Pakistan’s FM Proposes Bloc With Afghanistan, China & Bangladesh

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.

The Taliban’s Supreme Court announced on Thursday that each of the three individuals received 39 lashes in a public setting.

According to the court’s statement, issued on 21 May, the woman and one of the men were also sentenced to two years of imprisonment.

This incident is part of a broader pattern in recent days. Over the past week, the Taliban has flogged at least 36 individuals, including eight women, in various provinces across Afghanistan, in connection with a range of alleged offences.

The Taliban describes such corporal punishment as the implementation of “Islamic Sharia law.” Since reclaiming control of Afghanistan nearly four years ago, the group has consistently dismissed international calls to halt corporal punishment and torture. Despite widespread condemnation from human rights organisations, the Taliban continues to carry out public floggings and executions.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi welcomed the development, stating that Beijing supports the strengthening of ties between Afghanistan and Pakistan.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, 21 May, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that both Pakistan and the Taliban expressed their willingness to enhance their diplomatic engagement. Currently, the relationship is maintained at the chargé d'affaires level, with Ubaid-ur-Rehman Nizamani serving as Pakistan’s envoy in Kabul and Sardar Ahmad Shakib representing the Taliban in Islamabad.

The Chinese ministry stated that Foreign Minister Wang Yi held discussions with his counterparts from the Taliban and Pakistan regarding the diplomatic interaction, bolstering communication, and taking concrete steps to foster economic development, infrastructure projects, and regional cooperation.

During the meeting, Wang Yi emphasised several key priorities: building mutual political trust, fostering good neighbourly relations, expanding diplomatic exchanges, deepening practical cooperation, rejecting all forms of terrorism, and maintaining regional peace and stability.

The Pakistani Ministry of Foreign Affairs also issued a statement, welcoming what it called “positive momentum” in bilateral relations with the Taliban. The ministry highlighted progress in diplomatic engagement, trade, and the facilitation of commercial ties.

Although neither Pakistan nor China has formally recognised the Taliban government, both countries have maintained close working relations with the group.

The announcement followed an informal trilateral meeting held in Beijing on Tuesday, hosted by Wang Yi and attended by the foreign ministers of China, Pakistan, and the Taliban.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, Mujahid described the attack in Khuzdar district, which claimed the lives of several children, as unjustifiable, stating that violence against civilians, especially children, is inexcusable under any circumstances.

Responding to suggestions from some Pakistani authorities that Afghan-based groups may have been involved, Mujahid rejected the claims as unfounded and lacking evidence. “There is no proof indicating that these attacks were planned or executed from Afghan soil,” he stated.

The bombing targeted a bus carrying students from a military-run school, killing at least six children and injuring 43 others.

In the wake of the attack, Pakistani authorities initially pointed fingers at India. The Pakistani military claimed the bombing was orchestrated and directed by Indian intelligence, and executed through proxy agents operating in Balochistan.

According to the military’s statement, India is seeking to destabilise Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces following setbacks in recent confrontations. The statement also referenced previous incidents, including the attack on the Jaffar Express train and the kidnapping of Pakistani soldiers by Baloch separatists, as part of what it alleged to be a coordinated campaign involving both Indian and Afghan actors.

The Taliban has urged Pakistan to approach such incidents with restraint and to avoid inflaming tensions through unsubstantiated allegations.

The mass deportations took place on Tuesday, 20 May, highlighting ongoing challenges faced by Afghan refugees in neighbouring countries.

The Commission reported that a total of 3094 Afghans were deported of which 1908 deported from Iran and 1186 deported from Pakistan. The returnees entered Afghanistan through multiple key border crossings, including Torkham, Spin Boldak, Bahramcha, Pul-e-Abrisham, and Islam Qala.

Of those deported, 374 individuals were transferred from Kabul to various provinces, including Paktia, Khost, Laghman, Nangarhar, Baghlan, Kunduz, Takhar, Samangan, Balkh, Badakhshan, Faryab, and Sar-e Pol.

According to the Taliban commission, the returnees collectively received over 6 million Afghanis in humanitarian assistance upon arrival.

The deportations come in the wake of diplomatic engagements by the Taliban. On Sunday, Acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi met with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian in Tehran to discuss bilateral issues, including the treatment and return of Afghan migrants. Similar discussions were also held earlier with Pakistan’s special envoy, Mohammad Sadiq.

However, ongoing daily reports from the Taliban’s migrant commission suggest that these high-level diplomatic talks have so far had little tangible impact on curbing the pace of deportations from either Iran or Pakistan.