US Citizen Who Was Formerly Imprisoned By Taliban Sues Group In US Court

The use of Afghan soil in such attacks "amounts to aggression against Pakistan", he said.

Nearly 30 people were killed and more than 60 others were injured in Saturday's attack by the Baloch Liberation Army separatist group in Quetta. Some sources said that the majority of the victims were members of the Pakistani army.

"It may not be possible to say that this [attack] is officially approved by the Afghan government, but the failure to take action against these activities or ignore them shows some kind of condoning or even indirect collusion," Pakistan's defence minister said. "Afghan soil is used for such terrorist acts," he added.

The Taliban has rejected the accusations of Pakistani officials and said that Pakistan is blaming Afghanistan for its incompetence.

In the interview, Khawaja Asif accused India of waging a "proxy war" against the country by using the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the Baloch Liberation Army.

"The Quetta terrorist attack is part of a proxy war that India has waged against us through groups such as the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the Balochistan Liberation Army," the Pakistani defence minister said. "This is a conspiracy to thwart China's efforts to develop Pakistan," he said.

Chinese nationals based in Pakistan have been targeted repeatedly over the past year. On Tuesday last week, two Chinese citizens were injured after a security guard opened fire at a garment factory in downtown Karachi. Last month, two Chinese engineers were killed near the Karachi airport. In March this year, five Chinese workers were killed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Pakistan's defence minister said that a large number of security forces have been deployed to ensure the security of joint projects between China and Pakistan.

China is one of Pakistan's strategic allies and has invested the most in the country in recent years. However, China's construction projects have repeatedly been the target of attacks by militant groups, mainly by Baloch separatists.

Referring to the escalation of violence in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, Khawaja Asif said, "These actions cannot be interpreted as an internal struggle only, these efforts are aimed at destabilising Pakistan, which has the direct or indirect involvement of not only India, but also other countries."

According to the statement, these mines include resources such as gold, ruby, lead and zinc, iron, chromite, barite, coal, and raw materials for cement production.

The announcement, made on Sunday through the official X (formerly Twitter) account of the Taliban’s Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs, outlined specific mining locations: gold mines in the Chah Ab district of Takhar and Doshi district of Baghlan; a ruby mine in the Jagdalak district of Kabul; iron mines in the Ghoryan and Pashtun Zarghun districts of Herat; and lead and zinc mines in Tolak district of Ghor province. Plans are also underway for extracting raw materials for cement production in the Jabal al-Saraj district of Parwan, Zinda Jan in Herat, and Shorandam in Kandahar.

The statement did not disclose specific details regarding the types of contracts involved or the planned methods of extraction.

The Taliban administration has faced significant criticism over its handling of economic contracts, particularly due to concerns over transparency and the absence of international oversight.

Critics argue that many of these contracts are awarded without adhering to international standards or comprehensive reviews.

In February, former Afghan President Ashraf Ghani stated that mining contracts granted "secretly" by the Taliban lack international legitimacy. Ghani expressed concerns that it remains unclear for how long these contracts are awarded and how the resulting revenue is being utilised.

The lack of a clear legal framework and adequate oversight, especially for large-scale mining contracts, has raised concerns that these mining activities may be pursued without consideration for Afghanistan’s long-term economic, environmental, and social interests.

According to the report, Kamil recently entered India using a standard passport.

Published on Sunday, the report highlights that Delhi is taking a notable step towards expanding diplomatic relations with the Taliban by potentially accepting an official representative from the group.

The Sunday Guardian noted that the Taliban have proposed Ikramuddin Kamil for the role of Second Secretary at Afghanistan's Mumbai consulate. The report interprets India's possible acceptance of a Taliban diplomat as indicative of Delhi's "pragmatic approach" in engaging with the group, suggesting that formal recognition of the Taliban administration might be a future possibility.

The report states that Kamil earned his doctorate from South Asia University in Delhi. After the Taliban took power, Kamil reportedly returned to Afghanistan and began working with the group's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Sources informed Sunday Guardian that Kamil has re-entered India on a regular passport and is currently stationed at the Afghan consulate in Mumbai. According to the report, he may be issued a diplomatic passport and formally appointed as the Taliban's Second Secretary in Mumbai. Both Kamil and the Taliban’s Foreign Ministry have declined to comment on his proposed appointment.

A senior Taliban official in Kabul described Ikramuddin Kamil as an "intelligent" individual.

Since the Taliban assumed control in Afghanistan, Delhi has been seeking to expand its relations with the group, traditionally aligned with Pakistan. The recent visit of J.P. Singh, head of the Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Iran division within India’s Ministry of External Affairs, to Kabul reflects growing developments in India’s relations with the Taliban. In recent days, J.P. Singh met separately with the Taliban's Ministers of Defence and Foreign Affairs in Kabul, underscoring both parties’ commitment to strengthening bilateral relations.

India has also handed over the Afghan embassy and consulates in Delhi and Mumbai to former Afghan government diplomats now cooperating with the Taliban. Additionally, India has maintained a “technical” team at its embassy in Kabul.

Last year, Sayed Mohammad Ibrahimkhil, the Afghan Consul General in Hyderabad, announced that, at India’s request, he had taken on consular responsibilities for Afghanistan's embassy in Delhi alongside Zakia Wardak, the former Consul General of Afghanistan in Mumbai. Wardak later resigned following reports of over 25 kilograms of gold, valued at more than two million dollars, being smuggled through Mumbai Airport.

This marks the first time the Taliban have been invited to attend a climate-focused event on the international stage. The conference is scheduled to run from 11 to 22 November.

The Taliban’s Environmental Protection Agency has described this conference as a significant opportunity for Afghanistan. According to a statement released by the agency on Sunday, the Taliban delegation plans to discuss avenues for cooperation with the international community on environmental conservation and addressing climate change.

The annual UN climate change conference is regarded as one of the organisation’s most critical events of the year.

Since assuming power in 2021, the Taliban regime remains unrecognised by any country. Despite this, the Taliban have sought to engage in international climate change discussions over the past three years. Taliban officials have stressed that “political issues” should not obstruct their participation in these global forums.

Afghanistan ranks among the world’s most climate-vulnerable nations. Before the Taliban’s rise to power, Afghanistan was a signatory to the 2015 Paris Agreement, committing to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and curb global climate change.

Matiul Haq Khalis, head of the Taliban’s Environmental Protection Agency, emphasised that “climate change should be regarded as a humanitarian issue, unaffected by political considerations.”

According to a report by ISNA, the conference took place at the Islamic Countries Summit Hall in Tehran, organised collaboratively by Iran’s Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance and the Islamic Culture and Relations Organisation.

Iranian media reported that the conference examined “various intellectual and ideological aspects of Hassan Nasrallah’s work, with the aim of providing a model and defining the role of future resistance leaders.”

Hassan Nasrallah was killed in an Israeli airstrike in southern Beirut last month. Senior Taliban officials have since refrained from commenting on the death of Hassan Nasrallah, maintaining public silence on the matter.