Taliban Responds To CSTO, Calls For Increased Budget To Combat Drug Trafficking

According to these sources, the Taliban plans to send an initial delegation to New Delhi to assess the embassy’s status and determine its operational needs.

While no official announcement has been made regarding the names of the Taliban diplomats, an informed source identified Najib Shaheen, son of Suhail Shaheen, the Taliban’s ambassador in Doha, and Shaukat Ahmadi, another Taliban-affiliated figure, as potential candidates for diplomatic positions at the embassy.

The decision to negotiate the transfer of the Afghan Embassy in New Delhi to Taliban control has reportedly faced resistance from former diplomats still managing the mission.

Last year, Abbas Stanekzai, the Taliban’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs, claimed that Sayed Mohammad Ibrahim and Zakia Wardak, two Afghan consuls in India, were already cooperating with the Taliban’s foreign ministry and that the embassy would soon be under their administration.

However, Ibrahimkhil, the Afghan Consul General in Hyderabad, stated in a video message that he had taken charge of the embassy’s consular affairs at the request of the Indian government but did not confirm any affiliation with the Taliban’s foreign ministry.

Meanwhile, Wardak resigned from her position after being detained at Mumbai airport on gold smuggling charges.

India has previously accepted a Taliban diplomat, Ikramuddin Kamil, as Second Consul General at the Afghan Consulate in Mumbai. According to Hedayatullah Hedayat, the Deputy Head of the Taliban’s National Radio and Television, Kamil has now taken full control of the Afghan consulate in Mumbai.

Following the fall of the Afghan Republic, internal conflicts surfaced within the Afghan Embassy in New Delhi. In late 2023, Farid Mamundzay, the former Afghan government’s ambassador, resigned under alleged Taliban pressure and due to India’s direct engagement with the group.

After his resignation, Sayed Mohammad Ibrahimkhil, the Afghan Consul General in Hyderabad, assumed charge of the embassy with India’s approval.

Sources indicate that India has intensified its direct dealings with the Taliban, marginalising non-Taliban diplomats at the embassy. This shift has been evident in India’s handling of Afghan consulates across the country.

Earlier this year, after Zakia Wardak was removed as Afghanistan’s Consul General in Mumbai due to her gold smuggling charges, India transferred control of the consulate to Rohullah Kamil, a Taliban-affiliated official, with the group’s approval.

Over the past three years, senior Indian diplomats have visited Afghanistan, and reports suggest that a "technical team" from India is currently stationed at the Indian Embassy in Kabul.

In a recent development, Vikram Misri, India’s Deputy Foreign Minister, met with Amir Khan Muttaqi, the Taliban’s Foreign Minister, in Dubai last month. India’s Ministry of External Affairs stated that the discussions focused on regional developments and the expansion of humanitarian cooperation.

According to the AFF statement, the attack took place on Saturday evening in Herat province.

Following the assault, the Taliban reportedly blocked roads leading to the site, restricting access and preventing independent sources from reporting on the incident. Taliban spokespersons have not yet commented on the attack.

The AFF did not disclose whether its own fighters or any civilians sustained casualties during the operation.

This marks the second AFF-led attack against the Taliban in a single night. Earlier, the group reported an assault on a Taliban intelligence convoy in Taloqan, the capital of Takhar province, where they claimed to have killed three Taliban members.

According to IRNA, Ahmadi emphasised that the Islamic Republic of Iran is committed to strengthening its relations with Afghanistan in accordance with Khamenei’s directive.

He further stated that Khamenei advocates for regional issues to be resolved by the countries within the region, underscoring Iran’s stance on regional autonomy in addressing geopolitical challenges.

Ahmadi reiterated that Iran supports initiatives promoting peace and stability in line with its foreign policy objectives. He highlighted that the expansion of economic ties remains the primary focus of Tehran’s engagement with Afghanistan.

While Iran, like many other countries, does not officially recognise the Taliban, it has maintained extensive diplomatic and economic relations with the group.

In a significant diplomatic move, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi led a high-ranking political and economic delegation to Kabul on 26 January, where they held talks with Taliban officials.

According to the documents, the embassy asked the Taliban’s Foreign Ministry to allocate $3,000 per month for lobbying activities and for "reflecting the realities of Afghan society in the media space" of the host country.

These letters are among thousands of leaked Taliban documents, recently published by an anonymous hacker group.

One of the leaked documents from the Taliban’s Foreign Ministry includes a letter from the embassy in Islamabad, requesting a higher lobbying budget.

Sardar Ahmad Shakib, the Taliban’s chargé d'affaires in Islamabad, wrote that the previously allocated $2,500 per month was insufficient and needed to be increased.

In March 2024, Shakib informed the Foreign Ministry that the embassy had spent $8,500 on lobbying during the third and fourth quarters of 2023. He also stated that a confidential report on the expenditure had been shared with the ministry’s leadership.

In December 2023, the Taliban’s chargé d'affaires in Islamabad wrote to the Foreign Ministry under the subject "Request for Increased Lobbying Funds", stating that in previous years, the embassy had received $10,000 per month for similar activities.

The letters highlight the Taliban’s strategic focus on maintaining relations with the host country and engaging with international figures and institutions. They argue that additional funds are necessary to support diplomatic objectives, cultural interactions, and Afghanistan’s media representation.

While the embassy did not provide specific details on how the funds would be used, its ambassador in Pakistan frequently meets with diplomats and representatives from regional and Western countries, many of whom do not formally recognise the Taliban government.

The Afghan embassy in Islamabad is regarded as one of Afghanistan’s most profitable diplomatic missions, generating significant revenue through document verification for Afghan migrants, trade relations, and visa issuance.

Despite these earnings, the Taliban embassy maintains that its current budget is insufficient and continues to seek additional financial support.

According to the documents, the embassy asked the Taliban’s Foreign Ministry to allocate $3,000 per month for lobbying activities and for "reflecting the realities of Afghan society in the media space" of the host country.

These letters are among thousands of leaked Taliban documents, recently published by an anonymous hacker group.

One of the leaked documents from the Taliban’s Foreign Ministry includes a letter from the embassy in Islamabad, requesting a higher lobbying budget.

Sardar Ahmad Shakib, the Taliban’s chargé d'affaires in Islamabad, wrote that the previously allocated $2,500 per month was insufficient and needed to be increased.

In March 2024, Shakib informed the Foreign Ministry that the embassy had spent $8,500 on lobbying during the third and fourth quarters of 2023. He also stated that a confidential report on the expenditure had been shared with the ministry’s leadership.

In December 2023, the Taliban’s chargé d'affaires in Islamabad wrote to the Foreign Ministry under the subject "Request for Increased Lobbying Funds", stating that in previous years, the embassy had received $10,000 per month for similar activities.

The letters highlight the Taliban’s strategic focus on maintaining relations with the host country and engaging with international figures and institutions. They argue that additional funds are necessary to support diplomatic objectives, cultural interactions, and Afghanistan’s media representation.

While the embassy did not provide specific details on how the funds would be used, its ambassador in Pakistan frequently meets with diplomats and representatives from regional and Western countries, many of whom do not formally recognise the Taliban government.

The Afghan embassy in Islamabad is regarded as one of Afghanistan’s most profitable diplomatic missions, generating significant revenue through document verification for Afghan migrants, trade relations, and visa issuance.

Despite these earnings, the Taliban embassy maintains that its current budget is insufficient and continues to seek additional financial support.

Khorev stated that Russia stands in solidarity with Kabul’s counterterrorism efforts and is prepared to provide necessary assistance too.

Speaking to TASS News Agency, he emphasised, "We reaffirm our commitment to strengthening constructive cooperation with Pakistan and Afghanistan."

However, the Russian diplomat did not provide specific details regarding the nature of Russia’s assistance to Pakistan and the Taliban in combatting terrorism.

Khorev stressed that resolving security issues in the border regions between Pakistan and Afghanistan remains the primary responsibility of both nations. However, he also highlighted that Russia and Pakistan are currently engaged in effective counterterrorism cooperation.

As part of these efforts, he pointed to the joint counterterrorism military exercises conducted by Pakistan and Russia in October 2024.

The Pakistan Army announced in October 2024 that it had conducted a two-week joint military exercise with Russia’s armed forces in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, aimed at enhancing counterterrorism capabilities.

Pakistan has consistently claimed that Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) maintains safe havens inside Afghanistan. The Pakistan Army has also accused Afghan nationals of involvement in terrorist activities.

On Saturday, the Pakistan Army reported that an Afghan national, Luqman Khan Nusrat, was killed during a counterterrorism operation in North Waziristan. In an official statement, the military asserted that "such incidents highlight the role of Afghan nationals in terrorist activities within Pakistan."

The Pakistan Army has repeatedly urged the Taliban to honour its commitments and prevent terrorist groups from using Afghan soil to launch attacks in Pakistan.