Taliban Diplomats Visit Switzerland To Arrange Return Of Convicted Afghans

The fighters died about two weeks ago during operations by Pakistan’s army in Sambaza, Balochistan, near the Afghan border. On 12 August, the Pakistani military announced it had killed 50 TTP members in the area and seized large quantities of weapons, ammunition and explosives.

Sources said Friday, that the bodies are being returned to families in several Afghan provinces. According to the sources, about 90 percent of those killed were Afghans from the Hafiz Gul Bahadur faction of the TTP, who had crossed into Pakistan to carry out attacks against Pakistani security forces.

The Hafiz Gul Bahadur group is considered one of the most active anti-Pakistan factions and was previously recognised as a military wing of the TTP. It has carried out multiple deadly attacks against Pakistani security forces in recent years.

Pakistan has long accused the Taliban of harbouring militant groups, including the TTP, and has repeatedly urged them to take action. The Taliban have consistently denied such allegations, insisting Afghan territory will not be used to threaten other countries.

Earlier this week, Pakistan’s envoy to the UN warned that Afghanistan-based militants, particularly the TTP, which is believed to have around 6,000 fighters, pose the most immediate threat to Pakistan’s national security and to regional stability.

Separately, UN experts reported to the Security Council that the Taliban continue to provide a permissive environment for foreign terrorist groups in Afghanistan, which they described as a serious threat to Central Asia and beyond.

Chinese Assistant Foreign Minister Liu Bin announced on Thursday that the summit will be held from 31 August to 1 September in Tianjin. He released a list of participants that excluded the Taliban.

In April, the Taliban’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs had said China had extended an invitation, but the group was absent from the SCO foreign ministers’ meeting in July. Mongolia, another observer state, has been formally invited.

The SCO leaders’ summit will bring together delegations from more than 20 countries and at least 10 international organisations, including the United Nations. Leaders from Russia, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Belarus, and Mongolia are among those expected to attend.

Founded in 2001, the SCO’s main members are China, Russia, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Pakistan, Iran and, since 2024, Belarus. Observer states include Afghanistan and Mongolia, while dialogue partners span the Middle East, South Asia and Southeast Asia.

Liu said this would be the fifth SCO summit hosted by China and described it as the organisation’s largest since its founding. Leaders will review the SCO’s achievements and discuss future areas of cooperation.

Apart from Russia, no SCO member state has recognised the Taliban administration.

At a joint press conference after the talks, Lavrov said both sides agreed that Afghanistan must be “practically engaged” in regional processes.

Russia has become the first country to formally recognise the Taliban administration, a move Moscow says is intended to create a framework for expanding security and economic cooperation.

India, meanwhile, has gradually built official contacts with the Taliban since their return to power in 2021. In November 2024, India received a Taliban representative and opened new diplomatic channels to broaden relations. In January 2025, senior Indian official Vikram Misri met Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi in Dubai, the first high-level meeting between New Delhi and the group.

Both Moscow and New Delhi have expressed interest in expanding their regional influence through closer engagement with Afghanistan, though Western governments have so far withheld recognition of the Taliban government.

Wang Yi also called for joint patrols along the Wakhan Corridor, a narrow strip of Afghan territory bordering China’s Xinjiang province.

Yi made the remarks during a trilateral meeting with Taliban and Pakistani foreign ministers in Kabul on Wednesday, according to China’s state news agency Xinhua.

He said China opposes any individual or organisation using Afghan territory to threaten the sovereignty and security of the region. Wang also noted that China and Pakistan have been at the forefront of supporting Afghanistan’s stability, reconstruction and international engagement, and pledged Beijing would continue to defend Afghanistan’s interests in multilateral forums.

Xinhua reported that Wang emphasised greater international engagement with the Taliban and expressed support for the group’s efforts to normalise diplomatic relations.

The South China Morning Post said Wang also met Taliban Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani, where he voiced Beijing’s support for the early resumption of bilateral patrols in the Wakhan Corridor to help maintain stability along the mountainous frontier.

The corridor, a narrow strip of Afghan territory, separates Tajikistan and Pakistan, including parts of Pakistan-administered Kashmir, and includes a 74-kilometre border with Xinjiang. China has long expressed concern about Uyghur militants crossing from Afghanistan into its territory through the route.

The Kabul meeting marked the second trilateral talks between the Taliban, Pakistan and China this year. Both Pakistan and China urged the Taliban to take stronger action against militant groups.

In a statement on Thursday, the ministry said that following consultations with the private sector, 14 hours per day during the harvest season will be dedicated to exporting fresh fruit and vegetables. A separate 10 hours will be reserved for other goods.

Officials said the new system is intended to streamline exports, reduce the spoilage of perishable produce, and provide greater ease for traders.

The decision comes after years of disruption at the key crossing between Afghanistan and Pakistan. Over the past two years, Afghan traders have faced dozens of stoppages at Torkham, leading to widespread spoilage of fruit and vegetables and financial losses worth tens of millions of dollars.