Salima Mazari, Afghanistan’s female governor, who took up arms to fight Taliban in Balkh Province captured
Mazari comes from the Hazara community. Most of the people in the community are Shia, whom the Taliban with Sunni Muslims do not like at all. She has been regularly targeted by the Taliban and Islamic State fighters.
Salima Mazari, one of the first women governors in Afghanistan, who took up arms against Taliban, has reportedly been captured by the terror outfit, a group of the Hazara community informed by tweeting. However, reports said there is no word on her current status. While a lot of the Afghan provinces surrendered to Taliban without much of a fight, Mazari tried everything to keep her province unscathed. She is the governor of Chahar Kint, a district in Balkh province.
At a time when many Afghan political leaders including President Ashraf Ghani had fled the country, Mazari stayed on till the surrender of Balkh province, when her district of Chahar Kint fell to the Taliban.
Over the past few years, Salima Mazari had gained much praise and attention being a woman leader in Afghanistan. She took up arms to fight Taliban in Balkh Province and had been building her own army for the past few days. The incident comes as the Taliban announced a general apology for all Afghan government officials and urged them to return to work, including women in accordance with Sharia law.
Since the beginning of May, the Taliban had been establishing their dominance in rural areas of Afghanistan, but could not capture Chahar Kint because of Mazari.
Mazari comes from the Hazara community. Most of the people in the community are Shia, whom the Taliban with Sunni Muslims do not like at all. She has been regularly targeted by the Taliban and Islamic State fighters. In May, the terrorist group had attacked a school and killed 80 girls. On Mazari’s call, people sold their cows, sheep and even land and bought weapons. The Taliban has not been able to capture this district due to the resistance of the local people.
Salima Mazari of Afghan origin was born in Iran as a refugee in 1980, when her family fled the Soviet war. After graduating from Tehran University, she held various roles at universities and the International Migration Organization before deciding to leave her parents and move to the Afghanistan decades ago. In 2018, she came to know that there was a vacancy for the post of Governor of Chahar Kint district. It was her ancestral homeland, so she applied for the post. Thereafter she was elected to the governorship. Seeing the threat of the Taliban and to secure the district, she had set up a Security Commission, which looked after the recruitment of the local army.
In other India news, Jyotiraditya Scindia, on Wednesday said that his Ministry has been operated 44 new flights in the last 35 days from Madhya Pradesh.
Two explosion incidents reported within a span of around two hours near key defence-linked locations in Punjab have raised serious security concerns and triggered political reactions.
The first incident took place near the Border Security Force (BSF) headquarters in Jalandhar, where a blast involving a delivery scooter was reported in a populated area. The proximity of the explosion to a sensitive security installation immediately drew the attention of authorities.
Shortly after, another blast was reported near a military-linked area in Amritsar, further heightening concerns over security preparedness in the border state. Police and security agencies responded swiftly, deploying bomb disposal squads and forensic teams at both locations.
Officials confirmed that no casualties were reported in either incident. However, the back-to-back nature of the explosions caused panic in nearby areas and prompted authorities to place the state on high alert.
Political leaders reacted strongly, questioning the handling of security and pointing to possible lapses. They urged authorities to take preventive steps to avoid such incidents in the future.
Punjab, being a strategically important border state, remains sensitive to such developments. Investigations are currently underway to determine the cause of the explosions and whether there are any links between the two incidents.
Security has been tightened around key installations, with agencies assessing whether the blasts were isolated events or part of a broader threat.
In a significant administrative development following the West Bengal Assembly election results, several retired bureaucrats appointed during the tenure of Mamata Banerjee have reportedly been barred from entering state government offices.
The decision comes at a time when the Bharatiya Janata Party is preparing to form its first government in the state after securing a decisive mandate. The move is seen as part of the transition process as the outgoing administration makes way for the incoming regime.
Officials indicated that the restrictions apply specifically to retired personnel who had been given contractual or advisory roles under the previous government. These individuals have now been asked not to access offices or handle official work.
The development follows a broader directive issued by the state administration to ensure that no official documents or records are removed, damaged, or tampered with during the transition period. Authorities have emphasised strict accountability, placing responsibility on departmental heads to safeguard files and maintain proper records.
The political backdrop to this move is the sweeping victory of the BJP in the 2026 West Bengal elections, marking a major shift in the state’s political landscape after years of Trinamool Congress rule.
With the new government expected to take charge soon, administrative reshuffling and tightening of access to government infrastructure are being viewed as measures to ensure a smooth and transparent handover of power.
Actor-turned-politician C. Joseph Vijay has thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for congratulating him on his party’s strong performance in the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections 2026.
Vijay, who leads the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), acknowledged the wishes shared by both leaders following the party’s impressive electoral debut, which has significantly altered the political landscape of Tamil Nadu.
Responding to the Prime Minister on social media platform X, Vijay said that his party’s focus would remain on public welfare and development. He emphasised that governance should rise above political differences and aim at improving the lives of the people.
“The well-being of our people remains our only goal… we shall focus on the state’s progress and welfare,” he said, while also expressing hope for support from the Union government in achieving these objectives.
The TVK has emerged as a major political force in the state, breaking the long-standing dominance of traditional parties and marking a major shift in Tamil Nadu’s political dynamics.
According to early developments, the party has staked claim to form the government and may seek additional support if required to prove its majority in the assembly.
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