Will Do What’s Necessary To Strengthen Taliban Ties, Say Indian Officials

The three-day forum will convene legal experts, judicial officials, and justice ministers from various countries.

According to a statement issued by the Taliban’s Ministry of Justice on Saturday, 17 May, Sharei is expected to deliver a speech during the forum, which focuses on global legal challenges and international cooperation.

The presence of Taliban officials at international legal and diplomatic forums continues to generate mixed reactions, particularly given the group’s lack of formal recognition and widely criticised human rights record.

Several human rights organisations have condemned the Taliban’s participation in such events, questioning the legal and political legitimacy of their representatives. Critics highlight the Taliban’s severe restrictions on civil liberties, especially the systematic erosion of women’s rights under its rule.

Abdul Hakim Sharei is currently under international sanctions. In 2023, the European Union sanctioned him for overseeing the “systematic deprivation of Afghan women from work and education.” The Taliban’s Minister of Education and Attorney General were also sanctioned at the same time for “gender-based violence.”

The EU has accused Sharei of restructuring Afghanistan’s judicial system to suppress women. According to the EU, he revoked women’s legal licences, barred them from accessing defence attorneys, and hindered the enforcement of laws against gender-based violence, creating a legal vacuum that has led to widespread human rights abuses and the undermining of equality before the law.

According to the commission’s statement, 1934 Afghans were deported from Iran, while 1423 were expelled from Pakistan. The returnees entered Afghanistan through various official border crossings, including Torkham, Spin Boldak, Bahramcha, Angoor Ada, Pul-e Abrisham, and Islam Qala.

The Taliban authorities stated that returning migrants collectively received over six million Afghanis in cash assistance. Of those deported, 1725 individuals who had been residing in Kabul were relocated to several provinces, including Paktia, Khost, Nangarhar, Laghman, Baghlan, Kunduz, Takhar, Samangan, Balkh, Badakhshan, Faryab, and Sar-e Pol.

The mass deportations come amid intensified efforts by both Iran and Pakistan to reduce the number of undocumented Afghan migrants within their borders.

Iran’s Ministry of Interior has announced plans to deport up to two million undocumented Afghan nationals. Meanwhile, Pakistan has tightened its visa extension process and increased arrests and forced removals of Afghan refugees and asylum seekers.

These actions have drawn criticism from human rights organisations, which warn that many of the deportees face potential threats, persecution, or economic hardship upon their return to Taliban-ruled Afghanistan.

The visit comes at the invitation of Iran’s Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi. The forum is expected to bring together regional leaders and policymakers for discussions on diplomatic, security, and economic cooperation.

Accompanying Muttaqi on the trip is Abdul Latif Nazari, the Taliban’s Deputy Minister of Economy, who will also take part in bilateral meetings during the delegation’s stay in Tehran.

The visit is part of the Taliban’s ongoing diplomatic outreach in the region, despite the group’s lack of formal international recognition.

The photos show both commanders in full military uniform and equipped with combat gear. At least two NRF sources confirmed to Afghanistan International that the images are recent and that the commanders are currently active within Afghanistan’s mountainous terrain.

In a video shared on his X (formerly Twitter) account, Hasib Panjshiri declared, “Our country is under the occupation of terrorist Taliban forces.” He added, “We are fighting to reclaim and liberate our land and geography from the grip of this criminal group, and we have full faith in victory.”

The appearance of the two commanders comes just one day after it was reported that NRF leader Ahmad Massoud travelled to Mashhad, Iran. According to sources, the Islamic Republic of Iran hosted a gathering of Afghan political figures, including Atta Mohammad Noor. The sources stated that Massoud was received by Iranian officials and held meetings with representatives from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Khalid Amiri is a senior NRF commander who played a key role in organising and leading resistance operations against the Taliban following the fall of Kabul in August 2021. A former elite officer in the Afghan National Army, Amiri moved to Panjshir shortly after the Taliban takeover and led intense combat missions in the region.

In June 2022, Amiri shared an image of a downed Taliban helicopter in the Hindu Kush mountains, a symbolic act of defiance. He also released videos showing captured Taliban fighters, whom he later reportedly released.

Before the Taliban’s return to power, Amiri served as a commander of special forces in the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and received military training both domestically and abroad.

Hasib Panjshiri, widely known as “Hasib Qowaye Markaz”, is another key NRF commander under the leadership of Ahmad Massoud. After completing military training, Hasib joined Afghanistan’s National Directorate of Security (NDS) special units and participated in numerous operations across the country. Following the Taliban’s capture of Kabul, he returned to his native Panjshir and continued the armed resistance.

Speaking to reporters in Kerman Province on Friday, 16 May, Momeni stated that Iran no longer has the capacity to accommodate additional migrants. He claimed that undocumented migrants, most of whom are Afghan nationals, are occupying job opportunities and consuming substantial government subsidies.

“Iran has hosted millions of migrants for decades due to regional instability, particularly from Afghanistan,” Momeni said. “But we are not economically or socially equipped to absorb such a large number.”

He added that, beginning in 2024, the government initiated new measures to tighten border controls and accelerate the deportation process.

While acknowledging Iran’s deep historical, cultural, and religious ties with its neighbours, Momeni emphasised the need for pragmatic policies. “The issue of undocumented migrants poses both humanitarian and economic challenges,” he said. “We hope our Afghan brothers and sisters will return to their country and contribute to rebuilding their homeland.”

The minister’s remarks come amid worsening conditions for Afghan refugees and asylum seekers in Iran. According to Iran’s Office for Migration Affairs, over 2.2 million Afghans were deported last year alone.

Among those deported were former Afghan military personnel and government employees who had fled Afghanistan fearing Taliban retaliation. Human rights groups have raised serious concerns about the forced return of these individuals, warning they could face arrest, persecution, or even execution upon re-entering Taliban-controlled Afghanistan.