Tehran Deeply Concerned About Growing Threat of ISIS-K, Says Iran's Representative To UN

The Taliban did not specifically mention the removal of the name of any particular member of the group.

Recently, some sanctioned Taliban officials have travelled to countries including the United Arab Emirates.

According to the UN Sanctions Monitoring Team, 61 members of the Taliban are under sanctions, 35 of whom are cabinet members and senior officials of the group.

Taliban’s Foreign Ministry officials also said on Thursday that in the past year, dozens of the group's diplomats have been introduced and accepted to countries such as Malaysia, Turkiye, Pakistan, Iran, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Russia, China, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates.

The Taliban also said that senior officials from regional countries, the European Union and the United Nations travelled to Afghanistan and met with the group's officials.

According to the Taliban, in the past year, Taliban officials have made 46 trips to different countries and participated in meetings in Qatar, Turkiye, Pakistan, and Iran.

The Taliban also said that within a year, 959 foreign citizens were issued visas for Afghanistan.

Taliban officials said that the group provides consular services in 19 political and consular missions in Afghanistan. The group also said that it had established a "single, centralised visa issuance system" in Afghanistan's 26 diplomatic and consular missions.

Munir Akram, at the United Nations Security Council meeting, said that Pakistan has evidence that some of the attacks inside Pakistan have been facilitated by elements in the Taliban government.

Pakistan's representative to the United Nations said at the meeting that the Taliban has not been successful in fighting ISIS-K and at the same time, it has given sanctuary and protection to al-Qaeda and the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

"The TTP is a group of concern for Pakistan and should be of concern to the entire region and the world," he said. "With about 6,000 fighters, it is the largest terrorist group in Afghanistan."

Munir Akram also said that the Taliban has given shelter to TTP members near Pakistan's borders, and that the group attacks targets in Pakistan almost every day from these areas.

According to Pakistan's representative to the UN, hundreds of Pakistani soldiers and civilians have been killed in TTP attacks.

Munir Akram added that the Pakistani Taliban have been equipped with modern weapons left behind by foreign forces in Afghanistan, the warehouses of which have been provided to the Afghan Taliban.

He accused some Afghan Taliban commanders of being involved in some of the border clashes that led to casualties on both sides of the border.

The Pakistani diplomat warned at the Security Council meeting that given the Taliban's long relationship with al-Qaeda, it will not take long for the TTP to act as an agent of al-Qaeda in the region and the world.

"Although some friends are concerned about the threat posed by ISIS-K, they should also be concerned about the threat posed by the powerful TTP in the not-too-distant future," the Pakistani representative said.

“Widespread human rights violations by Taliban”
Pakistan's representative to the United Nations also expressed concern about the human rights situation in Afghanistan. Like other countries, Pakistan is concerned about human rights violations, especially for women and girls in Afghanistan, he said.

The Taliban have abandoned their initial commitment to women and girls, as well as the fight against terrorism, Munir Akram said.
Instead of easing restrictions, the Taliban have doubled the restrictions by passing a new law.

The representative of Pakistan said that the normalisation of relations with the Taliban is contingent on the formation of an inclusive government, the observance of human rights, especially the rights of women and girls, and the serious fight of this group against terrorist groups.

During a meeting with Taliban’s Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi on Wednesday, Zhirnov said that Russia cares about its relations with the group.

"Moscow attaches special importance to relations with the Taliban and has always invited the Afghan delegation to all regional and international meetings hosted by Russia," Zhirnov said as per the Taliban's Foreign Ministry.

Amir Khan Muttaqi said that the Taliban has participated in all the meetings of the "Moscow format" and considers this format positive. He said that the upcoming meeting is an opportunity to discuss bilateral issues with high-ranking Russian officials and representatives of countries in the region.

The Moscow Format meetings, which have been initiated by Russia since 2017, aim to create a platform for regional and international cooperation in order to find a comprehensive and peaceful solution to the Afghan crisis, as well as to counter the spread of terrorism and drug trafficking.

For the first time, Taliban leaders appeared in front of the media at the Moscow Format conference. Observers believe that the Moscow format elevated the Taliban from an insurgent and armed group to a political group.

These meetings are usually attended by representatives from Afghanistan's neighbouring countries, including Iran, Pakistan, China, India, and Central Asian countries (Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan).

"There are some problems," Omari stated. "We are neither saints nor prophets. We need the people's consultation, their opinions, and their votes."

As discontent among the Afghan populace grows, largely due to the restrictions imposed by the Taliban, Omari's remarks highlight the group's call for public consultation and participation in resolving governmental challenges. He underscored the importance of the people's votes and advice to find solutions to ongoing difficulties.

Omari also urged residents of Khost to adhere to the rules and regulations established by the Taliban government. His appeal for public consultation comes despite the group's historical opposition to democratic elections and the concept of elected governance.

The Taliban's emphasis on voting and public consultation stands in stark contrast to their continued enforcement of controversial policies, including the prohibition of girls' education and restrictions on women's employment, which have persisted for at least three years.

Matthew Miller said that Blinken has other important things to do, such as a ceasefire in Gaza.

The US House Foreign Relations Committee recently subpoenaed Antony Blinken to testify about the country's withdrawal from Afghanistan.

The committee's chairman, Michael McCaul, warned Blinken that if he did not appear before the committee on September 19, he would face a charge of contempt of Congress.

A State Department spokesperson said at a press briefing on Tuesday, that Antony Blinken "has testified 14 times in Congress about Afghanistan, including four times directly before the House Foreign Affairs Committee”.

Matthew Miller added that the State Department has cooperated with the US House Foreign Relations Committee's investigation into Afghanistan and has handed over the documents to the committee.

In a letter to the US State Department on Tuesday, Michael McCaul wrote that former and current US officials have confirmed that Antony Blinken was the "final decision-maker" on the withdrawal of US forces from Afghanistan.

McCaul asked Blinken to appear before the Foreign Relations Committee to answer about his role.

However, Matthew Miller said at the press briefing, "The secretary is travelling and trying to push forward the ceasefire."

US media reported that Antony Blinken will travel to Egypt on Wednesday, September 19, with the aim of advancing the Gaza ceasefire agreement.

Referring to Blinken's visit, Matthew Miller said, "The secretary of state cannot be in Congress for the time being, because he has other important things to do.

Miller added that the secretary of state could appear before the Congress at a later date, but for now, his deputy is available.

Asked when Antony Blinken could appear before the Congress, the State Department spokesperson said, "We are in discussions with the committee on this issue and we have proposed a time when Blinken is not travelling to do important US foreign policy matters."

At the same time, Matthew Miller called Antony Blinken's testimony before the Foreign Relations Committee "unnecessary”.

Recently, with the heat of the election contests in the United States, Republicans, especially Donald Trump, the party's presidential candidate, have accused Joe Biden and Kamala Harris of "mismanagement" in the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan.

Trump blames the Biden administration and his vice-president for failing to prevent the deaths of 13 US troops during the evacuation from Afghanistan.