Khalilzad Cautions Anti-Taliban Leaders Against Pakistani Intelligence Influence

The incident reportedly occurred at approximately 8:00 AM on Sunday.

According to Haalvsh, following the shooting, the driver of the vehicle abandoned the injured and deceased migrants and fled the scene.

The organisation stated that Iranian forces fired on the migrants’ vehicle on Sunday morning, leading to the fatality of one Afghan migrant.

Citing its sources, Haalvsh reported that Iranian authorities did not make any efforts to transport the injured migrant to a hospital.

A video released by the organisation depicts two individuals lying on the ground. Based on the footage, the migrant killed by Iranian forces appears to be under 18 years of age.

In the video, a man standing beside the victim’s body states, "We were coming from Khash when the checkpoint opened fire. My son was killed."

The footage also shows another individual with a leg injury lying on the ground.

Thus far, Iranian and Taliban officials have not commented on the incident.

According to the group, five Taliban members were killed, and three others were injured in the attack.

Earlier, local sources informed Afghanistan International about an explosion outside the Taliban police headquarters in Taloqan, the capital of Takhar province.

According to these sources, the explosion occurred around 6:00 PM on Saturday.

The AFF stated that its attack targeted a group of Taliban members who were preparing to travel to Baharak district to arrest several religious scholars critical of Taliban policies.

Taliban local officials have yet to comment on the incident.

On 21 January, the Taliban announced that Haqqani, accompanied by Abdul Haq Wasiq, the group’s intelligence chief, had travelled to the UAE. A reliable source within the Taliban’s Ministry of Interior has confirmed that Haqqani remains abroad.

During his visit, Haqqani reportedly met with UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Abu Dhabi. However, details of their discussions remain undisclosed. Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid stated that the meeting focused on "topics of mutual interest, mutual stability, strengthening Afghanistan’s economy, and other important matters."

Despite nearly two weeks passing since his departure, Taliban sources have provided no updates on Haqqani’s return. Meanwhile, Abbas Stanekzai, the Taliban’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs, has also fled to the UAE, reportedly fearing arrest.

Following his departure from Kabul, leaked audio recordings revealed Stanekzai’s sharp criticism of Taliban Supreme Leader Hibatullah Akhundzada.

The reasons behind Haqqani’s prolonged stay remain unclear, and Taliban officials have yet to provide any explanations regarding his extended absence.

However, Anas Haqqani, a key figure in the Haqqani network, recently posted a Quranic verse on social media referencing the "divine promise" of the "caliphate and victory of righteous believers." While he did not elaborate further, some analysts have linked the post to growing tensions between the Haqqani network and the Taliban leader.

In a newly released audio recording, Stanekzai called on Taliban members to refrain from "worshipping" their leader. The exact timing of the remarks remains unclear, but in the recording, he encourages Taliban officials to reject orders that contradict Islamic teachings. Addressing Akhundzada directly, he stated: "We cannot destroy our country for your sake."

The senior Taliban official urged members of the group to disobey directives that could lead to Afghanistan’s ruin. He further asserted: "You are my leader and Amir al-Mu’minin only as long as you remain on the path of God. If you deviate even one step from God's path, you are no longer my leader, and I do not recognise you."

Stanekzai emphasised that the Afghan people have not placed their faith in Akhundzada, remarking that "hundreds like him have come and gone in Afghanistan’s history, and others will replace him in the future."

Discussing Taliban leadership, he expressed hope that Afghanistan would be led by individuals who "work in the path of God and His Prophet and for the national interests of the country." He also prayed for Afghanistan to be saved from "these calamities and hardships."

Stanekzai, who has been vocal about the need to reopen girls’ schools, recently issued unprecedented criticism against Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada. On 19 January, during a graduation ceremony at a religious school in Khost province, he accused the Taliban of "acting against Islamic teachings" and ignoring the rights of 20 million Afghan women.

Following the widespread circulation of his remarks, credible sources told Afghanistan International that Akhundzada ordered Stanekzai’s arrest. However, with the assistance of Mullah Yaqub Mujahid, the group’s Defence Minister, he managed to leave Afghanistan for the United Arab Emirates.

Shortly thereafter, in an audio recording obtained by Afghanistan International, Stanekzai denied any disputes with Akhundzada, claiming he had left the country for rest and recovery. He asserted that he had contracted an "illness similar to COVID-19" but did not acknowledge that his departure was motivated by fear of arrest.

According to the ministry, these migrants had been detained in Islamabad for two to five days.

A statement from the ministry, citing information from the Torkham Border Authority in Nangarhar province, indicated that these individuals were arrested in Islamabad due to a lack of legal documents. They were held for two to five days in Haji Camp prison before being deported to Afghanistan.

The Pakistani government, led by Shehbaz Sharif, is preparing to implement a new wave of mass deportations of Afghan refugees and migrants.

According to a document obtained by Afghanistan International, Pakistan’s cabinet, in a meeting chaired by Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday, approved this plan.

In recent months, Pakistan has not only expelled undocumented Afghan migrants but has also arrested a significant number of them.

The actions of Pakistani authorities against Afghan migrants have raised concerns among refugee advocacy organisations.