Pakistan Rules Out Talks With TTP, Says Defence Minister

The revelation, featured in the latest episode of MDR’s documentary series titled “Afghanistan and the Refugees, Germany’s False Promises,” sheds light on the growing despair among Afghans who fled to Pakistan following the Taliban takeover of Kabul in 2021. Many had hoped for resettlement in Germany but have since been living for years in uncertainty and under threat of deportation.

According to MDR, Germany’s admission programmes for at-risk Afghans have helped only a small fraction of applicants, hampered by slow processing and administrative barriers. The government now intends to cancel the initiatives entirely.

The report said around 2,000 Afghan citizens who had previously received assurances of relocation from Germany remain stranded in Pakistan awaiting visas. Many are women’s rights activists, journalists, human rights defenders, and former employees of the German military, all of whom face the risk of arrest or execution by the Taliban if forced to return to Afghanistan.

The documentary’s producers warned that such a decision could mark “the official end of Germany’s moral responsibility” toward its former Afghan partners and allies.

In an interview with Al Jazeera, Asif said Pakistan and the Taliban had agreed to establish joint mechanisms to address security concerns and prevent future clashes. He thanked the Emir of Qatar and the President of Türkiye for their diplomatic efforts in mediating the ceasefire.

Referring to the recent surge in border tensions, Asif said both countries recognised that tackling terrorism is vital for regional peace and stability. He added that the Afghan Taliban also view terrorism as the key source of friction and have pledged to take practical steps to address it. He added that the involvement of Qatar and Türkiye serves as a guarantee of the credibility of this agreement.

Asif noted that Pakistan has endured heavy human and economic losses due to terrorism but expressed hope that the ceasefire would pave the way for peace and stability. The agreement, he said, would also help normalise trade and transit relations between the two neighbours.

He announced that Afghanistan would again be allowed to use Pakistan’s ports for trade, while Afghan refugees holding valid documents and visas would be permitted to remain in Pakistan. Those without documentation, however, would continue to be repatriated.

The minister stressed that the Pakistan–Afghanistan border must be managed “in an orderly manner and in accordance with international standards.”

Asif cautioned that it was too early to declare full satisfaction with the agreement.

The aide, Abdullah Azzam, claimed Baradar warned Hameed that Taliban fighters would respond to Pakistani military actions “in the language of bullets” during a discussion in Qatar over the Durand Line dispute.

In a post on X, Abdullah Azzam, chief of staff to Mullah Baradar, said the meeting took place on June 3, 2021, in Qatar, during discussions on intra-Afghan negotiations. According to Azzam, then–ISI Director-General Faiz Hameed asked Baradar to stop Taliban fighters from firing at Pakistani troops and from obstructing the construction of barbed-wire fencing along the Durand Line.

Azzam quoted Baradar as responding, “I’m responsible for political affairs, why are you talking to me? What you’re saying concerns the military commanders, and they respond in their own language (meaning gunfire).”

Azzam said he attended the meeting as an interpreter and claimed the conversation occurred at Hameed’s request. He added that Hameed told Baradar Pakistani forces had nearly completed fencing along the Durand Line but that Taliban fighters in Bahramcha were resisting the effort. “About 500 Mujahideen have gathered, firing at our forces and preventing the work,” Hameed reportedly said.

Faiz Hameed, who served as ISI chief from 2019 to 2021, became internationally known after the Taliban takeover of Kabul in August 2021, when he was photographed drinking tea with Taliban officials at Kabul’s Serena Hotel. He is now facing charges in Pakistan over political interference, violations of national security laws, and misuse of state resources.

No previous reports from 2021 mentioned a meeting between Hameed and Baradar about the Durand Line, and the former ISI chief has not commented on Azzam’s claims.

Azzam’s account comes amid renewed debate over the Taliban’s stance on the Durand Line, the disputed border between Afghanistan and Pakistan. The controversy resurfaced after Qatar’s Foreign Ministry referred to it as a “border” in a statement about the recent Taliban–Pakistan ceasefire, contradicting the Taliban, who call it an “imaginary line.” Qatar later removed the term from its statement.

Azzam concluded that before regaining power, “the Taliban, while at war with 45 countries, were willing to fight another nation over a single strand of barbed wire, let alone recognise the Durand Line.” He also shared a photo allegedly showing the 2021 meeting, appearing to depict Faiz Hameed praying behind Mullah Baradar in Qatar.

The operation, now in its fifth consecutive day, is part of what authorities describe as an effort to clear “illegally built” settlements.

Out of approximately 3,000 houses in the area, more than a third have already been destroyed. Local media reported that around 14,000 Afghan refugees have left the settlement so far, with the remaining residents expected to be expelled in the coming days.

Nearly 15,000 Afghans had been living in the neighbourhood. Many have returned to Afghanistan following the demolitions, while about 1,500 people remain in the area.

Local officials accused refugees of encroaching on public land, saying the Karachi Development Authority (KDA) owns the 215-acre site, which includes more than 3,200 houses and shops. Amir Fazal Owaisi, head of Karachi’s Anti-Encroachment Department, said the land is worth billions of Pakistani rupees and will be reclaimed by the government.

Refugees, however, dispute the claims, insisting they bought their plots legally and are now being prevented from selling them.

Authorities said the demolition and expulsion of undocumented Afghan refugees in Gulshan-e-Maymar will continue as part of a wider campaign against illegal settlements across Karachi.

According to the court, each received 39 lashes and was also sentenced to one year in prison. The floggings were carried out in front of local residents.

Despite repeated international appeals to end corporal punishment, the Taliban continues to impose public floggings for so-called moral offences, reviving punishments reminiscent of its 1990s rule.

Human rights organisations have repeatedly criticised the Taliban’s judicial system, saying it lacks due process and that defendants are denied basic legal rights, including access to defence lawyers.