Senior officials from Pakistan and Tajikistan held talks in Dushanbe this week on strengthening cooperation in counterterrorism and regional security, both countries’ foreign ministries said.
Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry said Thursday the discussions also addressed defence cooperation and the CASA-1000 electricity transmission project, which runs through Afghanistan.
The delegations further explored ways to expand trade, deepen political cooperation, and boost collaboration in agriculture and education.
According to Tajikistan’s Foreign Ministry, the meeting was led by Deputy Foreign Minister Farukh Sharifzoda for Tajikistan and Deputy Foreign Minister Syed Asad Ali Gillani for Pakistan.
Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to enhancing strategic cooperation, while also voicing concern over Afghanistan’s deteriorating security situation.
Islamabad and Dushanbe have repeatedly warned that the presence of militant groups, including Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Ansarullah, in Afghanistan poses a serious threat to regional stability.
Wide-ranging United Nations sanctions against Iran were reinstated Sunday after more than a decade, following the expiration of a 30-day deadline under the “snapback mechanism” of Security Council Resolution 2231.
The mechanism was triggered by France, Germany and the United Kingdom, which accused Tehran of violating the 2015 nuclear deal. Iran has denied pursuing nuclear weapons and insists its programme is peaceful.
Under the terms of the resolution, the Security Council failed to adopt a new measure to extend the suspension of sanctions, resulting in their automatic reimposition without a fresh vote.
The sanctions cover Iran’s economic and military sectors. They impose a blanket ban on arms exports and imports, from light weapons to missile systems and related technologies. Ballistic missile activities including testing, production and research and development are also prohibited.
Financial restrictions include the freezing of assets belonging to key Iranian institutions abroad, along with strict limits on money transfers and foreign investment. Oil, gas and petrochemical exports are again targeted, and investment in Iran’s energy sector is banned.
Dozens of Iranian officials and entities, including senior figures in the Revolutionary Guard, the Ministry of Defence and the Atomic Energy Organisation, have been restored to the Security Council’s sanctions list.
On Friday, a Russian and Chinese draft resolution seeking to delay the sanctions failed in the Council. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov later described the sanctions as “illegal” during a UN meeting.
Tehran has repeatedly warned that it would suspend cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency if the snapback mechanism were activated.
Senior officials from Germany’s Interior Ministry plan to travel to Kabul in October for talks with the Taliban over deporting Afghan refugees, German daily Bild reported Saturday.
The visit would mark a significant step, as Germany has had no formal diplomatic relations with the Taliban since the group seized power in August 2021. Germany closed its embassy in Kabul following the collapse of the former Afghan government.
According to Bild, the delegation is expected to discuss carrying out deportations of Afghan migrants convicted of crimes using commercial flights rather than chartered planes. A ministry spokesperson confirmed the planned trip but declined to provide details on who would take part.
Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt has pressed for the return of Afghan nationals convicted of crimes. In the past, Germany deported dozens of Afghans to Kabul with Qatari mediation, while allowing two Taliban representatives to visit Berlin in exchange. It remains unclear what concessions the Taliban may demand in return for a potential new agreement.
The push has sparked heavy criticism from opposition parties. The Greens condemned the talks, with domestic policy spokesman Marcel Emmerich accusing the government of “fawning over a terrorist group” and breaking a diplomatic taboo. He said the Taliban “tortures, stones, suppresses women and tramples human rights,” and warned that opening dialogue with the group undermines Germany’s values.
Dobrindt has countered that the previous German government also held talks with the Taliban on deportations.
Plans to Resume Deportations to Syria
The interior minister also intends to restart deportations to Syria by the end of the year. He said an agreement with Damascus is expected that would initially allow the return of convicted criminals, followed later by individuals without residence rights.
Dobrindt argued that Germany must distinguish between Syrian migrants who are integrated and working and those receiving social benefits without valid asylum claims. He has instructed the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees to resume processing certain pending asylum cases so that rejected applicants can be deported.
Iranian foreign minister warned Thursday that any re-establishment of US military bases in Afghanistan would pose a serious threat to regional peace and stability.
Speaking at a quadrilateral meeting with the foreign ministers of Pakistan and Russia and China’s special envoy on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, Abbas Araghchi said Iran rejects foreign political or military intervention in Afghanistan and any attempt to use the country’s problems for geopolitical purposes.
Araghchi criticised the two-decade US presence in Afghanistan, saying it brought only misery, insecurity, terrorism, narcotics, corruption, poverty and displacement. He described the 2021 withdrawal of US forces as a “humiliating retreat” and said Washington and NATO remain responsible for many of Afghanistan’s current challenges.
He warned that any renewed establishment of foreign military bases in or around Afghanistan would violate the country’s sovereignty, fuel extremism, and undermine fragile regional stability.
Araghchi also voiced concern over Afghanistan’s worsening humanitarian conditions and the activities of terrorist groups in the country. He urged the Taliban to take transparent, verifiable and decisive measures against militant groups, saying counterterrorism must be comprehensive, non-discriminatory and consistent with international law.
His remarks come as the United States explores regaining access to Bagram air base. US President Donald Trump has warned the Taliban that failure to agree would carry serious consequences.
The foreign ministers of Russia, Iran, China and Pakistan said Thursday they oppose any US military return to Afghanistan, including the establishment of new bases in the country or its neighbourhood.
They warned thatsuch moves would threaten regional peace and stability.
Meeting on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, the ministers said NATO must accept responsibility for Afghanistan’s current crisis and underscored the need to respect the country’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence.
In a joint statement, they rejected redeployment of foreign military bases inside or around Afghanistan and called instead for strengthening regional frameworks such as the Moscow Format, quadrilateral talks and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation to help address Afghanistan’s political impasse.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, Pakistani Foreign Minister Muhammad Ishaq Dar and China’s special envoy for Afghanistan, Yue Xiaoyong, attended the meeting.
The four countries urged lifting unilateral sanctions on the Taliban, releasing Afghanistan’s frozen assets and removing travel bans on Taliban officials.
The meeting came days after US President Donald Trump said Washington was seeking to regain access to the Bagram air base and warned of consequences if the Taliban refused. The Taliban rejected the remarks and reiterated calls for diplomatic dialogue with the US.
Concerns Over Militants and Narcotics
The ministers expressed alarm over the presence of groups including al-Qaida, Islamic State Khorasan (IS-K), Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), the East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM), Baloch separatists and Jaish al-Adl. They urged the Taliban to act decisively and without discrimination to prevent Afghan soil being used against its neighbours, and to block militant recruitment, financing and access to weapons.
They also highlighted rising production of synthetic drugs such as methamphetamines and called for stronger regional cooperation against narcotics trafficking.
Call for Inclusive Governance
The four countries reiterated demands for an inclusive political system in Afghanistan that reflects the aspirations of all segments of society.
They said ensuring women’s and girls’ access to education, employment, public participation, justice, essential services and freedom of movement would be critical to building long-term peace, stability and prosperity in Afghanistan.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Army Chief Gen. Asim Munir met Thursday with US President Donald Trump at the White House, where the leaders discussed bilateral ties, regional security and counterterrorism.
US Vice President J.D. Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio also attended the talks.
Sharif thanked Trump for acknowledging Pakistan’s role in counterterrorism and called for deeper cooperation on security and intelligence. He praised Trump’s leadership style as bold and decisive and credited him with helping to prevent a major disaster in South Asia by mediating a cease-fire between India and Pakistan during their four-day military clash in May.
The prime minister extended an invitation for Trump to make an official visit to Pakistan and lauded his recent efforts to press for an immediate end to the war in Gaza, including hosting key Muslim leaders in New York earlier this week for talks on restoring peace in the Middle East.
Sharif said he hoped Pakistan-US relations would strengthen under Trump’s leadership and invited American companies to invest in agriculture, information technology, mining, minerals and energy in Pakistan.
The meeting was the first official bilateral engagement between the two leaders, six years after former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s visit to Trump at the White House in 2019.