Afghanistan Source of Instability, Says Russian Defence Minister

The meeting, held in Doha on Wednesday, focused on the upcoming third Doha meeting regarding Afghanistan.

According to the Qatar Foreign Ministry, the session addressed the situation in Afghanistan and the joint international efforts to achieve peace and stability in the country.

Simultaneously, Rina Amiri, the US Special Envoy for Afghan Women, met with the United Arab Emirates' representative to the United Nations on Wednesday to discuss the forthcoming Doha meeting.

The third Doha Meeting, which will include special representatives for Afghanistan from various countries, is scheduled for June 30 and July 1.

Stéphane Dujarric, the spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General, mentioned that representatives from different countries will convene in Doha to enhance clarity and coordination on the global community’s approach to Afghanistan.

Dujarric emphasised that human rights and the rights of Afghan women will be a priority at the third Doha meeting.

According to a statement from the military, commanders highlighted that Pakistan's enemies utilise Afghanistan to target the Pakistani security forces and innocent civilians.

The statement, issued by the Pakistani Armed Forces on Thursday, detailed that the 83rd commanders' meeting took place at the army headquarters in Rawalpindi.

Participants voiced serious concerns over ongoing attacks originating from Afghanistan and the misuse of its territory for terrorist activities.

During the meeting, commanders stressed on the need for a "decisive defeat" of terrorism and underscored the importance of investing in the Pashtun tribal areas and Balochistan to stabilise these regions.

Historically, the Pakistani government, especially the military, has supported the Afghan Taliban against the previous Afghan government, which Islamabad viewed as an ally of India. Analysts suggest that the Pakistani military has consistently been wary of Indian influence in Afghanistan and has accused India of fostering instability there.

With the Taliban's resurgence to power, it seems the Pakistani military still suspects a political and security nexus in Afghanistan in collaboration with India.

The Taliban has denied allegations of allowing its territory to be used against neighbouring countries. However, Pakistan maintains that the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) finds sanctuaries and establishes military bases in Afghanistan's eastern provinces. The Pakistani army has conducted operations against TTP positions in Khost and Paktika.

Kanaani said that the necessary explanations for the changes to the Afghan consular staff in Mashhad have been given to the Taliban’s Chargé d'affaires in Tehran.

He stated that the new individuals "must be introduced to the host government through defined channels and, after obtaining the host government's agreement and receiving visas, enter the host country for the designated mission and commence their specified duties”.

Fars News Agency reported on Thursday, citing Kanaani, that explanations were given on May 18, during a meeting between the Taliban’s Chargé d'affaires in Tehran and the Director-General of South Asia at Iran's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The spokesperson for Iran's Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that the necessary explanations have also been communicated to the Taliban’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs officials through various channels.

Fars News Agency, affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), reported, citing sources, that Abdul Jaber Ansar, the Taliban’s Consul-General in Mashhad, Iran has been recalled to Kabul at the end of his mission.

The Taliban have not yet commented on this matter, but the Afghan Consulate in Mashhad announced a temporary halt to the issuance of passports on Wednesday.

The consulate cited technical issues as the reason for the halt in the passport issuance process. The Islamic Republic of Iran, like other countries, does not recognise the Taliban but has handed over the Afghan embassy to the group.

The Taliban's Supreme Court announced that each of these individuals had been punished with 39 lashes in connection with charges such as "theft" and "moral corruption”.

The Supreme Court stated that six of the accused were sentenced to three years in prison, and two others were sentenced to two years in prison. The court added that two other defendants were sentenced to six and 15 months in prison, respectively.

Additionally, on Wednesday, the Taliban publicly flogged a person 20 times by the order of a local court in Khwaja Umari district of Ghazni province. The Taliban's Supreme Court wrote in a statement that this person was punished on charges of "theft”.

After returning to power in August 2021, the Taliban announced the rescission of all existing laws of the former Afghan government. Although the Taliban have not yet replaced the previous laws with new ones, in nearly three years of their rule in Afghanistan, they have been prosecuting criminals according to what they consider Islamic Sharia.

Human rights organisations say that the principles of fair trial are not observed in Taliban courts. These organisations have called for an immediate halt to corporal punishments in Afghanistan. However, the Taliban have responded by stating that they will continue to enforce Islamic Sharia.

Afghanistan, which officially joined the WTO in 2016, currently lacks representation within the organization due to the international community's non-recognition of the Taliban government.

Afghanistan holds the position of the 164th member of the WTO.

A press release from the Taliban's Ministry of Industry and Commerce on Wednesday reported that Azizi and Otunbayeva also discussed support for micro, small, and medium enterprises, boosting exports, and creating facilities for female entrepreneurs.

This marks the first instance of the Taliban expressing interest in reactivating Afghanistan’s membership in the WTO.