Political Analyst Salim Paigeer Wounded In Assassination Attempt In Kabul

The attack took place on Wednesday, 8 October, in one of Herat’s central districts. Ejbari was struck by two bullets to the head and taken to hospital, where doctors described his condition as critical.

Haji Rostam Ejbari, son of Haji Ahmad, was originally from Iran’s Khorasan province. In recent years, he had migrated to Afghanistan and was residing in Herat. Known for his outspoken criticism of Tehran’s policies, Ejbari was regarded as a prominent figure within Baluch opposition circles.

According to Haalvsh, several Iranian state-affiliated media outlets claimed after the attack that Ejbari was a leader of the armed group Jaish al-Adl. His family and associates, however, strongly rejected the allegation, calling it “an attempt to justify his assassination.”

Afghan authorities have not yet commented on the shooting, and no group has claimed responsibility for the attack.

Addressing the second day of the tribunal in Madrid, She described the group’s actions as a form of repression and crimes against humanity.

Yaqoobi said Afghanistan’s education, health and social service systems have collapsed, leaving people with disabilities without any institutional support. She cited a case from Khost province in which a mother said her disabled daughter was denied hospital admission because no one was allowed to touch her, an act Yaqoobi said amounted to denying basic medical care.

According to Yaqoobi, the Taliban’s Ministry of Martyrs and Disabled Affairs, once responsible for assisting people with disabilities, has been stripped of its public service role, effectively eliminating access to essential support mechanisms.

She stressed that the Taliban’s actions are neither rooted in Afghan tradition nor culture but reflect a systematic pattern of repression, coercion and social exclusion.

Yaqoobi urged international institutions to pay closer attention to the plight of persons with disabilities in Afghanistan, warning that global indifference enables the continuation of the Taliban’s structural crimes.

The two met on the sidelines of the Moscow Format meeting, where Muttaqi hailed Russia’s decision to recognise the Taliban regime as a “historic and significant step” in strengthening bilateral ties.

According to a statement from the Taliban’s Foreign Ministry, Muttaqi said the move opens new opportunities for political and economic cooperation and marks “a major step toward Afghanistan’s active engagement in the international community.” He also underscored the importance of joint efforts to combat narcotics, advance regional economic projects, and strengthen transit corridors.

The Taliban said Lavrov praised the group’s efforts to curb drug trafficking, improve security, and combat terrorism, adding that Russia values the Taliban’s “independent stance,” which he described as contributing to regional stability.

In a separate statement, the Russian Foreign Ministry noted that the regional and global situation “is complex and not getting easier,” but acknowledged progress in the Taliban’s counterterrorism efforts and cited UN reports of a sharp decline in opium cultivation in Afghanistan.

The statement added that Russia is interested in expanding cooperation with the Taliban in combating drug trafficking, terrorism, and organised crime, as well as in promoting peace and stability in Afghanistan.

90-Minute Discussion with Pakistan’s Envoy

On the sidelines of the same event, Muttaqi held a 90-minute meeting with Pakistan’s special envoy for Afghanistan, Mohammad Sadiq Khan.

Khan wrote on X that the discussion focused on enhancing bilateral cooperation in trade, transit, and regional security. Both sides stressed the importance of regional connectivity and agreed to explore practical steps to facilitate trade, including improving infrastructure and simplifying customs procedures.

The delegations also discussed the regional security situation, the presence of militant groups, and their impact on cross-border trade. They reaffirmed the need for continued joint efforts to address security concerns, protect transit routes, and combat illicit activities.

According to Nooruddin Azizi, the agreement was reached during a meeting in Kabul on Tuesday, Oct. 7, with Jan-Bek Tayzhanov, Kazakhstan’s deputy transport minister; Iran Sharkhan, deputy minister of industry and construction; and Gaziz Akbasov, Kazakhstan’s ambassador to Afghanistan.

In a statement, the Taliban’s Ministry of Industry and Commerce said the two sides discussed expanding economic cooperation, trade, the Afghan-Trans railway project, and improving transit facilities for exports.

A key point of the talks was a proposal to hold a joint Kazakh-Afghan trade and industry exhibition to strengthen business and industrial ties.

While Kazakhstan has not formally recognised the Taliban government, it maintains close diplomatic and commercial relations with the group. The Taliban have previously claimed that Kazakhstan is ready to cooperate in all areas with their administration.

Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, speaking on Sept. 23 at the 80th session of the UN General Assembly, underscored the importance of peace and stability in Afghanistan, saying inclusive development is essential for lasting regional security. He added that Kazakhstan supports the Afghan people through humanitarian assistance and cooperation in trade, food security, infrastructure, and transport.

In June 2024, Kazakhstan removed the Taliban from its list of terrorist organisations. Earlier that year, it also accepted a Taliban diplomat as Afghanistan’s consul general in Astana.

Speaking at the opening of the seventh Moscow Format meeting on Afghanistan on Tuesday, 7 October, Lavrov said: “We firmly emphasise the absolute unacceptability of deploying the military infrastructure of third countries in Afghanistan or neighbouring states under any pretext.”

The talks, held in Moscow, brought together representatives from Russia, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, China, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan to discuss Afghanistan’s political and security situation. For the first time, Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi attended the meeting as a formal member.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova earlier confirmed that a delegation from Belarus had also been invited.

Moscow’s Warning on Foreign Military Presence

Lavrov said Afghanistan’s long history of foreign intervention had already shown the dangers of external military involvement.

“Afghanistan’s history is full of examples of foreign military presence. I believe everyone should have drawn the right conclusions long ago,” he said.

He urged Western countries to “recalibrate their approach” and stressed that humanitarian assistance should not be conditioned on political demands.

Lavrov added that the Taliban’s participation in the Moscow Format would make the dialogue more effective:

“Afghanistan’s problems cannot be solved without Afghans themselves,” he said.

Russia Strengthening Ties with the Taliban

Lavrov said he had held a bilateral meeting with Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi to discuss expanding relations between Russia and Afghanistan, including cooperation on counterterrorism, counter-narcotics, and trade.

He confirmed that Moscow had formally recognised the Taliban government in July and lifted restrictions on cooperation.

“Ensuring regional security requires Kabul’s participation in political processes, multilateral cooperation, and joint economic projects,” Lavrov said. “Russia fully agrees with this approach.”

Lavrov also criticised Western nations for holding Afghanistan’s frozen assets and imposing banking restrictions that, he said, had deepened the country’s economic crisis.