Pakistan To Host Afghan Opposition Leaders At Islamabad Meet

Fazl Mahmood Fazli, who also headed the Office of Administrative Affairs under Ghani, made the remarks in an article for Afghanistan International titled “From the 1990s to Taliban Oppression: Lessons from Afghanistan’s Political Failures and the Way Forward.”

Fazli wrote that prior to the collapse of the republic in August 2021, Washington prevented Afghan air force transport and combat aircraft sent abroad for maintenance from returning home. By July of that year, some Afghan officers had already been told they and their families would be relocated to the United States, he said.

Citing these moves, Fazli argued the republic order's downfall was primarily political, not military, because “ownership of the system did not rest with Afghans.” He said the government had been marginalised during the Doha negotiations, while “warlords” speculated in foreign capitals about their future roles in a new Taliban-led order.

He also noted that just two months before the fall, more than 100 American logistics contractors left Afghanistan without handing over responsibilities, creating an abrupt supply crisis for Afghan security forces.

While acknowledging that the Ghani administration could have sought internal consensus, Fazli maintained such efforts were futile, given the absence of widely accepted laws and political foundations and the overwhelming influence of the United States.

UN Secretary-General’s spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric told reporters that Afghan women and girls remain especially vulnerable under Taliban restrictions barring them from education, employment and public life. He described aid directed at women and girls as a critical lifeline.

Dujarric also warned that the return of 1.7 million Afghans from Iran and Pakistan since the beginning of the year has sharply increased humanitarian needs. Most returnees, he said, have limited ties to local communities and are struggling to find shelter and livelihoods.

The UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) has allocated $10 million to support returnees, while additional funding from the Afghanistan Humanitarian Fund is under review.

Citing the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), Dujarric said more humanitarian funding for Afghanistan remains urgent. OCHA had already warned in June that operations in the country face severe budget shortfalls.

McMaster had described Khurram as a Pakistani agent in a recent interview.

McMaster, in an interview with Afghanistan International, alleged that Karzai and Khurram were influenced by Pakistan’s intelligence agency, the ISI, and described Khurram as a Pakistani agent.

Speaking to the same outlet on Saturday, Khurram categorically denied the claims, insisting that his and Karzai’s positions on the Afghan war, US night raids and other issues were not shaped by Pakistan. He argued instead that McMaster’s policies and those of his local allies deepened Afghanistan’s dependency on Islamabad.

“Everyone has been tested on Afghanistan’s battlefield,” Khurram said, while reiterating his opposition to US-Afghan security and strategic agreements. Khurram, seen by some Afghan and American officials as a source of friction between Karzai and Washington, maintained that his stance was based on opposition to a US war strategy that “killed innocent civilians and fuelled hatred and terrorism.”

He further alleged that McMaster, once tasked with combating corruption in Afghanistan, was selective in his approach and ignored the misconduct of those aligned with him. “One of our colleagues presented documents on this matter to him in the presence of the president,” Khurram said.

Khurram also claimed that as US national security adviser in 2017, McMaster authorised the use of the “Mother of All Bombs” in Afghanistan, and with support from allies inside Ghani’s government contributed to the Republic’s collapse. He did not provide further details.

McMaster, who served as US national security adviser from February 2017 to April 2018, played a central role in shaping Afghan policy. Khurram previously served as Afghanistan’s minister of information and culture before becoming Karzai’s chief of staff.

In a statement released to mark the fourth anniversary of the Taliban’s return to power, the group said its operations targeted Taliban bases, checkpoints and gatherings across Kabul, Parwan, Balkh, Badghis, Herat, Kunduz, Takhar, Baghlan, Kapisa, Faryab, Panjshir, Sar-e Pul and Laghman provinces.

The front also said Taliban “morality police” from the Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice have recently been added to its list of targets after allegedly harassing women and men. Fourteen such officials were killed or wounded in three provinces over the past year, it said.

“The people of Afghanistan are weary of Taliban tyranny and oppression, and resistance against this group will continue,” the statement read.

Afghanistan International could not independently verify the claims. However, the United Nations and local sources have previously confirmed several attacks attributed to the Afghanistan Freedom Front. The Taliban, which rarely comments on opposition offensives, has not responded to the group’s latest claims.

The Afghanistan Freedom Front launched its armed campaign against the Taliban in early 2022, months after the group seized power.

State news agency TASS reported the new details on Saturday, August 16.

The main suspects have been identified as Dalerjon Mirzoyev, 32; Faridun Shamsiddin, 26; Muhammadsobir Fayzov, 19; and Murodali Rachabalizoda, 30, all citizens of Tajikistan.

Investigators previously revealed that one of the suspects had travelled to Afghanistan on a forged passport before the assault, where he allegedly underwent training.

The Islamic State affiliate in Afghanistan, known as ISIS-K, has claimed responsibility for the Crocus City Hall attack, which authorities have described as one of the group’s largest operations in the region.