Voice Of Afghan People Must Not Be Overlooked, Says UN Rapporteur

The 573-kilometre railway will establish a vital transport link between Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, and Pakistan, facilitating trade between Central Asia, South Asia, and global markets.

According to Uzbek media reports citing Mahkamov, officials have presented the necessary details regarding the railway route and project financing to the President of Uzbekistan, who has been briefed on the initiative.

This railway forms part of an agreement signed in 2021 between Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, and Pakistan in Tashkent. While construction of the Turkmenistan-Mazar-e-Sharif-Kabul-Peshawar railway was initially expected to commence that same year, the Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan delayed its implementation.

By late 2021, the Taliban expressed their willingness to participate in the project, and by mid-2022, an exploratory team had begun assessing the route and conducting feasibility studies.

Cost Estimates and Capacity

Estimates for the railway’s construction cost vary. Uzbekistan’s primary design and research institute for transportation infrastructure has projected the cost at $4.6 billion. However, Pakistan has estimated it at $8.2 billion, while media reports suggest the overall project cost could range between $4.8 billion and $6 billion.

Once completed, the Trans-Afghan Railway is expected to handle an annual cargo capacity of up to 20 million tonnes, strengthening trade routes and fostering greater economic integration between Europe, Russia, Central Asia, and South Asia.

Sporadic fighting between the two sides has reportedly been ongoing for the past two days along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border. According to a local resident, both Taliban forces and Pakistani border guards have reinforced their positions in the area, with the Taliban urging civilians to leave to prevent casualties in the event of heavy fighting.

Videos shared by local residents with Afghanistan International show Taliban outposts in the region flying the group’s white flags. Reports also indicate that the Taliban has blocked certain roads to the public, raising concerns about the potential for a full-scale conflict.

Neither the Taliban nor Pakistani authorities have issued official statements regarding the ongoing dispute over the border outpost. However, Taliban security sources and local residents confirmed that shooting erupted between Pakistani forces and Taliban fighters on Monday night.

To bolster their presence, the Taliban has deployed reinforcements from the 205th Corps of Kandahar and Helmand to the region on Tuesday, signalling heightened tensions.

Bahram Chah, a notorious hub for drug trafficking, has historically played a significant role in financing the Taliban. During their insurgency against the former Afghan government, the group relied heavily on revenue from the drug trade to fund its operations.

Last week, farmers and drug traffickers in the district staged protests, alleging that the Taliban intended not only to impose taxes on them but also to destroy their opium poppy fields, a move that could disrupt the region’s illicit economy.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, the Taliban Supreme Court confirmed that each of the individuals received 39 lashes in a public setting. The punishments were carried out in the presence of local officials, court staff, visitors, and members of the general public.

According to the court, a man and a woman were flogged in Kunduz, while three men and a woman underwent the same punishment in Faryab. Additionally, those punished in Kunduz were each sentenced to two years in prison, while two individuals in Faryab received one-year prison sentences.

Earlier, on Monday, the Taliban Supreme Court had also reported the public flogging of two individuals in the Chahar Asyab district of Kabul. The court claimed they had been punished for alleged “illicit relationships” and “murder.”

Despite widespread condemnation from international human rights organisations opposing torture and corporal punishment, the Taliban continues to conduct public floggings across Afghanistan. The group justifies these actions as part of enforcing the “commandments of Islamic Sharia.”

Imangali Tasmagambetov, Secretary-General of the CSTO, and Ularbek Sharsheev, Director of the Executive Committee of the SCO’s Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure, held a meeting to discuss active cooperation between the two organisations.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, the CSTO announced that Tasmagambetov and Sharsheev had examined the manifestations of extremism and ongoing counterterrorism measures at both regional and global levels. The officials reaffirmed their commitment to joint efforts in combating terrorism, extremism, and the financing of terrorist activities.

Emphasising the implementation of their respective security strategies, the CSTO noted that strengthening engagement and coordination with the SCO would contribute to the stability and security of member states.

The CSTO’s permanent members include Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan. Meanwhile, the SCO, established in 2001 by Russia and China, currently comprises nine member states: Belarus, Iran, Pakistan, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.

Despite several regional countries maintaining diplomatic and economic ties with the Taliban, none have officially recognised their government.

Earlier, Andrei Serdyukov, Chief of the CSTO Joint Staff, described Afghanistan as a key security threat to the region, citing its role in the spread of radical ideology, terrorism, and drug trafficking. He warned that instability in Afghanistan remains a pressing concern for neighbouring states and broader regional security.

In a high-level meeting on Tuesday, they called for “concrete actions” from the Afghan Taliban to curb TTP activities, citing recent deadly attacks on Pakistani security forces.

The concerns were raised during a conference of top military officials in Rawalpindi, chaired by Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff, General Asim Munir. According to an official statement from the Pakistani military, the meeting underscored the urgent need for decisive and tangible measures by the Taliban to address the threat posed by the TTP.

This development comes just days after a deadly insurgent attack in Balochistan, in which 18 Pakistani soldiers lost their lives. The recent surge in cross-border militancy has heightened tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan, with Islamabad repeatedly urging the Taliban to prevent their territory from being used as a safe haven for terrorist groups.

Pakistan’s military leadership reaffirmed its commitment to safeguarding national security and maintaining stability in the region, while also calling for enhanced cooperation from the Taliban authorities to tackle the growing security challenge.