A new book by a veteran international journalist uses the history of Kabul’s Intercontinental Hotel to trace decades of political upheaval in Afghanistan, while highlighting the experiences of ordinary Afghans who lived through successive governments, conflicts and social transformations.

The author argues that Afghanistan’s modern history is marked by repeated cycles of change and uncertainty, yet many Afghans continue to hold on to a belief that no political system is permanent. That sense of resilience, she says, remains one of the defining characteristics of the country despite the challenges facing its people.

“Afghans always used to say: the last to die is hope,” she said during an interview discussing the book. “Afghanistan has possibly lived through every political system the world has tried. The thread through Afghan history is that nothing lasts forever.”

At the centre of the narrative are employees of Kabul’s Intercontinental Hotel, one of the country’s most recognisable landmarks. Through their personal accounts, the book documents how political changes shaped everyday life across generations.

Among those featured are a longtime housekeeper who worked at the hotel from its opening, one of its first female chefs, an engineer responsible for maintaining the property through periods of conflict and instability, and one of the hotel’s pioneering female waiters.

Their experiences provide a perspective on Afghanistan’s recent history that extends beyond political leaders and military campaigns.The author said documenting those stories required the trust and cooperation of Afghans who were willing to speak despite potential risks.

“I have to pay tribute to the Afghans who helped me and spoke to me for the book, because in Afghanistan even sharing stories can have risks,” she said.The journalist began her reporting career as a freelance correspondent in West Africa before joining the BBC and covering conflicts and political developments around the world.

She later became the broadcaster’s chief international correspondent, reporting from some of the most significant geopolitical events of recent decades.Her latest book opens with the collapse of the internationally backed Afghan government in August 2021 and the return of the Taliban to power following the withdrawal of U.S. and allied forces.

The fall of Kabul and the chaotic evacuation that followed form a central part of the narrative.Recalling the scenes at Kabul airport, she described a period marked by fear, confusion and desperation as thousands attempted to leave the country.“There was this fear at the end,” she said.

“People kept talking about Vietnam. In fact, it was a hundred times worse.”She remembered military transport aircraft, helicopters and large crowds carrying only essential belongings as they sought evacuation. Images of Afghans clinging to departing aircraft became some of the most widely circulated photographs of the withdrawal and drew international scrutiny over the manner of the exit.

The events of August 2021 remain among the defining moments of her reporting career and continue to shape international debate over the consequences of two decades of foreign military involvement in Afghanistan.Since regaining power, the Taliban administration has introduced a series of restrictions affecting women and girls.

Secondary education and university access for girls have been suspended, while women have been excluded from many forms of employment and public participation. Additional regulations have imposed strict dress requirements and further limited women’s visibility in public life.The journalist described the situation as one of the most pressing human rights concerns facing Afghanistan today.

“Five years in and it is getting worse. It is a stain on our world,” she said.Despite those restrictions, she said Afghan women continue to demonstrate remarkable resilience and determination in the face of mounting obstacles.She also expressed concern about challenges faced by Afghan women outside the country, particularly those seeking educational opportunities abroad.

While scholarship programmes remain available in some cases, she noted that visa barriers and immigration restrictions have prevented many students from pursuing studies overseas.“There are Afghan women getting scholarships, but there are no visas now to allow Afghan women to come and study in Britain and in many other places,” she said.

According to the author, many Afghans who once held prominent roles in journalism, civil society, education and public service have been forced to rebuild their lives from the beginning after leaving the country.“People who were somebody in Afghanistan — activists, world-class journalists — find themselves having to start again from scratch,” she said.

The displacement of professionals and educated workers has contributed to concerns among international observers about the long-term impact on Afghanistan’s social and economic development.At the same time, the author cautioned against viewing the entire period between 2001 and 2021 solely through the lens of its final outcome.

She argued that the years of international engagement produced significant changes in education, media, civil society and opportunities for women, even if many of those gains are now under pressure.She said debates about whether two decades of foreign involvement achieved meaningful results often overlook the experiences of millions of Afghans whose lives changed during that period.

“People often say: what did 20 years of international engagement achieve? Was it all for nothing?” she said. “I always say it wasn’t for nothing.”Through the story of one hotel and the people who kept it operating across decades of turmoil, the book seeks to document those experiences and preserve the voices of Afghans whose lives intersected with some of the most significant events in the country’s modern history.

The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said it was concerned about multiple arrests and detentions of women in Herat for alleged non-compliance with dress requirements. The mission did not specify the number of people affected, although local media reports said at least 21 women and girls had been detained.

In a statement posted on X late Sunday, UNAMA reminded Afghanistan’s de facto authorities that all people are entitled to freedom of movement and equal treatment under the law, regardless of gender.

The reported detentions followed a Taliban directive issued last week requiring women appearing in public to wear what authorities described as a “proper hijab,” according to local media. Reports said women who showed their faces or wore makeup could face punitive measures. Reuters could not independently verify the directive.

The Taliban administration did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the reported arrests.

Since returning to power in 2021, the Taliban has imposed extensive restrictions on women and girls, limiting access to secondary and higher education, employment opportunities and organized sports. The policies have drawn criticism from the United Nations, Western governments and international rights organizations.

Taliban officials maintain that women’s rights are protected under their interpretation of Islamic law.

The issue has also raised concerns about Afghanistan’s long-term social and economic development. A UNICEF report published in April warned that continued restrictions on girls’ education and women’s employment could leave the country short of more than 25,000 female teachers and healthcare workers by 2030.

KInternational agencies have repeatedly argued that women’s participation in education, healthcare and the workforce is critical to addressing Afghanistan’s humanitarian and development challenges.

Under a decree approved by Hibatullah Akhundzada, girls may be considered eligible for marriage upon reaching puberty, and a girl’s silence can be treated as consent to marriage.

The UN committee said the measure violates international child-rights standards, arguing that puberty is not adulthood and that silence cannot be considered genuine consent.

Rights advocates warn the decree could increase forced and early marriages, while making it difficult for girls to challenge such unions in Taliban-controlled courts.

Taliban officials rejected the criticism, saying the policy is based on Islamic principles and insisting they oppose forced marriages. However, the UN says the decree undermines protections for children’s rights, education, health, and personal freedom.

Carl Skau, deputy executive director of the WFP, said Afghanistan was experiencing its worst malnutrition surge on record following climate-related disasters, a deadly earthquake and the return of millions of Afghans expelled from Iran and Pakistan.“It is a nutrition crisis here in Afghanistan,” Skau told AFP during a visit to the country.

“The surge last year was the worst we’ve ever seen. It’s worse this year.”The WFP estimated in January that around five million Afghan women and children would face life-threatening levels of malnutrition in 2026 in a country of more than 40 million people.

Afghanistan’s conflict-driven border shutdown with Pakistan, which has largely halted cross-border movement for nearly eight months, combined with economic fallout linked to the Iran war, has disrupted regional supply chains and pushed up prices for fuel and essential food commodities.

“If we weren’t struggling with the supply chain, both delays and costs, we would be able to feed a million more children here in Afghanistan,” Skau said.He said thousands of tons of fortified biscuits intended for Afghan schoolchildren had originally been scheduled to transit through Pakistan before border restrictions forced the WFP to reroute supplies through Dubai and Iran.

After conflict intensified in the Middle East, the agency was compelled to redirect shipments again through seven countries, including Saudi Arabia, Turkiye, Georgia and Turkmenistan.“It’s about to arrive this week, but it’s taken months.

It cost us way more,” Skau said.Funding shortages have compounded the crisis. The WFP has secured only eight percent of its targeted funding for Afghanistan this year, limiting its ability to respond to escalating humanitarian needs.

Skau described visiting a rural clinic in eastern Afghanistan where women carrying severely malnourished children waited for hours seeking assistance, only to be turned away because aid stocks had run out.

“We did not have assistance to give them,” he said. “The desperation in the voice of these women will stay with me for a long time.”

Taliban government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said claims made by Pakistani officials linking Afghanistan to the attack on a police station in Bannu were unfounded.

“The Afghan government considers the recent statements by Pakistani officials, which claimed that the attack on the police station in Bannu was planned in Afghanistan, baseless,” Mujahid said in a statement posted on X.

The response came after Pakistani authorities blamed Afghanistan-based militants for the suicide bombing and subsequent assault on a police checkpoint in Bannu, an area near Pakistan’s border with Afghanistan that has seen a resurgence of militant violence.

The attack, one of the deadliest against Pakistani security forces this year, intensified tensions between Islamabad and Kabul, which have repeatedly traded accusations over cross-border militancy.

Pakistan has accused militant groups operating from Afghan territory of orchestrating attacks inside Pakistan since the Taliban returned to power in Kabul in 2021.

The Taliban administration has consistently denied harboring militants targeting neighboring countries and has argued that Pakistan’s security challenges are an internal matter.

Relations between the two countries have deteriorated sharply in recent months, including military confrontations earlier this year after Pakistan launched airstrikes inside Afghanistan targeting what it described as militant hideouts.

The Taliban condemned those strikes as violations of Afghan sovereignty.

The blast struck Naurang Bazar in the Sarai Nawrang area near Bannu District, close to the Afghan border, according to emergency officials and local authorities.Witnesses described scenes of panic after the explosion tore through the busy marketplace, damaging storefronts and vehicles as residents and rescue workers rushed to evacuate the wounded.

Rescue 1122 said nine people were killed and around 30 others wounded in the attack, adding that critically injured victims had been transferred to hospitals in Bannu for treatment.Dr. Mohammad Ishaq said the hospital had received at least 37 injured patients, several of whom remained in critical condition.

No group immediately claimed responsibility for the bombing.The attack came days after a coordinated assault involving a car bomb and armed ambush on a police checkpoint in Bannu district killed 15 police officers. Pakistani authorities blamed militants operating from Afghan territory for the weekend attack and lodged a formal protest with the Taliban-led government in Kabul.

The Taliban administration said on Monday it had no immediate response to Pakistan’s allegations.Relations between the two countries have deteriorated sharply in recent months amid escalating accusations over cross-border militancy. In February, Pakistan launched airstrikes inside Afghanistan targeting what it described as militant safe havens linked to attacks on Pakistani security forces.

The Taliban government has repeatedly denied providing sanctuary to militants and maintains that Pakistan’s security crisis is an internal matter.

Northwestern Pakistan has witnessed a resurgence in militant violence since the collapse of a ceasefire between Islamabad and armed insurgent groups, with attacks increasingly targeting police, military personnel and civilian areas near the Afghan frontier.

An EU spokesperson said the proposed meeting was being organized at the request of several member states seeking cooperation on deportation procedures for Afghan migrants whose asylum claims have been rejected or who are considered security risks under European law.

No date has been finalized for the talks, the spokesperson said, stressing that the meeting would not constitute formal diplomatic recognition of the Taliban government.

Western governments have largely avoided official engagement with the Taliban since the Islamist movement seized control of Afghanistan in 2021 following the withdrawal of U.S. and NATO forces and the collapse of the Western-backed Afghan administration.

Despite the lack of formal recognition, European officials have gradually expanded technical contacts with Taliban authorities on issues including migration, humanitarian assistance and airport operations.

The EU spokesperson said officials from the bloc had already traveled to Kabul in January for preliminary discussions and were now considering a follow-up technical meeting in Brussels with what the EU described as Afghanistan’s “de facto authorities.”

Hundreds of thousands of Afghans have sought asylum across Europe since the Taliban takeover, creating political pressure on European governments facing rising anti-immigration sentiment and strained asylum systems.

European countries have struggled to deport Afghan nationals because diplomatic relations with Kabul remain limited and there are few formal mechanisms for coordinating returns.

The spokesperson said Sweden was assisting in coordinating the planned discussions. Swedish authorities did not immediately comment on the initiative.

The move highlights the increasingly pragmatic approach adopted by some European governments toward the Taliban administration, despite continuing concerns over human rights restrictions, particularly those affecting women and girls in Afghanistan.

The violence on Monday killed seven civilians and wounded 85 others, according to a provincial health official, marking the latest escalation in tensions between the two countries after months of cross-border fighting.The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said it had documented “tens of civilians killed or injured” in strikes that hit Asadabad, including a university and surrounding areas of the city.

Afghanistan’s foreign ministry condemned the attacks as “a clear breach of the country’s territorial integrity” and summoned Pakistan’s charge d’affaires in Kabul in protest.Pakistan’s information ministry denied carrying out strikes on residential neighborhoods or the university, calling such allegations a “blatant lie.”

At the university campus in Asadabad, an AFP journalist reported broken windows and damaged solar panels following the attack.Irfanullah, a 20-year-old psychology student, said students dropped to the floor after hearing a loud explosion during class.“Each student tried to get to a safe place, but the windows were broken and some of the students were wounded,” he said.

Another student, Ibadullah, 23, said panic spread immediately after the strike.“Students ran, shoes and books were left on the ground,” he said.Both students declined to provide their surnames for security reasons.Relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan have remained strained since the Taliban returned to power in Kabul in 2021.

The latest violence follows heavy fighting along the frontier earlier this year, as well as Pakistani airstrikes on Afghan cities including Kabul, an escalation that marked one of the most serious military confrontations between the neighbors in years.A temporary ceasefire was agreed in March, and mediator China later said both sides had committed to avoiding further escalation.

Islamabad has repeatedly accused Afghanistan’s Taliban authorities of sheltering militants responsible for attacks inside Pakistan, an allegation Kabul denies.

The border between the two countries has remained largely closed since deadly violence in October, severely disrupting trade and cross-border movement.

The statement came after reports that the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump was discussing the possible relocation of around 1,100 Afghans, including former U.S. war helpers and relatives of American service members, to the Democratic Republic of Congo as part of efforts to resolve their prolonged displacement.

Foreign ministry spokesperson Abdul Qahar Balkhi said Afghanistan remained the “shared homeland of all Afghans” and invited those concerned to return with “full confidence and peace of mind,” rejecting concerns that they faced security threats under Taliban rule.

He said those wishing to migrate to other countries could do so later through “legal and dignified channels” and added that Kabul was ready to engage with all countries on the matter.

The remarks followed disclosures by advocacy group #AfghanEvac, which supports Afghan resettlement efforts, that U.S. officials had informed the group of talks between Washington and Congo regarding refugees housed at Camp As-Sayliyah, a U.S. base in Doha, where many have remained in limbo for more than a year.

The U.S. State Department said it was working to identify options for “voluntary” resettlement in a third country, but did not confirm which countries were under discussion.

For many of the Afghans at the camp, returning to Afghanistan is not considered safe. Many had worked directly with U.S. military forces, diplomatic missions, or affiliated programs during the war and fear retaliation from the Taliban, who returned to power in 2021 following the withdrawal of U.S.-led forces.

In a joint statement shared by #AfghanEvac, refugees at the camp said they had not been formally informed by U.S. officials about the possible transfer to Congo and learned of the discussions through media reports.

They said the prolonged uncertainty had severely affected their mental health.“Many of us are not well. The uncertainty has been more than some of us can carry. There is deep depression,” the group said, describing worsening psychological distress among families who have spent months waiting for relocation.

The refugees also firmly rejected the idea of being moved to Congo, citing ongoing violence there.“We do not want to go to the Democratic Republic of Congo,” the statement said. “It is a country in its own war. We have been in enough war.

We cannot take our children into another one.”The Democratic Republic of Congo has faced decades of instability, particularly in its eastern region, where fighting between government forces and Rwanda-backed rebel groups has intensified.

Camp residents also said returning to Afghanistan was not an option.“The Taliban will kill many of us for what we did for the United States,” the statement said. “This is not a fear. This is a fact.”The relocation discussions come more than a year after President Trump suspended his predecessor’s Afghan refugee resettlement program as part of broader immigration restrictions, leaving thousands of vetted Afghan applicants stranded in transit hubs across the world, including Qatar.

Many had already completed years of security screening and documentation for U.S. resettlement before the process was halted.

The uncertainty over their future continues to underscore the unresolved humanitarian fallout of America’s withdrawal from Afghanistan and the fate of those who supported its mission there.

According to a statement from Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs early Sunday, the two South Asian nations committed not only to a halt in hostilities but also to “the establishment of mechanisms to consolidate lasting peace and stability between the two countries”.

They further affirmed that follow-up meetings will be held in the coming days “to ensure the sustainability of the cease-fire and verify its implementation in a reliable and sustainable manner”.

Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Ishaq Dar, welcomed the accord as “a first step in the right direction”.

Posting on X, he expressed appreciation for the “constructive role played by brotherly Qatar and Türkiye”. He also flagged the next meeting to be hosted by Türkiye, underlining the need for “a concrete and verifiable monitoring mechanism … to address the menace of terrorism emanating from Afghan soil towards Pakistan”.

He added: “It is important to put all efforts in place to prevent any further loss of lives.”

Earlier, both Islamabad and Kabul held talks in Doha on Saturday after the worst violence between the neighbours since the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in 2021.

According to Afghan government spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid, negotiations took place in Doha with Kabul’s team led by Defence Minister Mullah Muhammad Yaqoob. Meanwhile Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed its Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif led discussions with Taliban leadership.

The cross-border flare-up was triggered by Pakistan’s demand that Afghanistan rein in insurgent groups accused of staging increasingly frequent attacks on Pakistani territory—and which Islamabad says operate from safe havens inside Afghan soil.

The Taliban government denies harbouring armed groups for attacks on Pakistan, instead accusing Islamabad of misinformation, and of sheltering ISIL-linked militants undermining Afghan sovereignty.

On Friday, a suicide bomb near the border killed seven Pakistani soldiers and wounded 13 others, according to security officials. Pakistan’s Army Chief, Asim Munir, warned on Saturday that “the Afghan regime must rein in the proxies who have sanctuaries in Afghanistan and are using Afghan soil to perpetrate heinous attacks inside Pakistan.”

While the cease-fire agreement marks a positive step, analysts caution that the true test will lie in sustained verification, cross-border monitoring and addressing deep-rooted mistrust. Establishing a credible mechanism to monitor adherence and respond promptly to violations will be crucial if peace is to hold.