Taliban Seeks Backing From Hazara, Shia Communities With Gathering In Ghazni

The line will connect Central Asia to South Asia through Afghanistan’s Balkh and Logar provinces, aiming to boost regional trade and strengthen diplomatic ties among the three nations.

The planned railway line will begin in Termez, Uzbekistan, pass through the city of Mazar-e-Sharif in Balkh province and Logar province in Afghanistan, and terminate at the Kharlachi border crossing in Pakistan’s Kurram region.

In a recent phone call with Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi and Uzbek Foreign Minister Bakhtiyor Saidov, Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar stressed the importance of finalising the agreement on the Uzbekistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan railway project.

The new route is expected to cut delivery times between Pakistan and Uzbekistan by up to five days and reduce transportation costs by at least 40 percent.

Projections suggest that by 2030, the railway could handle up to 15 million tonnes of cargo annually, transforming the route into a major economic corridor. The line is also expected to facilitate passenger travel between the participating countries.

Following high-level discussions between Uzbek and Pakistani delegations in Tashkent attended by the presidents of both countries the three parties agreed to establish a trilateral coordination committee. The committee will oversee the remaining technical studies, financing and implementation of the US$4.8 billion project, which is targeted for completion by the end of 2027.

A Pakistani source familiar with the project described the railway as more than a logistical venture, highlighting its potential to unlock Pakistan’s US$240 billion economic capacity. The source said the route would give Central Asia unprecedented access to warm-water ports and could significantly reshape regional trade dynamics.

A large portion of the project 573 kilometres will require new rail construction inside Afghanistan. Reports indicate that experts have agreed on the route and its geographical conditions, with joint surveying and preliminary feasibility studies now under way.

Beyond its economic impact, the project also symbolises deepening diplomatic relations between the participating countries. Pakistan and the Taliban recently agreed to elevate diplomatic ties to the ambassadorial level.

The initiative aligns with China’s regional ambitions under its Belt and Road Initiative. Beijing has played a behind-the-scenes role in facilitating coordination between Islamabad and the Taliban, further reinforcing its position as a regional stabiliser.

For the Taliban, the railway offers a rare economic opportunity, with potential benefits including increased international engagement, transit revenues and greater regional integration.

Jabbar Ali Zakeri, Iran’s Deputy Minister of Roads and Urban Development, announced the plan as part of Iran’s broader strategy to expand rail transport and boost regional connectivity.

“Plans have been made for the passenger train between Mashhad and Herat, and we anticipate that the first passenger train on this route will be launched within the next two weeks,” Zakeri said.

He added that increasing rail transit remains a key priority for Iran’s railway sector.

“The railway’s approach is to increase transit, and transit trains are given special priority within the rail network. The main goal of the railway is to expand transit across the country,” Zakeri said.

He did not provide additional details regarding the new service.

Previously, Iran’s Ministry of Roads and Urban Development announced that construction of the Rozanak-to-Herat rail line was under way, and that passenger train service would begin once the project was completed.

Roza Otunbayeva, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, is expected to brief the Council during the meeting.

Other speakers will include Sima Bahous, Executive Director of UN Women, and a senior official from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

According to the Security Council’s website, humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan will be one of the key topics on the agenda.

Ahead of the meeting, the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) is expected to release its quarterly report on 13 June.

In March, the Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution extending UNAMA’s mandate for another year, through to 17 March 2026.

In a statement issued on 2 June, the ministry said it expects the cameras to help reduce criminal activity in the province. It did not specify how many cameras had been installed.

Over the past several years, numerous reports have documented Taliban abuses and human rights violations in Panjshir. Local residents and human rights organisations have repeatedly accused Taliban fighters of violent and abusive conduct, particularly in the aftermath of military clashes in the province.

Panjshir was the only province to mount an armed resistance following the collapse of the former Afghan government in 2021, with the National Resistance Front, led by Ahmad Massoud, opposing Taliban control. The province witnessed weeks of heavy fighting before the Taliban eventually seized military control.

Since then, the Taliban has launched multiple operations aimed at eliminating remaining opposition forces in the region, including airstrikes and mass arrests.

The Taliban has previously pursued similar surveillance initiatives. In 2023, the group announced plans to install 60,000 surveillance cameras across Kabul to enhance security. At the time, Amnesty International warned that such large-scale monitoring could result in a sweeping system of surveillance and repression targeting Afghan citizens.

Local sources said dissatisfaction is mounting among Taliban members from the province, with tensions further fuelled by the killing of a Taliban fighter in the provincial capital, Faizabad.

According to the sources, a Badakhshani Taliban member was shot dead by another Taliban fighter in Faizabad, inflaming divisions within the group’s local ranks.

Fasihuddin Fitrat, the Taliban’s Chief of Army Staff and himself a Badakhshani, is reportedly seeking to maintain tight control of the situation to prevent new protests in the province. However, discontent among Taliban members from Badakhshan reportedly remains high.

Meanwhile, the Taliban team assigned to eradicate poppy crops has now withdrawn from Jurm district, where intense clashes between local residents and Taliban forces had erupted over the past week.

Sources said the family of a farmer killed during the clashes was paid 400,000 Afghanis in compensation, while families of those injured received 20,000 Afghanis each.

The village of Farghamanj in Jurm district has been the focal point of the unrest, with residents resisting the Taliban’s efforts to destroy poppy fields.

Amid the growing tensions, Abdul Haq Wasiq, head of the Taliban’s intelligence agency, visited Badakhshan on 27 May and held meetings with local officials in an effort to ease the situation.

Although public protests have reportedly subsided for now, local sources say dissatisfaction remains widespread and internal divisions within the Taliban persist.