Ex-US Envoy Khalilzad Attends Taliban Meet With Saudi Firm On Afghan Energy Projects

Sources in Kabul told Afghanistan International that a six-member Taliban delegation, led by Rahmatullah Najib, the group’s deputy interior minister, is representing the Taliban administration. Other members include Suhail Shaheen, the Taliban’s representative in Qatar; Anas Haqqani, a senior Taliban figure; Noor Ahmad Noor, first political director at the Taliban’s Foreign Ministry; Noor Rahman Nusrat, head of operations at the Taliban Defence Ministry; and Abdul Qahar Balkhi, spokesperson for the Foreign Ministry.

The sources confirmed that the second phase of Taliban–Pakistan negotiations officially began on Saturday. The discussions are expected to focus on preventing the use of Afghan territory for attacks against Pakistan, intelligence sharing on militant groups, extension of the ceasefire, and mutual respect for territorial integrity and airspace.

According to sources, the Pakistani delegation includes senior diplomats and officials from the country’s intelligence agency.

The Istanbul round follows the first meeting held in Doha, where the defence ministers of both countries, Mohammad Yaqoob Mujahid from the Taliban and Khawaja Asif from Pakistan, signed a temporary ceasefire agreement. However, the full details of that accord remain unclear.

Pakistan has described the Doha agreement as confidential, while the Taliban maintain that it contains no secret provisions and has yet to be finalised.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Tahir Hussain Andrabi said the decision was made “in light of the current situation,” stressing that “the life of a common Pakistani is more valuable than trade or goods transport.”

Border skirmishes between Taliban and Pakistani forces erupted in early October, prompting the closure of most crossings along the frontier. Speaking at his first press briefing since taking office, Andrabi said the closures reflect the government’s priority of protecting lives over commerce.

The shutdown has left hundreds of trucks stranded at the Torkham and Chaman crossings, key trade routes between the two countries. Pakistani customs officials said around 495 transit trucks remain stuck awaiting clearance, leading to a sharp rise in food prices on both sides of the border, with tomato prices in Pakistan increasing fivefold.

Pakistan’s Ministry of Finance said customs clearance had been completed for 363 import trucks at the Torkham, Ghulam Khan, and Angur Ada crossings before trade was suspended, while 23 additional trucks remain in limbo at Torkham pending documentation.

Andrabi also confirmed that a ceasefire agreement was signed during the recent Doha talks between Taliban and Pakistani delegations. He added that the next round of negotiations between the two sides is scheduled to take place on 25 October in Istanbul, Türkiye.

He warned that the spread of extremism and terrorism poses a growing threat to Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) member countries.

Rahmon’s message was delivered on his behalf by Yusuf Rahmon, secretary of Tajikistan’s Security Council, during the third CIS conference on combating terrorism and extremism, held on Thursday, 23 October, in Dushanbe.

The Tajik president expressed concern about the spread of terrorist ideologies along CIS borders and called for joint and coordinated measures to counter extremist movements. He urged closer cooperation among intelligence and security agencies of member states to strengthen regional defences.

Rahmon also voiced alarm over the expanding narcotics trade, particularly the trafficking of synthetic drugs, which he said has become one of the main sources of financing for terrorist groups operating across the region.

The Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) is a regional intergovernmental organisation established after the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Its permanent members include Russia, Moldova, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Armenia, and Azerbaijan.

Rahmon’s remarks coincided with the visit of a Taliban delegation to Dushanbe. On the same day, Yousuf Wafa, the Taliban-appointed governor of Balkh province, travelled to Tajikistan and held discussions with Tajik officials on security cooperation and border management.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Tahir Hussain Andrabi told reporters in Islamabad that the Istanbul dialogue seeks to establish a “tangible and verifiable monitoring mechanism” to curb cross-border militant activity.

Andrabi said Pakistan welcomes the agreement finalised in Doha on 19 October 2025, calling it an “important step toward ensuring regional peace and stability.” He added that Islamabad hopes the Istanbul meeting will help both sides create an effective framework to address what Pakistan views as the terror threat originating from Afghanistan.

It remains unclear which officials will represent the two sides in Istanbul. In the first round of talks, held in Doha last Saturday, Khawaja Asif, Pakistan’s defence minister, and Mohammad Yaqub Mujahid, the Taliban’s defence minister, led their respective delegations.

The Doha talks came after several days of deadly border clashes between Taliban and Pakistani forces. That round, mediated by Qatar and Türkiye, ended with an agreement on a temporary ceasefire, which remains largely intact, according to Andrabi.

The Taliban has not yet issued a statement regarding the upcoming Istanbul meeting.

Andrabi expressed Pakistan’s appreciation to Qatar and Türkiye for their constructive roles in facilitating dialogue between Islamabad and Kabul, saying continued engagement was crucial to promoting regional security and stability.

Her sister, Khushi Mahtab, said Wesal was detained by police and later transferred to the Haji Camp migrant detention centre in Islamabad. The family said she now faces the risk of forced deportation to Afghanistan.

Wesal has been living in Islamabad for the past three years with her sister and brother.

Her arrest comes amid an intensified crackdown on Afghan migrants in Pakistan, as authorities continue large-scale detentions and deportations of undocumented Afghans following recent border clashes between the Taliban and the Pakistani military.

Human rights groups have repeatedly warned that Afghan women particularly artists, journalists, and activists face severe persecution under Taliban rule if returned to Afghanistan.