Mujtaba Haris

Mujtaba Haris

Mujtaba Haris

Mujtaba Haris is an Afghan researcher, journalist, and youth advocate. He spent 15 years working in major cities — Kabul, Herat, and Mazar-e Sharif — and rural areas — Logar province. He is an MBA graduate from Cumbria University, UK. He is a Global Peace award winner.

Behind the rise of Afghanistan's booming meth industry

In-depth: While the country has long been linked with heroin, in recent years the meth industry has thrived. Authorities in both Afghanistan and Iran, meanwhile, are turning a blind eye.

14 July, 2022

Afghanistan's drug trade: Will the Taliban's poppy ban work?

In-depth: Seeking international legitimacy the Taliban has announced a ban on the cultivation of poppies, but there are doubts as to whether the fundamentalist group is able, or willing, to maintain it.

09 June, 2022

Taliban ban on girls' school threatens Afghanistan's future

The Taliban’s reversal of a decision to open schools for girls is not just a violation of both women’s rights and Islamic teachings, but also a risk for the socioeconomic future of the fragile country, writes Mujtaba Haris.

05 May, 2022

Like Afghanistan, Ukraine is a graveyard for Russian empire

Four decades ago, when the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan, it miscalculated the will of the Afghans to defend their country and paid a hefty price. Today, Putin appears to have made the same mistake in Ukraine, writes Mujtaba Haris.

23 March, 2022

To the Biden administration, Afghans are expendable

US President Biden's order to funnel frozen Afghan assets to compensate victims of the 9/11 attacks and a humanitarian relief trust fund is not only insulting, it also will create more hunger and misery for the Afghan people, writes Mujtaba Haris.

21 February, 2022

China and Taliban are flirting. But how serious are they?

For China, a stable and cooperative administration in Afghanistan paves the way for its Belt and Road Initiative, while for the Taliban China can provide recognition and needed investments. Will the two come to a deal, asks Mujtaba Haris.

11 February, 2022