Day 87 of Op Ghazab — Three Journalists Enter Third Week of Taliban Detention; 18-Day Strike Pause; EU-Taliban Talks Under Scrutiny

May 23, 2026 (Day 87 of Operation Ghazab lil-Haq): Three Afghan journalists remained in Taliban General Directorate of Intelligence (GDI) custody as the detentions entered their third week. Paigard News Agency director Jawid (Ahmad Jawed) Niazi reached Day 17 of detention (seized May 6), TOLO News presenter Mansoor Niazi reached Day 16 (detained May 7), and TOLO News political editor Imran Danish reached Day 14 (detained May 9 near the TOLO News office in Wazir Akbar Khan, Kabul). INTERNATIONAL PRESSURE ESCALATES: Amnesty International, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), and UNAMA had all called for immediate releases. On May 19, CPJ publicly urged the European Union to cancel scheduled bilateral migration talks with the Taliban in Brussels unless the journalists were freed — framing the EU talks as a potential de facto incentive for the Taliban to continue detaining journalists as leverage. The Taliban confirmed detention of the two TOLO News journalists and stated their cases are 'under review,' with signals the Taliban intends to put them on trial. No charges have been formally announced. UNAMA DECREE 18 RESPONSE OUTSTANDING: UNAMA's formal statement of 'grave concern' over Taliban Decree No. 18 — issued May 22, which treats a girl's silence as consent to marriage — remained unanswered as of May 23. The Taliban rejected UNAMA's characterization as 'Western interference in Islamic jurisprudence' and defended the decree as aligned with Islamic law. UN Special Rapporteur Richard Bennett had previously documented Taliban gender restrictions as constituting crimes against humanity under international law. OPERATIONAL STATUS (Day 87): No confirmed Pakistani cross-border airstrikes into Afghanistan for 18 consecutive days (since the May 5 Dangam, Kunar strike). Pakistan security forces continued precision intelligence-based operations (IBOs) within Pakistani territory under Operation Ghazab lil-Haq's 'decisive action' framework. Recent IBO tally (May 17–24): 22+ militants killed in Shewa (May 17-20), Afghan commander Basir killed in Arjam Kali (May 20), wanted commander Tor Saqib killed in Spinwam (May 21), 11 killed in Datta Khel (May 24). No formal ceasefire between Pakistan and Afghanistan; no Urumqi Round 2 date announced; China silent on mediation since April 8. AFGHAN DEPORTATION PRESSURE: Pakistan's continued forced return of Afghan refugees remained under international criticism. Over 146,000 Afghans had been deported from Pakistan in 2026 so far, following more than 1 million forced returns in 2025. UNHCR and international organizations raised alarm about the pace of returns to a country under active conflict and humanitarian emergency.