Taliban Urges Pakistan to Engage with Protesters Over ‘Legitimate Demands’

In a statement, the government explained that the movement’s activities are deemed a threat to national peace and security. The statement shared with the media read: “The Federal Government, having reasons to believe that the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM) is engaged in activities prejudicial to the peace and security of the country.”

Invoking Section 11B of the Anti-Terrorism Act, the government has moved to ban the PTM and prohibit its operations.

The PTM is a well-known movement advocating for the rights of Pashtuns in Pakistan. It has long protested against what it calls discrimination and unlawful actions by the Pakistani military, accusing the Army of committing human rights violations, including extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances in Pashtun tribal areas.

According to these sources, Pakistani forces opened fire as the Taliban were constructing facilities along the Durand Line, the contentious border between Afghanistan and Pakistan.

The clash took place in the Noshak and Gaznal areas of Shorabak and lasted for approximately 15 minutes. No official statement has been released by the Taliban regarding the incident.

Meanwhile, the Taliban’s 205th Corps in Kandahar has reportedly established security checkpoints along the Durand Line, extending from Shorabak district to Zabul. While the Taliban assert that these checkpoints are intended to enhance security, there are reports that Pakistani border guards have been obstructing their construction.

This latest incident adds to a series of clashes between Taliban and Pakistani forces over the past three years. These confrontations, which have occurred at various border crossings and other points along the border, have frequently led to the closure of shared crossings, resulting in significant financial losses for traders on both sides.

However, officials from the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party have denied any Afghan involvement in the demonstrations.

During a press conference on Saturday, Naqvi revealed that over 100 Afghan nationals had been identified and detained over the past two days during the protests in the capital. He expressed surprise at their participation, stating, “If the protesters are our own people, why are Afghans among them?”

In response, Muhammad Ali Saif, Information Adviser for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, dismissed these allegations, describing them as “propaganda.” He stressed that only PTI workers had participated in the protests and labelled Naqvi’s press conference as baseless.

The protests, led by Ali Amin Gandapur, the Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and a senior PTI member, resulted in clashes between demonstrators and law enforcement. Reports indicate that at least 80 police officers were injured during the confrontations.

The Interior Minister further alleged that protesters, under Gandapur’s leadership, had opened fire on police personnel during the unrest.

He urged the Taliban to implement the recommendations outlined in the statement, particularly in combating terrorist groups that have sought refuge within Afghanistan.

The joint statement, released by representatives of countries participating in the Moscow Consultative Format, expressed deep concern over the presence of terrorist and separatist groups in Afghanistan. The representatives emphasised that these groups continue to pose a significant threat to both regional and global security, particularly in relation to the ongoing terrorist activity.

The Moscow Consultative Format meeting was held on Friday, 4th October, with participation from representatives of Russia, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, China, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and the Taliban.

Durrani expressed optimism that the Taliban would heed the recommendations made by the participating nations.

Speaking at a meeting with Massoud Pezeshkian, Maleki expressed concerns regarding the Taliban’s conduct, specifically their refusal to honour Iran’s water rights from the Hirmand River, which has led to severe drought and posed significant challenges for the people of the region. “We have repeatedly warned that the Taliban, just as they have withheld the Hirmand water rights, will prove unreliable in other matters as well,” Maleki said.

Maleki further criticised the Taliban’s characterisation of natural floods as fulfilling Iran’s water rights obligations.

He stressed the need for the Islamic Republic to seriously reconsider its relations with the Taliban, given their actions.

In May 2023, Abdul Latif Mansour, the Taliban’s Minister of Energy and Water, in a meeting with Hassan Mortazavi, the Deputy Ambassador of the Islamic Republic in Kabul, asserted that a significant portion of Iran’s water rights had been fulfilled and that the release of water would continue. Mortazavi expressed hope that resolving the water issue could foster greater cooperation between Iran and the Taliban.

Hassan Kazemi Qomi, the Iranian President’s special envoy for Afghanistan, had previously stated that technical obstacles to the allocation of Iran’s water rights by the Taliban had been addressed.