to hold strong appeal in export markets. “BYD’s vehicles remain attractive even after the additional tariffs, so it’s not really a big problem for the company,” said Chen Jinzhu, CEO of Shanghai Mingliang Auto Service, a leading industry consultancy. “The Sealion 07 exemplifies how BYD’s cost advantage enables it to counteract such trade barriers in key export markets.”

Shenzhen-based BYD has yet to disclose the European pricing for the Sealion 07. On the mainland, the SUV—featuring a range of 450 kilometers—starts at 189,800 yuan (approximately US$26,272), with deliveries beginning in May.

According to a report last year from UBS analysts, BYD has a sustainable cost advantage of 25% over traditional European brands.

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Singles’ day promotions target overseas Chinese as China’s domestic demand slows

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After last year’s Singles’ Day shopping festival in China was dubbed the “quietest in history,” China’s e-commerce platforms focused on a new strategy this year.

For this year’s Singles’ Day event, major e-commerce companies such as Alibaba, JD.com, and Pinduoduo invested heavily in expanding overseas markets, targeting the estimated 100 million Chinese living abroad with offers like discounts and free or low-cost shipping.

The central question, however, is not whether these efforts will succeed in the short term, but rather if this shift can help platforms grow their user bases as online sales growth in China reaches a bottleneck.

“Domestic consumption is quite weak right now, and every company is certainly considering new ways to drive growth for Singles’ Day,” said an executive at a leading online retailer, who requested anonymity. “The overseas market is widely seen as a promising source for additional growth,” he added in an interview with Nikkei Asia.

Singles’ Day, a one-day sales event launched by Alibaba in 2009 as a celebration for singles, has since evolved into a month-long campaign with special offers and deep discounts, culminating on or around November 11.

This year, China aimed to revitalize its retail sector with the event. Total consumer goods sales rose by 3.3% year-on-year in the first three quarters of 2024, though high-end consumer spending remained stagnant. Cosmetics sales fell by 1%, while gold and silver jewelry sales declined by 3.1% year-on-year.

Last month, Alibaba’s Taobao launched a significant marketing campaign in Hong Kong and Taiwan, flooding subway stations with advertisements for “free shipping on orders over 99 yuan,” among other offers. According to the company, the campaign cost 2 billion New Taiwan dollars ($61.7 million) in Taiwan and 1 billion yuan ($138 million) in Hong Kong.

Following Alibaba’s move, JD.com announced it had invested 1.5 billion yuan to offer discounted product prices and cheaper shipping to Hong Kong shoppers. Bargain platform Pinduoduo took it a step further, offering free shipping via courier SF Express for Hong Kong shoppers, regardless of the item’s price. All products on these platforms are shipped from mainland China.

A spokesperson from Alibaba’s International Digital Commerce Group noted that since the overseas initiative launched in October, Taobao Hong Kong has achieved double-digit growth in both orders and gross merchandise value (GMV)—a metric that excludes canceled orders—on both a monthly and year-on-year basis.

The platforms are also targeting Chinese shoppers in Malaysia, Thailand, and Singapore.

This year, unlike in previous years, shoppers could combine online discounts with a subsidy program introduced by the Chinese government to boost domestic consumption, primarily for home appliances and household products. Analysts suggest these incentives will likely boost sales for JD.com, which is known for selling high-quality large appliances and offering after-sales services.

While JD.com has yet to release sales or GMV figures for home appliances during the shopping festival, it is expected to share its June-September results, along with Alibaba, later this week.

Last year, data provider Syntun estimated that total GMV on major e-commerce platforms grew by only 2.1% to 1.14 trillion yuan, falling short of the 2.9% growth forecast for 2022. Similarly, consultancy Bain predicted that Singles’ Day sales would reach 1.15 trillion yuan in 2023.

On Tuesday morning, Alibaba announced “strong GMV growth” and a “record number” of active shoppers for this year’s Singles’ Day event.

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