Pakistani Foreign Minister Arrives In Kabul For High-Level Talks With Taliban

Ahmad Yousuf Mistari, head of the Taliban’s Prison Affairs Administration, stated that Iran is expected to transfer an additional 484 Afghan inmates in the near future. He noted that the repatriation process follows bilateral discussions between Taliban representatives and Iranian authorities. The returned prisoners will serve the remainder of their sentences in their respective home provinces across Afghanistan.

As part of a reciprocal gesture, the Taliban announced the release of two Iranian prisoners to officials of the Islamic Republic, describing the move as an act of “goodwill and constructive engagement.” The Nimruz governor’s office also reported that, under earlier agreements, 211 Afghan inmates had already been repatriated from Iran.

In March, Askar Jalalian, Iran’s Deputy Minister of Justice for Human Rights and International Affairs, confirmed the handover of 149 Afghan prisoners to the Taliban, stating they were returned to continue serving their sentences in Afghanistan.

The Taliban had previously announced in January that Iran intends to repatriate a total of 1,500 Afghan prisoners over the coming months as part of an ongoing transfer agreement.

During his visit, Dar is scheduled to hold meetings with top Taliban officials, including Prime Minister Mullah Mohammad Hassan Akhund, Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs Abdul Ghani Baradar, and Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi.

In a statement issued on Friday, the Foreign Ministry said the discussions will cover a broad range of topics related to Pakistan-Afghanistan relations, with a particular focus on enhancing cooperation in security, trade, regional connectivity, and people-to-people exchanges.

The ministry described the visit as a reflection of Pakistan’s commitment to maintaining sustained engagement with the Taliban. This will be Ishaq Dar’s first visit to Kabul since assuming office as Foreign Minister, and marks the second such visit by a Pakistani foreign minister since the Taliban regained control of Afghanistan in August 2021. His predecessor, Shah Mahmood Qureshi, visited Kabul in October 2021, followed by then-Deputy Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar in November 2022.

The visit comes amid heightened tensions between the two sides, fuelled by a surge in insecurity within Pakistan. Islamabad has repeatedly accused the Taliban of providing safe haven to the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), claiming that the group conducts cross-border attacks from Afghan territory.

In addition, Pakistan has recently launched a second phase of mass deportations of Afghan migrants, expelling thousands daily—an issue that has further strained bilateral relations.

Despite these challenges, diplomatic exchanges have continued. Pakistan’s Special Representative for Afghanistan recently visited Kabul, and a Taliban delegation also travelled to Islamabad, signalling ongoing efforts to manage the tense relationship.

In a statement issued on Friday, 18 April, the commission noted that 299 deported families, totalling 1,606 individuals, have been resettled across provinces including Ghazni, Baghlan, Takhar, Jowzjan, Kunduz, Logar, Khost, Paktia, and Paktika. On the same day, 139 Afghan families, comprising 542 people, were deported from Iran via the Islam Qala border crossing. The commission also distributed financial aid amounting to 6.794 million Afghanis to 838 families.

The commission further disclosed that on Wednesday, 16 April, an additional 5,136 Afghan migrants were expelled from Pakistan—3,500 through Torkham and 1,636 via Spin Boldak.

The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) has expressed concern over the surge in deportations, noting that at least 60,000 Afghan migrants have been expelled from Pakistan in the past two weeks. The agency underscored the urgent need for humanitarian support and urged the international community to act.

Mutya Izora Maskun, IOM’s Deputy Chief of Mission for Operations, highlighted that forced returns have risen sharply since 4 April, with women and children constituting the majority of deportees.

Stéphane Dujarric, the UN Secretary-General’s spokesperson, clarified that the decision was an independent measure taken solely by the Russian Federation.

In related developments, the UN Security Council extended the mandate of its sanctions monitoring team against the Taliban for a further 14 months, reinforcing the international community’s commitment to its existing sanctions regime.

The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs also emphasised that, notwithstanding the suspension, Moscow remains fully bound by the UN Security Council sanctions targeting individuals associated with the Taliban. According to an official statement issued on Thursday, the decision by the Russian Supreme Court—which approved the suspension following a request by the Prosecutor General’s Office and was declared immediately effective by Judge Oleg Nefedov—does not alter Russia’s international obligations under the UN sanctions regime.

The announcement has been met with a positive reaction from the Taliban. Zabiullah Mujahid, a spokesperson for the group, welcomed the decision, stating that President Vladimir Putin is pursuing the correct policy regarding the group. Mujahid expressed hope that the suspension would facilitate an expansion of both economic and diplomatic relations between Russia and the Taliban.

He stated that this move would facilitate enhanced political and economic cooperation between the two sides.

Speaking to Russia’s TASS news agency on Thursday, Kabulov confirmed that joint efforts are underway to normalise bilateral ties comprehensively.

Alexey Overchuk, Russia’s Deputy Prime Minister, also commented to TASS that the suspension opens opportunities for expanding trade relations, boosting Russian exports, and bringing the Pakistani and Indian markets closer to Russia.

On Wednesday, 17 April, the Supreme Court of Russia approved a request by the Prosecutor General’s Office to suspend the Taliban’s classification as a terrorist group. Judge Oleg Nefedov stated that the court’s decision to lift the ban on the Taliban’s activities takes immediate effect.

Following the ruling, the Taliban’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that Dmitry Zhirnov, Russia’s Ambassador to Kabul, officially informed Amir Khan Muttaqi of the decision during a meeting. Muttaqi described the development as a major step forward in Taliban-Russia relations.

Despite the legal shift, Russia has yet to formally recognise the Taliban as the legitimate government of Afghanistan.

In a statement released on 18 April, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs clarified that, despite the suspension of the terrorist designation, Moscow remains bound by United Nations Security Council sanctions against individual Taliban leaders.