Page 2 - Taliban

Pakistan, Afghanistan continue talks to resolve cross-border tensions

Officials from Pakistan and Afghanistan were still trying to find common ground to settle their dispute over cross-border military and other issues despite three days of talks held in Turkiye. Talks began on Saturday and continued through Monday, but without any final agreement. Quoting officials, the Dawn newspaper reported that a final agreement still remained elusive. Sources familiar with the closed-door discussions said that while most of the points had been mutually agreed between the two sides, the mechanism for verifiable action against terrorist groups operating from Afghan territory continued to be the main sticking point. We kept hoping that we would be able to sign a mutual document with Afghanistan soon, followed by a joint statement, but it still remains out of our reach, the newspaper quoted one source as saying. The atmosphere early on Monday had been markedly positive. Participants described encouraging progress and serious engagement from both delegations. As th

Taliban govt urges US to reopen embassy, focus on economic, political ties

Despite repeated criticism from the US President regarding the withdrawal from Afghanistan, the official stance of the US on the country's current leadership remains unclear

India upgrades its Kabul mission to embassy to boost ties with Afghanistan

The reopening of Indian embassy in Kabul comes four years after New Delhi withdrew its officials following the Taliban takeover in August 2021

Qatar removes 'border' reference in Pak-Afghanistan ceasefire statement

Afghanistan Defence Minister Mohammad Yaqoob Mujahid said no Durand Line discussion occurred in Doha talks, calling it a matter between nations, Tolo News reported

Afghanistan, Pakistan have agreed to immediate ceasefire, says Qatar

Afghanistan and Pakistan have agreed to an immediate ceasefire, Qatar's Foreign Ministry said on Sunday. This follows more than a week of fighting that has killed dozens of people and injured hundreds. Delegations from Afghanistan and Pakistan were in Doha for talks to resolve the crisis. The talks were mediated by Qatar and Turkey. Both the governments had sent their defence ministers to lead the talks, which, Pakistan said, would focus on "immediate measures to end cross-border terrorism emanating from Afghanistan and restore peace and stability along the border.

Choose 'peace or chaos': Pak Army chief warns Taliban amid rising tensions

Army chief Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir on Saturday warned Afghanistan to choose between "peace and chaos" as it asked Kabul to take firm and immediate action against terrorists using Afghan soil to launch attacks inside Pakistan. Munir's statement came amidst Pakistan launching fresh air strikes targeting terrorist hideouts in Afghanistan late Friday, hours after Islamabad and Kabul extended their two-day ceasefire that had temporarily halted hostilities between the two sides. Choose between peace and chaos, the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) said, referring to Afghanistan while addressing a graduation ceremony of passing out army cadets at the Pakistan Military Academy (PMA) Kakul at Abbottabad in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. The Taliban regime, he said, should act decisively against militants operating from its soil for terrorist activities in Pakistan. All proxies using Afghan soil would be met with a response to raise them to dust, Munir warned. Friday's strikes by Pakistan foll

Pakistan strikes terrorist hideouts in Afghanistan after TTP attack

Pakistan launched fresh air strikes targeting terrorist hideouts in Afghanistan, casting a shadow over the expected talks in Doha amid a fragile ceasefire that had temporarily halted hostilities between the two sides. The strikes followed a gun-and-bomb attack by terrorists at a military installation in North Waziristan, and just hours after Islamabad and Kabul extended their two-day ceasefire, the Dawn reported on Saturday. There was no statement from Pakistan's military, but the Hafiz Gul Bahadur group of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) had claimed responsibility for the early Friday attack on Khaddi Fort in Mir Ali. The security sources said they foiled the attack by eliminating all four attackers without suffering any loss. Pakistan late Friday targeted the Angoor Adda region and also hideouts across Afghanistan's Urgun and Barmal districts of Paktika province, as security sources claimed that precision strikes were conducted against hideouts of the Hafiz Gul Bahadur group, ..

Datanomics: How India-Afghanistan ties have shifted under Taliban 2.0

India cautiously renews economic engagement with Afghanistan, balancing humanitarian aid and trade ties without extending formal recognition to the Taliban regime

Pakistani forces clash with Afghan Taliban on border in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

Intense fighting broke out once again on Tuesday night between Pakistani security forces and the Afghan Taliban along the border between the two countries in Kurram district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, state media reported. According to the state broadcaster PTV News, Afghan Taliban and Fitna al-Khawarij opened unprovoked fire in Kurram. Pakistani Army responded with full force and intensity. The term Fitna al-Khawarij is used by Pakistani authorities to refer to militants of the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). PTV News reported that Afghan Taliban posts sustained heavy damage, with at least one tank destroyed after being hit. The Taliban fighters reportedly fled their positions following the exchange of fire. Later updates from the broadcaster said that another post and tank position of the Afghan Taliban were destroyed in the Kurram sector, followed by reports of a fourth tank position at Shamsadar post being hit. It also quoted sources as saying that a key commander of Fit

Muttaqi to meet industry bodies, talk opportunities in Afghanistan

Amir Khan Muttaqi meets Indian business leaders to boost economic cooperation as Taliban-Pakistan border clashes escalate during his India visit

Afghanistan foreign minister says hopeful of stronger ties with India

Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi on Saturday voiced confidence that the India-Afghanistan ties will grow stronger in future as he thanked the people for the welcome he received during his visit to Darul Uloom Deoband in Saharanpur, one of the most influential Islamic seminaries in South Asia. "We will be sending new diplomats, and I hope you people will visit Kabul as well. I have hopes for stronger ties in the future from the way I was received in Delhi. These visits may be frequent in the near future," Muttaqi said here. The Afghan leader, who reached Deoband from Delhi by road with his delegation, was welcomed by Mohtamim (vice-chancellor) of Darul Uloom Deoband Abul Qasim Nomani, president of Jamiat Ulama-e-Hind Maulana Arshad Madani and officials of Darul Uloom, amid a floral shower. Hundreds of students of the Islamic seminary and a large number of locals who had gathered at the Deoband campus jostled to shake hands with the visiting foreign dignitary, but were stoppe

'No involvement': MEA clarifies after women barred from Afghan FM presser

Afghan FM Amir Muttaqi held a press meet at the Afghanistan embassy in Delhi after talks with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, but only male journalists attended and no joint briefing was held

New Delhi upgrades status of technical mission in Kabul to embassy

New Delhi and Kabul renew ties after four years, with plans to boost trade, mining investment, and restore the air freight corridor via Chabahar port

Afghan FM Muttaqi meets Jaishankar; says 'India has always stood by us'

Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Muttaqi met S Jaishankar in New Delhi, praising India as a 'close friend' and highlighting cooperation in humanitarian aid and regional peace

India to reopen embassy in Kabul, deepen engagement with Afghanistan

Jaishankar announces upgrade of India's Kabul mission as Taliban foreign minister visits New Delhi, signalling cautious but deeper diplomatic engagement

Afghan foreign minister Amir Muttaqi lands in Delhi: What's on agenda?

Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi has landed in New Delhi, marking a rare high-level engagement with India since the Taliban assumed power in 2021

Afghan FM arrives in Delhi on first high-level visit since Taliban takeover

Afghan foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi landed in the national capital on Thursday, in the first high-level trip from Kabul after the Taliban seized power following the collapse of the Ashraf Ghani government over four years back. Muttaqi will hold extensive talks with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval during his six-day trip to India, people familiar with the matter said. "Warm welcome to Afghan Foreign Minister, Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi on his arrival in New Delhi," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said on social media. "We look forward to engaging discussions with him on bilateral relations and regional issues," he said. Muttaqi's engagements include a visit to the Darul Uloom Deoband seminary and the Taj Mahal, the people cited above said. The Afghan foreign minister was scheduled to visit New Delhi last month but it was called off in view of a travel ban that he faced under UN Security Council ...

UN grants travel ban exemption for Afghan FM to visit India from Oct 9-16

Under Security Council resolution 1988 (2011), certain individuals linked to the Taliban are subject to travel bans

Afghan foreign minister Muttaqi to visit India after UN travel ban waiver

Afghan foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi is expected to visit India next week, in the first high-level trip from Kabul after Taliban captured power overthrowing the Ashraf Ghani government around four years ago. The Afghan foreign minister is expected to visit India from October 10, people familiar with the matter said on Thursday. However, there is no official word on the visit yet. Muttaqi was scheduled to visit New Delhi last month but it was called off in view of a travel ban that he faced under United Nations Security Council (UNSC) sanctions. On September 30, a UNSC committee approved a temporary exemption to the travel ban, allowing Muttaqi to visit New Delhi from October 9 to 16, according to a UN statement. Afghan media reported that Muttaqi will travel to Moscow on October 6 to attend the seventh round of Moscow Format talks. The UNSC has slapped sanctions against all leading Taliban leaders and they have to secure a waiver for foreign travels. Muttaqi's visit is expec

UN mission urges Taliban to restore internet access across Afghanistan

The United Nations mission in Afghanistan urged the Taliban on Tuesday to restore internet and telecommunications access across the country, saying the blackout imposed by the government in Kabul has left the nation almost entirely cut off from the outside world. The outage, reported the previous day, was the first nationwide shutdown since the Taliban returned to power in August 2021 and was part of their professed crackdown on immorality. Earlier this month, several provinces lost their fibre-optic connections after Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada issued a decree banning the service to prevent immorality. The disruption threatened economic stability and deepened one of the world's worst humanitarian crises, said the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan. It warned that the blackout is crippling banking and financial systems, isolating women and girls, limiting access to medical care and remittances, and disrupting aviation. The UN said such restrictions further undermine free