Iran & Pakistan Concerned About ISIS & Balouch Separatists Using Afghan Soil

Lodhi said that Taliban leaders assured Pakistan about restraining Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), but they did nothing in practice.

This Pakistani diplomat said that during the past few months, Pakistan's warnings to the Taliban about sheltering the Pakistani Taliban in Afghanistan had not been effective.

Lodhi, who previously served as Pakistan's representative to the United Nations, United Kingdom, and United States, believes that "terrorist activities in 2023 led to a significant rise in the casualties of security personnel, which hit an eight-year high”.

On Monday, in an article published by Pakistani media outlet, Dawn, she wrote that in the wake of Pakistan's disappointment with the Afghan Taliban, the country decided to deport tens of thousands of undocumented Afghan immigrants and change trade and transit regulations.

These policies led to the stoppage of thousands of containers of commercial goods.

As per the Pakistani diplomat, in response to mounting pressures, Hibatullah Akhundzada, the leader of the Taliban, dispatched Mullah Sherin, the governor of Kandahar, to Pakistan in order to defuse tensions. Despite these efforts, the Pakistani side stated that the Pakistani Taliban issue holds greater significance for the country than any other concern.

Lodhi posed the question of what options Islamabad has if the Taliban persist in their unwillingness to act against the TTP. She stated, "There is no easy answer, as there are limits to the leverage Pakistan can employ in a coercive approach without risking a rupture in relations, something it would undoubtedly want to avoid”.

The front stated that it attacked in retaliation to the Taliban administration's harassment and discrimination against women.

Taliban’s office for the propagation of virtue and prevention of vice is located in the building of the former provincial directorate of women's affairs in Baghlan province.

Following the takeover of power in 2021, the group replaced the Ministry of Women’s Affairs with the Ministry of Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice.

The recent detention of women by the Taliban for not wearing the group’s desired hijab has sparked significant domestic and international condemnation.

According to sources, both Islamabad and Tehran are worried about Afghan soil being used against their countries.

Sources told Afghanistan International that a high-ranking Iranian delegation headed by Hassan Kazemi Qomi, Iran’s special representative for Afghanistan, is set to arrive in Islamabad on Sunday.

According to sources, a delegation of three to four individuals, crucial in shaping Iran's policy towards Afghanistan, is scheduled to meet Asif Durrani, Pakistan's special representative for Afghanistan affairs, and Jalil Abbas Jilani, the interim foreign minister of Pakistan.

Diplomatic sources said that Pakistan and Iran are currently facing a similar situation regarding Afghanistan; although both countries have relatively good relations with the Taliban, however, they have reservations about Afghan soil being used against their countries.

Iranian officials said that Jaish ul-Adl used Tajik attackers in the recent deadly attack in Kerman. According to these officials, the perpetrators of this attack had entered Iran through Nimroz province of Afghanistan.

Sources said that Jaish ul-Adl and other opposition groups of the Iranian government are using Afghan soil. According to them, following the attack in Kerman city of Iran, Qomi had a meeting with Abdul Kabir, deputy prime minister of the Taliban.

Sources indicate that Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), labeled as a terrorist group by Islamabad, is active in Afghanistan. With the Taliban's return to power in Afghanistan, the activities of the Pakistani Taliban have escalated.

Sources said that the investigation into the attacks within Pakistan reveals that the attackers and the weapons employed can be traced back to Afghanistan.

The surge in violence in Pakistan has adversely affected Islamabad's relations with the Taliban in Kabul. Pakistani officials stated that the Taliban have taken no action to curb the activities of the Pakistani Taliban, including their attacks within Pakistan.

On the other hand, Islamabad has forcibly deported hundreds of thousands of undocumented immigrants from Pakistan, accusing Afghan nationals of being involved in recent acts of violence.

The Taliban in Afghanistan say that TTP is Pakistan's internal problem and has nothing to do with the group.

According to AFF, the assault, which occurred Friday night, resulted in two Taliban fatalities and four injuries.

AFF circulated a video on the X social media platform to substantiate their claim. However, independent sources have yet to verify the attack and the reported casualties. As of now, Taliban officials have not released any official statements regarding the incident.

Over the past two years, AFF has actively engaged in armed resistance against the Taliban, launching various attacks across Afghanistan.

According to Bakhtar news agency, controlled by the Taliban, Khairkhwa during a meeting in Kabul on Saturday said that the Taliban government is inclusive.

Following the takeover of power by the Taliban in August 2021, the international community has repeatedly emphasised on the formation of an inclusive government with the presence of all ethnic groups and political factions in Afghanistan.

The formation of an inclusive government is regarded as a key prerequisite by regional and global nations for the recognition of the Taliban.

Even Iran, which has close relations with the Taliban, has clearly stated that it will not recognise the Taliban until an inclusive government is formed in Afghanistan.

While Taliban officials have consistently stated that their government is inclusive and doesn’t require alterations, critics say that the majority of the Taliban cabinet members are predominantly Pashtuns and Sunnis.