Taliban & Iran To Cooperate For International Road Development
Hamidullah Akhundzada, Taliban’s Minister of Civil Aviation and Transport, and an Iranian delegation discussed cooperation for the development of international roads.
Hamidullah Akhundzada, Taliban’s Minister of Civil Aviation and Transport, and an Iranian delegation discussed cooperation for the development of international roads.
The Taliban minister has said that the Iranian delegation came to Kabul to discuss bilateral agreements.
As per the Taliban’s statement published on Wednesday, in this meeting, details of the bilateral agreement to reduce road transportation costs, development and facilitation of international transportation relations, and other issues were discussed.
The Taliban has not published the details of these agreements.
Iran, like other countries, does not recognise the Taliban. However, it has maintained diplomatic and economic relations with the group and has handed over the Afghan embassy in Tehran to the Taliban.
Rawalpindi police in Pakistan have reported that they thwarted a militant attack on Adiala prison, where former Prime Minister Imran Khan is currently detained.
The Pakistan National Counter Terrorism Authority disclosed that three Afghan citizens were apprehended during the operation, along with a significant cache of weapons and ammunition.
Authorities in Rawalpindi have released a video depicting the arrest operation and showcasing the individuals being extracted from a residence by security forces with their heads covered. The police stated that this operation was conducted collaboratively with other security agencies operating in the vicinity of Adiala prison.
According to the police, a map of Adiala prison, hand grenades and explosives were found with the "terrorists".
Earlier, various Pakistani security officials had announced that Afghan citizens were involved in a number of attacks on the country's security forces.
Roza Otunbayeva, the UN Secretary-General's Special Representative for Afghanistan, has announced preparations for the third Doha meeting on Afghanistan.
Otunbayeva expressed hope for the participation of the Taliban delegation and other relevant groups in the upcoming meeting, though she did not provide specific details regarding its date.
During a report to the UN Security Council on Wednesday, she emphasised on the need for the third Doha summit to have a practical agenda, with discussions aimed at achieving tangible outcomes aligned with the organisation’s objectives.
The third meeting is anticipated to differ from the previous two Doha meetings, with the discussions taking place at a different level and potentially without the presence of the UN Secretary-General, unlike the earlier gatherings.
The second Doha meeting was held on February 18 and 19 in the presence of UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres and special representatives of 25 countries and international organisations for Afghanistan.
This meeting ended without a clear result due to the refusal of the Taliban to participate in it and also because the conditions of this group were not accepted.
Source of Instability In The Region And World
Otunbayeva called Afghanistan a challenge to the international community and a source of instability during the meeting of the Security Council on Wednesday and added that terrorism has been exported from the country to other parts of the world.
She also said that in the region and beyond, there are concerns about the presence of terrorist groups in Afghanistan.
She emphasised that the concerns extend beyond the presence of ISIS in Afghanistan. According to Otunbayeva, the presence of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in Afghanistan is a significant worry for Pakistan, as the country has experienced terrorist acts in recent months.
During the meeting, the UNSG Special Representative stated that the organisation will maintain its engagement with the Taliban. She highlighted ongoing consultations with Afghans on human rights issues and the inclusion of people's representatives in the political decision-making process.
Otunbayeva also discussed international aid, noting that over the last three years, approximately eight billion dollars have been provided to the people of Afghanistan. She emphasised that the aid from the international community has played a crucial role in promoting economic stability and supporting the private sector in Afghanistan.
She appealed to the international community and donors to persist in their assistance to Afghanistan.
Munir Akram, Pakistan's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, asked the Taliban not to threaten the national sovereignty and territorial integrity of neighbouring countries.
During the UN Security Council meeting on Wednesday, he said that threatening the territorial integrity of these countries in the short or long term is not beneficial to Afghanistan.
This is the first time that Pakistan, a long-time supporter of the Taliban, has accused the group of threatening the territorial integrity of other countries at an international meeting.
Earlier, Abbas Stanikzai, deputy foreign minister of the Taliban, had said that the Taliban does not recognise the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan, known as the Durand Line. He once again repeated the territorial claims of previous Afghan governments against Pakistan.
Unlike the past, Akram refrained from supporting the Taliban during the Security Council meeting, indicating Pakistan's dissatisfaction with the Afghan Taliban for failing to curb attacks by Pakistani militants from Afghan territory against Pakistani security forces.
Akram, who seemed aligned with nations critical of the Taliban in the Security Council, said that the group should fulfil all international obligations of Afghanistan and adhere to international laws. He urged the UN to conduct an inquiry into the financial and weapon resources of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan.
Addressing the dire humanitarian situation in Afghanistan, the Pakistani diplomat emphasised that the UN lacks the necessary funds for humanitarian aid in the region. Consequently, he called on countries to contribute for the revitalisation of the Afghan economy and the release of frozen assets in Western nations.
Bakhtar News Agency, under Taliban control, in an analytical article about the election of Shehbaz Sharif as the Prime Minister of Pakistan wrote that Pakistan no longer blames the Taliban for its internal problems.
The Taliban has not officially congratulated the new prime minister of Pakistan.
As per the article published on the Bakhtar News Agency website on Tuesday, the Taliban shows a willingness to collaborate with Pakistan in terms of cooperation and integration.
Referring to the problems in relations of the previous government of Pakistan with neighbouring countries, including Iran and India, Bakhatar news agency wrote, "These are all challenges that show that the new prime minister has a lot of work to do."
In this analytical article, Shehbaz Sharif, the new prime minister of Pakistan is mentioned as an experienced politician and it has been stated, "A number of Pakistani politicians and soldiers had an adventurous view of the current system of Afghanistan and have made many accusations and caused problems for the country."
As per the note, the previous government of Pakistan had linked its internal problems to the Taliban.
Bakhtar news agency wrote that the Taliban has a positive view toward its neighbour and expects the new government of Pakistan to follow a path for constructive cooperation with neighbouring countries and Afghanistan.
It added that the decision to deport Afghan refugees from Pakistan has been a "hasty decision".
Shehbaz Sharif became the 24th Prime Minister of Pakistan on Sunday winning the majority of the National Assembly's votes against Omar Ayub Khan from the Tehreek-e-Insaf party.
So far, China, India, Turkey and Iran have congratulated Shehbaz Sharif on the position of Prime Minister.
The Taliban’s Supreme Court announced that it has punished 10 people, including two women and eight men, in Maidan Wardak province on charges of "adultery, sodomy and immorality"
Additionally, one man in Kabul was punished for public theft. The court added that Chak district court sentenced nine of these individuals, while Maidan Shahr court sentenced one of these individuals.
In a statement on Wednesday, Taliban’s Supreme Court wrote that these people who had completed their imprisonment and were punished in public.
In a separate statement on Wednesday, it stated that an individual was flogged 39 times on the charge of theft in Kabul.
The Taliban's statement did not explain the nature of the punishment, but it added that the Tazir sentence was implemented for these people. The group usually whips the accused in such cases.
According to the statement of the Taliban’s Supreme Court, these people were punished in the presence of the residents of Maidan Wardak province, court officials and other Taliban officials in this province.
It states, "Hudud and retribution are God's mercy, and the implementation of it, creates peace and happiness."
Although the Taliban have resumed corporal punishment following the takeover of power in Afghanistan, recently the authorities of the group have increased corporal punishment such as flogging, hand amputation and execution.
Recently, the group apprehended and penalised three individuals in Sar-e-Pul province, two in Kabul, eight in Herat, four in Laghman and Balkh, and 13 people in Bamiyan province. The charges against them included "adultery," "immorality," and "illicit relationships”.
Recently, the United Nations expressed concerns about the continuation of corporal punishment in Afghanistan, asked the Taliban to cease such punishments.
In response, the Taliban said that they adhere to Islamic Sharia law, emphasising that external organisations and countries should refrain from interfering in Afghanistan's internal affairs.