You Left Afghanistan In A Hurry, But Don't Forget It, Says UN Special Rapporteur

Baloch said that negotiating with the Pakistani Taliban is an insult to the group's victims.

Earlier, Mohammad Nabi Omari, the Taliban's deputy interior minister, suggested that the Pakistani government and the TTP should enter into dialogue instead of war.

The Taliban official also warned against the expansion of Pakistan's violence in Afghanistan.

However, during a press conference in Islamabad on Thursday, Pakistan's Foreign Ministry spokesperson stressed that Pakistan has no interest in interacting with terrorist groups responsible for the killing of civilians and security forces in the country.

"Such advice is an insult to people who have lost loved ones to the activities of the TTP," Baloch said.

Baloch stressed that the Afghan Taliban bears the main responsibility for taking action against terrorist groups, especially the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which operate from Afghanistan.

Baloch noted that Pakistan has provided evidence to Taliban officials in this regard.

Pakistan has always accused the Afghan Taliban of supporting and sheltering the Pakistani Taliban. However, the Afghan Taliban has repeatedly denied this claim, claiming that it does not allow militant groups to use Afghan soil against neighbouring countries and the region.

The meeting was reportedly hosted by Hikmat Khalil Karzai and Idris Zaman.

A copy of the agenda obtained by Afghanistan International indicates that attendees of this “First Session of the National Dialogue Process” discussed the current situation in Afghanistan and explored “pathways to overcoming the existing challenges in achieving political stability.”

Among those in attendance were prominent women’s rights activists, including Shukria Barakzai, Fawzia Koofi, and Shahgul Rezai. Additionally, former Afghan government officials, such as Mustafa Mastoor, the former Minister of Economy, and Ali Ahmad Osmani, the former Minister of Energy and Water, were present.

Sources also reported the participation of political activists Jafar Mahdawi and Abdul Qayum Sajjadi, who travelled from Kabul for the meeting. The guest list further included religious figures, such as Abdul Salam Abed.

According to sources, the meeting commenced on Thursday in Istanbul and is expected to continue into Friday. As of now, none of the participants have provided comments on the meeting’s objectives or specifics.

This meeting comes as preparations are underway for the fourth round of Doha Talks on Afghanistan, hosted by the United Nations. On October 29, Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that Alya Ahmed bin Saif Al-Thani, Qatar’s representative to the UN, had held discussions with Rosemary DiCarlo, UN Under-Secretary-General, regarding the forthcoming Doha Talks. The exact date for this session is yet to be determined.

According to a statement from the embassy, this new route originates in the city of Nantong, China, and is intended to facilitate the transportation of goods between China and the Hairatan port in northern Afghanistan.

On Thursday, the Taliban embassy in Beijing released a statement declaring that the Nantong-Hairatan railway line was inaugurated in the presence of Bilal Karimi, the Taliban’s representative in China; Yue Xiaoyong, China’s representative for Afghanistan; and several Nantong officials, including the city’s mayor and the heads of transportation and foreign relations.

According to the statement, the first journey of the freight train to the Hairatan port has commenced, with an initial shipment of 50 containers expected to reach its destination within the next 20 days.

During his address at the ceremony, Karimi emphasised the Taliban’s prioritisation of economic ties with neighbouring countries, noting that this project could help strengthen economic and trade relations between Kabul and Beijing. He remarked, “As we view China through the Nantong railway line as a gateway to the broader world, we believe that the Wakhan Corridor can also serve as an efficient and cost-effective link between Afghanistan and China.”

The Wakhan Corridor, located in the Pamir mountains of Badakhshan, connects Afghanistan from the northeast to China, Tajikistan, and Pakistan, and provides the only direct route between Afghanistan and China’s Xinjiang or Kashgar region.

The statement also quoted Nantong city officials, who indicated that the process of goods transportation between the two countries will continue.

The Taliban highlighted that this freight railway line was executed under China’s “Belt and Road Initiative.”

The Russian Foreign Ministry announced that the medal was awarded in accordance with Russian President Vladimir Putin's Decree No. 892, issued on October 16.

The Russian Foreign Ministry wrote on social media platform Telegram that the medal was given to Juma Khan in recognition of his role in strengthening friendship and cooperation between the people of Russia and Afghanistan.

The Russian Foreign Ministry announced in its statement that Sergey Lavrov presented the medal to Mohammad Nadir Shah Juma Khan on Wednesday, October 30.

Earlier, in June 2019, Sergey Lavrov had also awarded the "friendship" medal to Mohammad Nadir Shah.

According to Russian media reports, Mohammad Nadir Shah Juma Khan, the director of Alokozay Company in Russia, was involved in organising the first intra-Afghan meeting between the Taliban and Afghan political leaders in 2019.

The ministry said on Thursday that the men had been arrested on charges of extramarital affairs and "promoting moral corruption".

The Taliban's Ministry of Virtue reported on Thursday, that the arrested individuals have been referred to judicial authorities after thorough investigation.

Earlier, on October 30, the ministry announced the arrest of seven people in Kabul on charges of "moral corruption”.

The Taliban's Law for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice has given extensive powers to the group's Ministry of Virtue, whose officials also have the right to arrest individuals.