Russia Urges Taliban To Guarantee Security of Foreign Citizens in Afghanistan

Bhutto was in New York to attend the meeting of foreign ministers of the Group of 77, a coalition of developing countries within the framework of the United Nations. The meeting is focused on the development and climate issues of the member countries.

In a press conference at the UN headquarters, Bhutto said that the Taliban's policies towards women and border clashes with Pakistan, will not result in a reduction of the level of relations with the group.

Pakistan’s foreign minister added, "Not only Pakistan, but also other countries of the world should interact with the Taliban. We cannot ignore the Taliban; they are part of the reality. However, we must reconsider our interaction, especially in relation to the issue of the Pakistani Taliban and our expectations from them.”

He criticised the western countries for trying to change the Taliban's policy towards women and the formation of an inclusive government through economic and banking sanctions.

Bhutto said, "We cannot impose hunger on Afghans to make them believe in empowering women."

He added that the economic situation of Afghanistan is dire and the political atmosphere to change the behavior of the Taliban has not been created.

Pakistan's foreign minister admitted that following the ISIS attack on the Pakistani embassy in Kabul, security conditions are not favourable for the activities of the Pakistani diplomatic delegation in Kabul.

Bhutto said that he had not recalled the Pakistani chief of mission in Kabul to Islamabad, but added that whenever the Taliban addresses Pakistan's security concerns, he will return to Kabul.

Obaid ur Rehman Nizamani, the chief of mission of Pakistan in Kabul had been targeted in Kabul on December 2 and is currently in Pakistan.

The Pakistani Express Tribune newspaper quoted the spokesperson of Pakistan's Foreign Ministry as saying, "Until security is guaranteed, he will stay here."

ISIS had claimed responsibility for the attack on the Pakistani embassy in Kabul and a week after the attack, it released pictures of the group’s snipers, who targeted Nizamani.

However, Pakistani officials said that they would conduct an investigation into the perpetrators of the attack.

Hours after the attack, the Taliban had announced that they had arrested a suspect in connection with the attack. Earlier, the Pakistani embassy in Kabul announced that it will continue operations in Afghanistan.

In the last two months, the Taliban has resumed punishing Afghan citizens through radical practices and many believe that the group has returned to their 1990s era.

In recent months, the Taliban have flogged several Afghan citizens in different parts of Afghanistan.

The Taliban’s implementation of punishment such as execution in public has been widely condemned internationally.

The Taliban announced on Wednesday that the group members have publicly flogged 27 people, including two women, on various charges in Helmand and Zabul provinces.

Rahmon discussed Afghanistan issues during a joint press conference with the Prime Minister of Pakistan Shehbaz Sharif.

The Tajik president arrived in Islamabad on Wednesday. Assessment of the situation in Afghanistan and security in Central Asia has been the focus of Rahmon's talks with Pakistani officials.

Pakistan and Tajikistan have common security concerns about Afghanistan. Since the Taliban came to power, both countries have been attacked by terrorist groups from Afghanistan.

In addition to meeting the Pakistani prime minister, Rahmon had a separate meeting scheduled with Khawaja Asif, the country’s minister of defense, on Thursday.

According to a statement by the office of the Tajikistan president, Rahmon has also discussed the political, military, and social situation of Afghanistan with Pakistan’s defense minister.

The details of these talks have not been announced yet.

According to the sources, the two sides continue to engage in the firefight.

The Taliban and Pakistani officials have not commented on the reasons behind the firefight yet.

On Sunday, the Spin Boldak crossing had witnessed another armed skirmish between the Taliban forces and the Pakistani military. Six Pakistani civilians and one Taliban member had been reportedly killed in the clashes.

Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif had reacted to the clashes and had stressed that the Taliban must ensure that the incident will not be repeated.

Pakistan's Defense Minister Khawaja Asif had addressed the country’s Parliament and said that the Taliban were the main cause behind the firefight. He said that the Taliban, accepting their fault, apologised to Pakistan, and promised to prevent such incidents in the future.

In the last few months, this is the second time that the Taliban forces have clashed with the Pakistani military in the border areas.