Taliban Publicly Flog Man & Woman In Ghazni For ‘Moral Corruption’

One participant said the meeting is now expected to take place in the last week of September.

The two-day event, organised by Pakistan’s South Asian Strategic Stability Institute (SASSI), is set to bring together representatives of Afghan political groups, civil society, women’s rights activists and media, alongside Pakistani academics and policymakers. Organisers say the goal is to define common principles for stability, rule of law and a representative government in Afghanistan.

Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry had earlier confirmed the conference, describing it as an “open event” hosted by a think tank. On Friday, ministry spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan said the gathering would go ahead under SASSI’s auspices.

The meeting has drawn sharp reactions. Former US envoy for Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad criticised Pakistan’s decision to host the event, calling it “immature, irresponsible and unfortunate.”

Maria Sultan, head of SASSI, responded that the conference had unsettled Khalilzad’s “peace” and extended an invitation for him to attend as an honorary guest. Afghan women’s rights activist Fawzia Koofi also rebuked Khalilzad, saying Afghans had lost their rights due to his “bad faith and mismanagement” during the peace process. She argued it was better to invite him to the meeting than allow him to see it as a threat.

Although Pakistan has engaged closely with the Taliban since their return to power in 2021, tensions have grown amid worsening security inside Pakistan. Islamabad has accused the Taliban of allowing Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) fighters to shelter across the border. Analysts say Pakistan’s frustrations with the Taliban’s inaction against the TTP have led it to encourage dialogue with Taliban opponents instead.

Swiss state broadcaster SRF reported that the delegation arrived in Geneva several days ago for a two-day mission, during which they identified 11 convicted individuals and two Afghans who had volunteered to return home.

Daniel Bach, spokesperson for the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM), said the step was required to issue valid travel documents, since the Taliban only recognise papers issued by their own authorities. Documents previously provided by Afghanistan’s embassy in Bern are no longer accepted.

Bach acknowledged the process was “sensitive” because human rights are not respected in Afghanistan, but said Switzerland’s priority was protecting the public from offenders.

Officials stressed that the Taliban delegation remained inside Geneva Airport and carried out only the identification process. SEM confirmed that most cases were successfully verified, paving the way for deportations, though some required additional checks.

The move follows a policy introduced last year by Swiss Justice Minister Beat Jans, under which Afghan nationals convicted of crimes must be deported after serving their sentences. By the end of 2023, five Afghan offenders had been returned. But new Taliban regulations now require Kabul-issued documents for returnees.

Germany has also allowed two Taliban consular staff to be deployed since July to facilitate deportations. Switzerland, however, has said it has no plans to permit Taliban representatives to be permanently based on its territory.

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.