Concerned About Increasing Terrorist Activities in Afghanistan, Says Tajik Official

Herat Security Dialogue is one of the most important conferences about the security of Afghanistan and the region, which has been organised by the Afghan Institute for Strategic Studies since the past ten years.

After the fall of Afghanistan to the Taliban, Herat Security Dialogue has been held outside of Afghanistan for the first time.

Earlier, reliable sources said that the governments of Pakistan and Iran have not allowed two important participants of the dialogue to attend the event.

On Monday, reliable sources told Afghanistan International that Mohammad Ismail Khan, a prominent Afghan political leader living in Iran, has not been allowed to attend the conference.

According to the sources, Ismail Khan was invited to the meeting, but apparently, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) prevented him from travelling to Tajikistan.

On Sunday, Mohsen Dawar, a member of Pakistan's House of Representatives and one of the leaders of the Pashtun Protection Movement, announced that Pakistan’s Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) had not allowed him to travel to Tajikistan.

Sources said that in her discussions with the Taliban officials, Rabbani will focus on economic issues of the two countries.

Hina Rabbani arrived in Kabul on Tuesday and is leading a Pakistani delegation.

Pakistani diplomatic sources had said that Rabbani has urged the Taliban to allow Afghan girls return to schools.

Abdul Latif Nazari, the Taliban’s Deputy Minister of Economy, along with the Pakistani Ambassador in Kabul, received the Pakistani delegation at Kabul airport.

In the song, "Group Sex" by Farida Tarana, she talks about the walls that the Taliban have built "between women, pen, school, and culture".

The two new songs have mentioned various restrictions the Taliban have imposed on Afghan women in the past year since they have taken control of Afghanistan.

In addition, the “Group sex” song has portrayed the violence over mandatory hijab and the suppression of Iranian protesters by the Iranian security forces. A photo of Mehsa Amini, an Iranian Kurdish girl, who was killed in the custody of Tehran's morality police forces, appears at the beginning of the song.

The song "Bomb", by Ramsha Shafa and Shahram Farshid, tells the story of "making a bomb" which is "bigger than all bombs" and is on the verge of explosion.

In the song "Bomb", the artists criticise the fact that the world does not listen to the voices of people.

In the two songs, the Taliban violence has been recreated. For example, those who are dressed like the Taliban and are armed, attack children who are playing musical instruments.

Delawar has assured Iranian investors of stability in Afghanistan and has welcomed foreign investment.

According to the Ministry of Mines and Petroleum of the Taliban, the Iranian delegation has stressed that they have experienced technical teams in the mining sector.

The Taliban’s Minister of Trade and Industry has also met with this Iranian delegation and sought their investment in Afghanistan.

While the Taliban has been vocal about the interest of regional countries, including Iran and China, in investing in Afghanistan's mining sector, none of these countries have recognised the group’s government and have not invested in any flagship projects in Afghanistan.

Earlier, European Union officials had stressed that many Afghans and Afghanistan’s neighbouring countries are not willing to engage on a long-term basis with the Taliban.

According to reports, the Pakistani delegation will meet with Amir Khan Muttaqi, the foreign minister of the Taliban, and Mullah Hasan Akhund, the group’s prime minister.

Pakistani authorities have not officially commented on Khar’s visit to Kabul yet. Earlier, some Pakistani media outlets reported that the deputy foreign minister of the country will visit Kabul.

Khar’s last visit of Afghanistan took place in 2012 when she was the Foreign Minister of Pakistan.

Pakistan is known as the main supporter of the Taliban. The country’s embassy has remained open in Kabul even after the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in 2021. Islamabad has also received representatives of the Taliban in the Afghan embassy in Islamabad.