Pakistan’s military said Friday that 33 members of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) were killed in an overnight operation near Zhob district in the southwestern province of Balochistan, after attempting to infiltrate from Afghanistan.
In a statement, the army said security forces launched the operation late Thursday after detecting the movement of a large group from “Fitna al-Khawarij,” a banned TTP faction. The militants were intercepted and “eliminated” as they tried to cross the Pakistan-Afghanistan border into Zhob, the military said.
A large cache of weapons and explosives was recovered from the insurgents, according to Pakistan’s Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).
The announcement comes amid heightened tensions between Islamabad and the Taliban government in Kabul. Pakistan has repeatedly accused the Afghan Taliban of sheltering TTP fighters, allegations the Taliban deny but which are supported by international reports.
In a recent briefing to the UN Security Council, UN experts said the Taliban continues to provide safe haven to foreign terrorist groups, posing a serious threat to the security of Central Asia and beyond. The report also noted the presence of multiple al-Qaeda training camps in Afghanistan, including three newly identified sites used to train both al-Qaeda and TTP fighters.
A spokesperson for Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry accused Baloch insurgents and TTP militants of receiving financial and logistical support from within Afghanistan, urging the Taliban to take decisive action against them.
India has quietly handed over control of the Afghan consulate in Hyderabad to a Taliban representative to run the mission, according to a source in the Taliban’s Foreign Ministry.
The source told Afghanistan International that the handover took place in June, with Mohammad Rahman named as the Taliban’s diplomatic representative at the consulate.
Sayed Mohammad Ibrahimkhil, who served as consul under Afghanistan’s previous government, has been transferred to the Afghan embassy in New Delhi, where he continues to serve as chargé d’affaires.
Indian news agency IANS, citing its own sources, also reported that Rahman has headed the Hyderabad consulate since June 2025. The report noted that in 2024, India similarly handed over the Afghan consulate in Mumbai to Ikramuddin Kamil, another Taliban-appointed diplomat.
An Indian official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the appointments indicate the Taliban’s intention to maintain and expand diplomatic engagement with New Delhi. The official added that the group may take control of the Afghan embassy in the Indian capital by the end of the year.
Another source suggested that a high-level Taliban delegation could visit India next month. If the visit proceeds as planned, it could mark a significant step towards deepening India-Taliban relations.
A senior Taliban official has said that international recognition is irrelevant to the group’s legitimacy, marking a clear divergence from the stance of Taliban officials engaged in global diplomacy.
Yousuf Wafa, the Taliban-appointed governor of Balkh province and a close ally of the group’s supreme leader, Hibatullah Akhundzada, made the remarks during a gathering in Balkh on Thursday.
“For us, legitimacy comes from God and the people, not from the outside world,” Wafa said.
He also called for unwavering obedience to Akhundzada, urging the public to support the Taliban’s supreme leader and to implement his decrees and rulings without question.
Wafa, often referred to by observers as the “ruler of the north,” is regarded as one of Akhundzada’s most trusted figures. His comments highlight a growing internal divide within the Taliban over priorities and international engagement.
While the Taliban’s Foreign Ministry in Kabul continues to lobby for formal international recognition, a central goal of its diplomacy since the group took power in 2021, Wafa’s remarks suggest that hardline factions aligned with Akhundzada view external legitimacy as secondary, if not irrelevant.
Over the past four years, Taliban officials have sought international legitimacy by offering cooperation on counterterrorism, expanding regional ties, and responding to diplomatic overtures. The group especially welcomed Russia’s recent decision to recognise their government, the first of its kind.
However, Supreme Leader Akhundzada has consistently prioritised the full implementation of his interpretation of religion over meeting international demands. He has rejected calls to ease restrictions on women and girls, particularly in education and employment.
Akhundzada has previously said, “I may lose my life, but I will not abandon Sharia,” underscoring his resistance to international pressure on human rights.
Pakistan does not want to see a strong or self-reliant Afghan government, regardless of who leads it, according to a senior Taliban official.
Abdul Latif Mansoor, the Taliban’s Minister of Energy and Water, accused Pakistan of opposing any form of stable central authority in Afghanistan, whether under the Taliban, Mujahideen, or even Communists.
Speaking in an interview with Shamshad TV on Thursday, Mansoor said: “Some of our neighbours, especially Pakistan, do not want a government in Afghanistan, it doesn’t matter if it’s Taliban, Mujahid, or Communist.”
He added: “We now understand that Pakistan doesn’t want an Afghan government that stands on its own feet.”
Mansoor accused Islamabad of deliberately fuelling internal divisions and crises in Afghanistan to serve its own political and economic interests.
Responding to Pakistan’s repeated claims that the Taliban are sheltering militants from the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Mansoor did not deny the group’s presence in Afghanistan but said that any TTP centres in the country predated Taliban rule.
He insisted that Afghanistan is not being used as a base for attacks on neighbouring states. “Afghan soil is not being used against neighbouring or regional countries,” he said.
The Taliban official also claimed that TTP fighters themselves admit to operating from Pakistan’s tribal regions. “Instead of accusing Afghanistan, Pakistan should look for them in the tribal areas,” he added.
Tensions Easing After Two Years of Strained Ties
Mansoor’s comments come at a time of cautious rapprochement between the Taliban and Islamabad, following two years of heightened tensions and mutual accusations , especially over the TTP issue.
Recently, Pakistan’s foreign and interior ministers visited Kabul for talks with senior Taliban officials. Discussions reportedly focused on security cooperation, the TTP, and expanding economic ties. Both sides also agreed to elevate diplomatic relations to the ambassadorial level.
Meanwhile, Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi was expected to visit Pakistan, but the United Nations Security Council did not grant him travel permission.
The Taliban’s reclusive leader has claimed that the people of Afghanistan have become distant from Islam and unfamiliar with Sharia law due to decades of “un-Islamic” governance under previous regimes.
In a statement released by the Taliban’s spokesperson on Thursday, Hibatullah Akhundzada said past governments promoted corruption and immorality, which he alleged alienated Afghans from their faith.
“In previous regimes, un-Islamic matters flourished, and people became strangers to religion,” Akhundzada said. “Those regimes promoted corruption and immorality, destroyed people’s minds, and encouraged opposition to religion. They invested heavily in this effort.”
He added: “Today, the minds of people have become so corrupted that Sharia appears unfamiliar to them.”
The Taliban said the remarks were made during a meeting held at the governor’s office in Kandahar, where Akhundzada addressed religious scholars from 15 districts. While the group claims the leader delivered a speech, no photos or videos of the gathering were published.
Akhundzada called on religious scholars to take a more active role in implementing Taliban policies and promoting Islamic values. “You, the scholars, are the dearest servants of God on Earth, and since your responsibility is great, you must fulfil it in the best possible way,” he said.
He stressed that society follows the example set by religious scholars and rulers. “If these two groups are righteous, society will be righteous. But if they fall into corruption, the people will follow them.”
Call for Public Awareness on Road Safety
The Taliban leader also addressed road safety, urging clerics to educate the public about traffic laws in order to reduce Afghanistan’s rising number of road accidents.
“Road incidents have recently increased, causing fatalities,” he said. “Religious scholars should raise awareness so that people do not recklessly endanger their own lives or the lives of others.”
According to the Taliban’s traffic department, more than 4,000 road accidents occurred in the last ten months of the previous year, resulting in at least 2,000 deaths.
Pledge to Reform Afghanistan’s Youth
Akhundzada also spoke about the country’s younger generation, saying: “The youth of Afghanistan are like my own children, and I am trying to reform them. God willing, I will fulfil my responsibility in this regard.”
He urged scholars to take a leading role in the “reformation of society,” particularly in religious matters, and insisted that all Taliban-issued laws and decrees are rooted in Islamic Sharia and must be promoted accordingly.
According to the Taliban statement, the scholars in attendance renewed their pledge of allegiance to Akhundzada.
The meeting follows a similar gathering held last week with the Herat ulema council, during which Akhundzada reaffirmed the importance of following religious scholars and warned of efforts to undermine the Taliban by dividing the clerical establishment and eroding public trust.
Under the banner of enforcing Sharia law, the Taliban have imposed harsh restrictions including a ban on education for girls beyond grade six and the exclusion of women from public life and employment in many sectors.
In response to ongoing human rights violations, particularly targeting women and girls, the International Criminal Court (ICC) recently issued arrest warrants for both Hibatullah Akhundzada and the Taliban’s chief justice.
UN Women has issued a stark warning that Afghan women and girls returning to the country face heightened risks of poverty, harassment, early marriage, and abuse. The agency is urging urgent international action to protect their rights and ensure long-term support.
In a joint report released Thursday, with international humanitarian organisation CARE, UN Women expressed deep concern over the situation of Afghan women and girls deported from Iran and Pakistan. The report calls for immediate and sustained assistance.
The findings highlight Afghanistan’s deepening economic crisis and worsening climate conditions, noting that returning women and girls are re-entering a country where their rights and freedoms are already under severe restrictions imposed by the Taliban.
“Vulnerable women and girls arriving with nothing into communities that are already stretched to breaking point puts them at even greater risk,” said Susan Ferguson, UN Women’s Country Representative in Afghanistan.
Ferguson stressed the urgent need for additional funding to support returnees. The report identifies a lack of safe and affordable shelter, stable income, and access to education as among the key challenges they face.
It also details restrictions specifically impacting deported women, including limited freedom of movement, lack of identity documents, and growing security concerns.
“Women humanitarian workers at the border are critical to reaching women and girls. But their work is increasingly limited by foreign aid cuts and movement restrictions,” the report states.
Female humanitarian staff at border crossings have reported being overwhelmed by the growing number of returnees and unable to meet even their most basic needs.
Graham Davison, CARE’s Country Director in Afghanistan, said: “Witnessing the volume of arrivals and the hardship faced by women, children and families, many distressed, disoriented and without hope, has left a deep impact on all of us responding to this crisis.”
He added that immediate support is essential to provide life-saving services, safe spaces, and critical humanitarian assistance to deported women and girls.
