Hekmatyar Calls For Afghan Unity Against External Threats, Geopolitical Intrusion

He asserted that regional powers have begun to accept the Taliban as the de facto rulers of Afghanistan, engaging with them as a matter of pragmatism. “The regional countries know this fact and, as such, they engage with the Islamic Emirate at various levels, which is a pragmatic and rational approach in my view,” he said.

Despite no country having officially recognised the Taliban government, Al Jazeera reported that India, Pakistan, and Iran are actively seeking to engage with the group.

Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi has recently held meetings with high-ranking officials from all three nations. He hosted Pakistan’s foreign minister in Kabul, conducted a phone call with India’s foreign minister, and travelled to Tehran and Beijing, where he participated in trilateral discussions involving Pakistan and China.

These diplomatic overtures signal growing regional engagement, despite the Taliban’s historically strained ties with all three countries.

India, once highly critical of the Taliban during the 1990s, has cautiously rebuilt its relationship since the collapse of the previous Afghan government. The Indian embassy in Kabul has resumed operations, and several high-level meetings have taken place.

Shaheen stressed that dialogue remains essential for addressing regional challenges and reiterated the Taliban’s position that international recognition should not be delayed further.

Meanwhile, Pakistan once a key Taliban backer is increasingly concerned about the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which Islamabad claims is operating from Afghan soil. The Taliban deny these accusations. The situation has been further complicated by Pakistan’s mass deportation of Afghan migrants, which has heightened tensions between the two neighbours.

Iran, too, has shifted its posture, now pursuing security and economic cooperation with the Taliban. Tehran is particularly alarmed by the threat of Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISIS-K), which claimed responsibility for a deadly attack in Kerman in January 2024. Iran is also seeking progress on the long-standing Helmand River water dispute and the status of Afghan refugees within its borders.

According to Al Jazeera, citing regional analysts, the recent diplomatic interactions between the Taliban and Pakistan appear to be tactical in nature rather than indicative of a long-term strategic shift.

Rabia Akhtar, Director at the Centre for Security, Strategy and Policy Research at the University of Lahore, told Al Jazeera that Pakistan’s primary concern is potential collaboration between the Taliban and India, prompting Islamabad to maintain a careful approach to its western frontier.

Though still lacking formal international recognition, the Taliban has, by most measures, established itself as a significant player in the regional geopolitical landscape.

The commission stated that 2736 Afghans were deported from Iran, while 1311 were returned from Pakistan. The deportees reportedly reentered Afghanistan through various border crossings, including Torkham, Spin Boldak, Bahramcha, Angoor Ada, Pul-e-Abrisham, and Islam Qala.

Despite ongoing talks between Taliban officials and authorities in both Iran and Pakistan regarding the treatment and status of Afghan migrants, mass deportations continue unabated.

The Taliban have not provided further details about the condition of the returnees or the circumstances under which they were expelled. Human rights groups have previously raised concerns about the treatment of Afghan migrants in both neighbouring countries, particularly in light of Afghanistan’s ongoing humanitarian crisis.

Qanit himself was arrested two days earlier from the same residence.

According to the sources, the Taliban stormed the home on Thursday morning. The cleric’s eldest son reportedly fled to avoid arrest, prompting Taliban fighters to detain the younger child instead. During the raid, family members were allegedly insulted and humiliated as Taliban forces conducted a search of the house.

Afghanistan International obtained video footage of Qanit’s arrest earlier in the week, showing plainclothes Taliban intelligence agents arriving in a civilian vehicle, entering the alley outside his home, and forcibly taking him away in front of neighbours.

The reason for the child’s detention remains unknown.

Mawlawi Qanit is one of the few religious scholars who have consistently and publicly criticised the Taliban’s rule, frequently speaking out against the group’s policies and consolidation of power. He was previously detained by Taliban intelligence for his outspoken remarks.

The arrest of Qanit’s son marks a growing trend of Taliban pressure on critics and their families, further raising alarm among human rights observers.

Speaking on Thursday, Dar did not clarify whether the envisioned alliance would be political, economic, or military in nature.

Addressing recent tensions with the Taliban, Dar acknowledged that relations between Pakistan and the group had remained strained for several years. However, he recently visited Kabul, where he held meetings with the Taliban’s top leadership. He also met Taliban representatives during a subsequent visit to China.

Dar’s remarks, reported by Samaa News, included comments on the recent aerial skirmish between India and Pakistan. He described the encounter as “the largest of its kind,” lasting over an hour, compared to a previous record of thirty minutes. He suggested that this conflict had shifted perceptions in the international community, asserting that Pakistan was now gaining recognition as a formidable nation.

The proposal for a regional alliance comes at a time when Islamabad has expressed frustration with the Taliban’s neutral stance during the recent India-Pakistan tensions. Defence Minister Khawaja Asif noted that only two parties Israel and the Taliban appeared to support India’s position. Asif criticised the Taliban’s approach, recalling Pakistan’s longstanding support for the group despite global pressure and scrutiny.

Despite these criticisms, signs of rapprochement are emerging. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi stated that relations between the Taliban and Pakistan are improving, with both sides agreeing to appoint ambassadors to one another’s capitals in the near future.

Currently, diplomatic engagement remains at the level of chargé d’affaires. Ubaid Ur Rehman Nizamani serves as Pakistan’s envoy in Kabul, while Sardar Ahmad Shakeeb represents the Taliban in Islamabad.

On 21 May, China’s Foreign Ministry confirmed that both the Taliban and Pakistan had expressed a mutual willingness to elevate their diplomatic ties, signalling a possible thaw in relations amid broader regional shifts.

According to multiple sources within the UN offices in Kabul who spoke to Afghanistan International, armed men have followed and harassed a number of Afghan female UN staff over the past two days.

These individuals have also visited the homes of staff members, threatening their male relatives, fathers, husbands, or brothers, to prevent the women from returning to work, warning that failure to comply would result in the women being killed.

In at least some cases, armed Taliban affiliates reportedly forced male relatives to pledge, at gunpoint, to stop their daughters, wives or sisters from working. The threats were reportedly accompanied by insults, video recordings, and humiliation of the families.

Sources indicate that the female staff targeted are primarily employed by UNICEF, UNDP, UNAMA, UNFPA, and the World Health Organization. The harassment reportedly began near the UN’s central office in Pul-e-Charkhi and extended to various neighbourhoods across Kabul, including Macroryan, Karte Char, Darulaman, Khair Khana, Karte Naw, Arzan Qemat, and Kote Sangi.

In response, UN agencies have advised their local female staff to work from home until further notice. However, two days on, staff say they have yet to receive formal assurances or explanations from UN leadership regarding their safety.

This is the first known instance where Taliban threats against female UN employees have escalated from general restrictions to direct death threats. The Taliban had previously issued a decree in December 2022, signed by their leader Hibatullah Akhundzada, banning women from working in non-governmental organisations. Though temporarily enforced, women were later allowed to resume work, particularly in Kabul, where such bans had not been widely implemented until now.

Female staff are now calling on the international community and human rights organisations to intervene urgently to protect their safety, dignity, and right to work.