Women's Rights to Be Highlighted at Doha Meeting, Says UN Spokesperson

The Pakistani army has not yet commented on the incident, and no exact details about potential casualties have been released.

According to Dawn, the clashes occurred when "terrorists" attempted to enter Pakistan from the border areas with Afghanistan. Pakistani security forces surrounded the militants at three different points, and army helicopters conducted airstrikes on militant hideouts.

The severity of the conflict prompted the army to dispatch additional troops to the area.

In an interview with Tabnak News Agency, published on Sunday, the Taliban spokesperson said, "Our expectation from Iran is higher. The Islamic Republic should have more interactions in the area of recognition compared to other countries, and this recognition should be a priority for the Islamic Republic of Iran."

Mujahid highlighted that the Taliban have achieved good cooperation with the Islamic Republic of Iran in various sectors, including the economic field.

While the Islamic Republic of Iran, like other countries, does not officially recognise the Taliban, it maintains economic and political relations with the group and has handed over the Afghan embassy in Tehran to the Taliban.

Confirming the Taliban's interactions with the Islamic Republic of Iran, Mujahid said, "We find these interactions beneficial, and we have more trust in this area, and we will continue to move towards further strengthening these relations."

Over the past three years, despite interacting with the Taliban, the Islamic Republic of Iran has repeatedly emphasised the need for an inclusive government to be formed in Afghanistan.

Earlier in June, Hassan Kazemi Qomi, the Islamic Republic's Special Representative for Afghanistan, stated after the Contact Group meeting for Afghanistan in Tehran that suggesting a government with the presence of various groups and "competent individuals" in Afghanistan does not mean interfering in Afghanistan's affairs.

However, in his interview with Tabnak News Agency, Mujahid implicitly considered Qomi's request as interference in the Taliban's affairs. He stated, "The formation of the government, the nature of the government system, inclusivity or exclusivity, is specific and belongs to the Afghans and not to any other country."

Regarding the Taliban's non-participation in the Contact Group meeting for Afghanistan in Tehran, Mujahid said that the Taliban have their own policy about participating in certain meetings.

The Mashhad Guild Office recently declared that Afghan workers are banned from working within a 3-kilometre radius of the Imam Reza Shrine. According to Iran's Bazaar News Agency, the fine for each day of illegal employment of Afghans is approximately $200 since the beginning of this year.

Ashrafi reported that in the year 1402 (Solar Hijri calendar), 260 joint inspections of foreign nationals were conducted in South Khorasan Province in collaboration with relevant executive agencies. Similar restrictions on Afghan workers are being enforced in other provinces.

On Saturday, the IRNA News Agency reported that Mohsen Sayyadi, the Director of Inspection and Supervision of Businesses in Mashhad, announced that employing Afghans within a 3-kilometre radius of the Imam Reza Shrine is prohibited. Sayyadi stated that "violation files" have been opened for 31 business units in Mashhad for employing Afghans.

According to the General Directorate of Foreign Nationals of Khorasan Razavi, after Tehran, which has the highest number of foreign immigrants, Mashhad has nearly 400,000 foreign citizens with legal documents and nearly 300,000 foreign citizens without legal documents. No international organisation has confirmed these figures so far.

Previously, the Director General of Foreign Nationals and Immigrants Affairs of Kermanshah Province announced the prohibition of movement, residence, and employment of Afghan immigrants in 16 provinces. These provinces include East Azerbaijan, West Azerbaijan, Ardabil, Zanjan, Kurdistan, Kermanshah, Ilam, Lorestan, Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari, Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad, Gilan, Mazandaran, Sistan and Baluchestan, Hormozgan, and Hamadan.

Nicaraguan officials stated that Michael Campbell, the country's ambassador to China, will manage the affairs of Nicaragua's embassy in Kabul from Beijing. This is the first time Nicaragua has appointed a non-resident ambassador for Afghanistan. Located in Central America, Nicaragua previously had no diplomatic relations with Afghanistan.

Rosario Murillo, the Vice President of Nicaragua, said, "We appreciate the Islamic Emirate (the Taliban) and the people of Afghanistan for the opportunity given to our comrade Michael Campbell."

Nearly three years after the Taliban's return to power, no country has yet recognised the Taliban. The Nicaraguan government has also made no reference to recognising the Taliban government.

In recent months, Nicaragua's ambassador to China had met with Taliban diplomats in Beijing. The Taliban stated that the Nicaraguan ambassador conveyed the president's condolences to the Taliban for the flood casualties in Afghanistan.

They accused Otunbayeva of considering Afghan women as "second-class" and "whitewashing" the Taliban during a United Nations Security Council meeting.

In the statement, a number of Afghan women, civil rights, and political activists claimed that Otunbayeva, under "the direction of the United States," invited the Taliban to an international meeting and ignored the situation of the Afghan people, especially women.

The statement reads: "With complete shamelessness and in violation of all existing international and legal norms, Otunbayeva stated that Afghan culture places women in a second-class position, and they will not be present at the third meeting, while whitewashing the Taliban."

On Friday, Otunbayeva reiterated during the Security Council meeting that the Taliban's presence at the third Doha meeting does not equate to normalising or legitimising the group. She emphasized her efforts to establish a consultative process.

Women’s rights activists and international human rights organisations argue that the UN excluded women from the third Doha meeting due to the Taliban’s preconditions.

The Associated Press also reported that the UN representative defended the absence of Afghan women from the Doha meeting.

The third Doha meeting, with the participation of representatives of various countries including the Taliban, will be held over two days. The UN Secretary-General’s representative said at a press conference in New York yesterday that Afghan women will be present on the second day of the meeting.