Tajikistan, Pakistan Move To Expand Military Cooperation

He said the drones transit through neighbouring states and violate Afghanistan’s sovereignty.

In an interview with Iran’s state broadcaster IRIB, Mujahid repeated the Taliban’s call for the flights to end, saying they must be stopped “as soon as possible” and describing them as a breach of Afghanistan’s airspace. He said Taliban authorities had raised their objections in the limited meetings available to them.

Mujahid did not specify which neighbouring country’s airspace the drones reportedly cross before entering Afghanistan, though he has previously accused Pakistan of providing access to US aircraft.

Mujahid said the Taliban had implemented 70 percent of their programmes during their four years in power. He cited sanctions on Taliban leaders, travel restrictions and the absence of international recognition as the administration’s main challenges.

Addressing criticism over the Taliban’s treatment of the Persian language, he said the group did not hold “a prejudiced view” toward languages in Afghanistan and regarded both Persian and Pashto as part of Afghan culture. His comments came despite multiple controversies, including the recent removal of Uzbek and Persian-language terms from university signboards in northern provinces.

Mujahid also said the Taliban were satisfied with Iran’s policy toward their administration, describing relations over the past four years as “good and brotherly.”

On Iran’s water rights under the Helmand River treaty, he said the Taliban had “no issues” with the agreement and that Iran would receive its share if water levels permitted. He said Iranian delegations had visited Afghanistan and received explanations from Afghan officials.

Mujahid said the Taliban were pursuing a “balanced, economy-focused” foreign policy and sought relations with all countries, including the United States, provided Afghanistan’s sovereignty was respected.

Asked whether US forces could return to Afghanistan, he said the Taliban would “never” allow “even an inch” of Afghan territory to fall under foreign control and insisted no foreign troops would be permitted on Afghan soil.

He also denied reports of a Chinese presence at Bagram air base, saying neither US nor Chinese forces had returned and that the Taliban would not allow any country to establish a military base in Afghanistan.

summit of Central Asian leaders in Tashkent, Mirziyoyev wrote that Afghanistan is not a marginal region but a natural part of Central Asia'sshared region. He said the people of Afghanistan continue to face a deep humanitarian crisis.

The president stressed the importance of Afghanistan’s continued involvement in regional and international processes.

Mirziyoyev, whose government maintains broad economic and diplomatic relations with the Taliban, highlighted the significance of the planned Afghan–Trans railway, which is expected to become a key transport link between Central and South Asia. He said the project would create new opportunities for trade, investment and transport connectivity and serve as a foundation for Afghanistan’s economic revival.

He said Uzbekistan is continuing work to provide humanitarian and educational assistance to Afghans, expand cooperation in the energy sector and train specialists for key economic fields.

Mirziyoyev said Afghanistan should form part of a shared space of peace, security, cooperation and development that serves the interests of all regional states and helps build a stable security belt along Central Asia’s southern borders.

Despite Uzbekistan’s close engagement with the Taliban, Central Asian governments remain concerned about security threats emanating from Afghanistan, including the presence of ISIS affiliates and other radical groups.

In October, Mirziyoyev proposed that Russia and Central Asian nations hold high-level consultations on Afghanistan, saying the agenda could include security cooperation and economic projects aimed at ensuring stability and development.

Russia is the only country that has formally recognised the Taliban.

In the statement issued Thursday, the ministry said the attack “was planned and controlled from Afghanistan,” adding that “all foreign nationals involved in the attack were Afghan.”

According to the statement, the weapons and equipment used by the militants had also been supplied from Afghanistan.

The ministry claimed that Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) had refrained from claiming responsibility for the assault due to pressure from the Taliban, saying that if the TTP accepted responsibility, the Afghan Taliban “would come under pressure from Pakistan and other countries.”

The Pakistani government also said the attack had been carried out at the request of India’s intelligence agency, asserting that the identities of the attackers confirmed their links to handlers inside Afghanistan.

Earlier, Pakistan’s interior minister had also claimed that the attackers involved in the Islamabad bombing and the Wana military college assault were Afghan nationals. He said that under such circumstances, “negotiation with the Taliban has no meaning.”

The Taliban have denied any involvement in militant attacks inside Pakistan. The Taliban’s Foreign Ministry has condemned both the suicide bombing in Islamabad and the attack on the Wana Military College.

Haji Zaid, spokesperson for the Taliban governor in Balkh, said Afghan produce would be exported through Uzbekistan’s air corridors to markets in Central Asia, South Asia and Europe.

In a post on X on Thursday, he said Afghan agricultural products such as pomegranates, figs, vegetables and other seasonal fruits would be transported “through Uzbekistan’s air routes to markets in Central Asia, South Asia, European countries and Uzbekistan.” He added that the relevant agreements on air exports had been signed with Uzbekistan.

Zaid said arrangements had also been made with Afghan traders to export meat to Uzbekistan and that the process had already begun. He noted that Taliban authorities in Balkh were working to make Uzbekistan’s air corridor a viable alternative route for Afghan businesses.

The move comes after recent border clashes between the Taliban and Pakistan prompted Islamabad to close all crossings with Afghanistan.

On Wednesday, the Taliban urged Afghan traders to seek alternative trade and transit routes instead of relying on Pakistan. The group said the closure of the crossings had harmed traders and created difficulties for local markets and ordinary citizens.

The head of the Afghanistan–Pakistan Joint Chamber of Commerce told Afghanistan International that the Pakistani route remained Afghanistan’s closest commercial corridor despite current tensions. Khan Jan Alokozay called on both Pakistan and the Taliban to separate trade from politics and work toward a solution.

Yousaf Afridi, head of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chamber of Commerce, said Afghanistan and Pakistan were economically interdependent and should keep commercial ties insulated from political disputes.

The announcement came a day after Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, the deputy prime minister for economic affairs told medicine importers to settle all commercial dealings with Pakistan within that period and to use alternative routes for imports.

In a statement issued Thursday, the ministry said the decision was intended to prevent the import of low-quality medicines and that, after the three-month deadline, “medicines imported from Pakistan will not be processed for customs duties.”

The ministry said it planned to provide additional facilities for importing higher-quality medicines through alternative routes.

Baradar told Afghan traders and industrialists on Wednesday that they must settle their accounts with Pakistan within three months. He added that, because of what he described as the poor quality of Pakistani imports, exports and imports “should be carried out through alternative routes.”

With rising tensions along the border, Pakistan has closed all crossings with Afghanistan. Baradar told Afghan traders that Pakistan had previously closed trade routes, particularly during the fruit season, and said that if Pakistan wished to reopen the crossings now, it would need to provide guarantees ensuring the routes would not be shut again. He emphasised that Afghanistan’s exports and imports “must be conducted through alternative routes.”

Economic analysts say Afghanistan is able to conduct trade independently through other corridors in line with international law.

Anwar ul-Haq Ahadi, a former Afghan finance minister, told Afghanistan International that Afghanistan could use the Iran route and the Lapis Lazuli Corridor as long-term alternatives for exports and imports.

Another former finance minister, Hazrat Omar Zakhilwal, said transit for a landlocked country was “neither a gift nor a privilege,” but a legal right under international law and bilateral agreements. He said no country could revoke another’s transit access because of political tensions or disputes.