Pakistan Concerned Over India-Taliban Ties, Says Former TTP Spokesperson

According to sources, both sides agreed not to construct any new military installations along the border during this period.

The jirga took place on Sunday and included 35 representatives from Taliban-controlled Afghanistan and 40 from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. The province shares a border with Nangarhar, Afghanistan, and Torkham remains one of the most critical crossing points between the two countries.

A reliable source stated that the jirga participants, including tribal elders and Pakistani officials, decided to form a joint assessment team on 11 March. This team will review disputed construction activities by the Taliban near the border. The next steps will be determined based on this assessment.

Local sources confirmed that once the border dispute is resolved, the Torkham crossing will reopen, restoring trade and travel between Afghanistan and Pakistan.

The Torkham border has been closed for 16 days due to rising tensions. Pakistani officials accused the Taliban of building checkpoints inside Pakistan’s territory, a claim the Taliban denied. The group insisted it was only constructing a post on Afghan soil.

Merz also stated that, in coordination with neighbouring countries, Germany will reject asylum requests at shared borders.

On Saturday, 8 March, Merz, who won Germany’s parliamentary elections, said in a meeting with potential coalition partners that his government would take all legal measures to reduce illegal migration.

He confirmed that border controls would be tightened from the first day of the new administration. He also emphasised that migration restrictions would be included in residency laws.

Referring to refugee admission programmes, including those for Afghanistan, he said these must end.

Markus Söder, leader of Bavaria’s Christian Social Union (CSU), announced that deportation flights to Afghanistan and Syria would be organised. However, flights from Afghanistan to Germany would no longer take place.

German officials also stressed that family reunification programmes for those with subsidiary protection would be suspended.

During the meeting, officials also proposed allowing Federal Police to request temporary or pre-departure detention for asylum seekers required to leave Germany.

The Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and the Christian Social Union (CSU) also plan to examine whether individuals with dual citizenship could lose their German nationality if they are found to be extremist or antisemitic.

Nouri stated that the arrests were part of the “Social Security Enhancement” initiative. He confirmed that the detained migrants have been handed over to authorities for deportation.

On Sunday, 9 March, Nouri said the operation aimed to improve social security and increase public satisfaction. He also reported that several drug addicts and small-scale drug dealers were arrested during the crackdown. He stressed that tackling illegal migration remains a top priority for security forces.

Authorities in Sistan and Baluchestan, which shares a border with Afghanistan, have recently intensified deportations of Afghan migrants. On Saturday, Hamid Noori, police chief of Zahedan province, reported that 486 Afghan migrants were arrested under the same initiative and transferred for deportation.

Earlier, Ali Akbar Habibifar, police chief of Zabol city, announced the arrest of 172 undocumented Afghan migrants.

In the past year, Iran has tightened restrictions on Afghan migrants, making work and living conditions increasingly difficult. Under new Iranian laws, employing or renting property to Afghan migrants is now a criminal offence punishable by prosecution.

Sharifullah, the alleged mastermind behind the deadly ISIS attack at Kabul airport, was arrested in Pakistan and later handed over to U.S. authorities.

The U.S. Department of Justice previously stated that Sharifullah was involved in multiple attacks, including the March 2024 concert hall bombing in Moscow, which killed at least 145 people.

Malik explained that Sharifullah was arrested at the Pakistan-Afghanistan border and later extradited to the U.S.. He stated that there was no need to consult Afghanistan on the matter.

He also clarified that while Pakistan does not have a formal extradition treaty with the U.S., it follows specific procedures allowing extradition if the requesting country provides the necessary legal documentation.

In an interview with RIA Novosti, Malik also claimed that U.S. weapons left in Afghanistan are being used in terrorist attacks inside Pakistan.

Pakistan’s Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif, confirmed that Sharifullah is an Afghan citizen.

On Tuesday, 4 March, U.S. President Donald Trump, in a speech before a joint session of Congress, announced that the mastermind behind the Kabul airport bombing—which killed 13 U.S. soldiers and over 170 Afghan civilians—had been captured with Pakistan’s cooperation.

Following Trump’s statement, Kash Patel, Director of the FBI, confirmed that Sharifullah had been transferred to the U.S. and would face “American justice”.

The attack at Kabul airport occurred on 26 August 2021, during the chaotic evacuation of U.S. and NATO forces. A suicide bombing at the Abbey Gate entrance killed 13 U.S. troops and over 170 Afghan civilians, leaving dozens more injured.

According to a statement from the Taliban’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Muttaqi is expected to hold discussions on political and economic relations with Omani officials during his visit.

This trip follows the Taliban’s announcement in September that their diplomats had taken control of Afghanistan’s embassy in Oman. On 15 September, Zia Ahmad Takal, Deputy Spokesperson for the Taliban Foreign Ministry, stated that the embassy’s services had resumed with the cooperation of the Omani government.

Although no country has officially recognised the Taliban, some regional nations have allowed their diplomats to operate in embassies under their administration.