Pakistan Army Rejects ‘Good Taliban, Bad Taliban’ Distinction

Upon receiving the credentials, Muttaqi described Afghanistan’s ties with Qatar as “historic” and called for expanding trade relations and accelerating the process of sending Afghan workers to Qatar.

Al Qashouti, who previously served as chargé d’affaires at the Qatari embassy in Kabul for three years, was appointed ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary by Qatar’s Emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, on 21 October.

According to the Taliban statement, the new ambassador also referred to relations between Qatar and the Taliban authorities as historic and pledged to further strengthen bilateral engagement. He said Qatar was continuing its mediation efforts and working to enhance Afghanistan’s interaction with the international community.

Qatar has maintained close ties with the Taliban over the past four years and has frequently attempted to mediate between Kabul and international actors.

Muttaqi’s call to expedite the deployment of Afghan workers to Qatar aligns with a July announcement by the Taliban-run Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, which said Afghan employment agencies had signed agreements with semi-governmental companies in Qatar.

At the time, the ministry said Qatar had offered 700 job opportunities for Afghan workers and that registration had begun. More than four months later, however, there have been no confirmed reports of Afghan workers being sent to Qatar.

Army spokesperson Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said on Tuesday that Pakistan “never targets innocent civilians” and insisted that Islamabad officially confirms its actions whenever it launches an attack. He suggested the Taliban’s allegations may be linked to what he described as internal tensions within the group.

Chaudhry also said the Afghan Taliban must “behave like a state rather than a non-state actor” and shoulder the responsibilities expected of a governing authority.

His remarks came after the Taliban accused Pakistan of violating Afghanistan’s airspace in a series of strikes overnight on 24 November. The Taliban said the attacks killed 10 people, including nine children and a woman, in Khost, and wounded four civilians in Kunar and Paktika.

Earlier on Tuesday, Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said the strikes “would not go unanswered.”

In a message posted on X on 25 November, the EU commended Afghan women for what it described as their resilience in the face of ongoing challenges and their determination to build a peaceful and prosperous country.

The International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women is observed annually on 25 November to raise awareness of gender-based violence, strengthen support systems for women and promote a culture of prevention.

Human rights organisations continue to describe Taliban-controlled Afghanistan as one of the most repressive environments in the world for women. The exclusion of women from education, employment, public life and political participation, along with sweeping restrictions on their movement and presence in public spaces, remain defining features of life under Taliban rule.

Several governments, international bodies and women’s rights advocates have characterised the Taliban’s policies, including the systematic removal of women from social, cultural and political spheres, as amounting to “gender apartheid.”

The United Nations has previously reported that, four years into Taliban rule, Afghan women are living shorter and less healthy lives, with the group having issued nearly 100 edicts targeting women and girls, resulting in severe and lasting harm.

In a post on X early Tuesday, 25 November, Mujahid said the strike occurred just after midnight in the Mughlagi area of Gurbuz district, Khost, and destroyed the home of a local resident. He published images showing the bodies of several children.

Strikes Reported in Kunar and Paktika

Local sources earlier told Afghanistan International that Pakistani fighter jets bombed the Saagi area of central Asadabad in Kunar province on Monday evening. The Taliban later confirmed that airstrikes had also taken place in Paktika.

According to Mujahid, the strikes in Kunar and Paktika wounded four people and destroyed two homes. Pakistani authorities have not yet commented.

The attacks came only hours after suicide assailants targeted a security facility in Peshawar. Pakistani media, citing officials, reported that the attackers were Afghan nationals. According to local accounts, one bomber detonated explosives at the compound entrance while others were killed in clashes with security forces. Pakistani officials confirmed that three security personnel were killed and several others injured.

Previous Strikes and Failed Talks

In October, two airstrikes attributed to Pakistan were reported inside Afghanistan. The first, on 10 October, struck parts of Kabul, Khost, Jalalabad and Paktika. A second strike followed on 11 October, again targeting Kabul.

Those incidents prompted talks between the two sides in Doha, resulting in a temporary ceasefire. Monday night’s strike in Kunar is believed to be the first since that truce. Pakistan and the Taliban later held two additional negotiation rounds in Istanbul aimed at reaching a broader agreement, but both ended without progress.

The Taliban have previously urged Pakistan to respect Afghanistan’s airspace.

The report said the group’s overall expenditure rose by 18.5 percent to 155.7 billion afghanis, with about 75.6 billion afghanis directed to security-related costs.

According to the assessment, security spending in the first seven months of Afghanistan’s 1404 fiscal year accounted for roughly half of all government expenditure. The World Bank also described Afghanistan’s economy as fragile, citing earthquakes, drought, the mass return of migrants, and disruptions to telecommunications services as factors heightening the country’s vulnerability.

The report noted that the Taliban administration’s domestic revenue in 2025 had increased by 16 percent compared with the same period last year.

The World Bank said that despite Pakistan’s closure of key border crossings, Afghanistan’s exports in October rose by 13 percent compared with the same month last year and by 3.7 percent compared with the previous year. Exports during this period reached 267 million dollars. Increased trade with India and Uzbekistan was cited as the main driver of this growth.

The report said exports had been “successfully redirected” to India and Uzbekistan despite the halt in trade with Pakistan due to border clashes. It added that the peak harvest season and relatively low domestic inflation strengthened competitiveness and helped offset losses from the disruption of trade routes through Pakistan.

Food exports reached 238.4 million dollars in October, an 8.6 percent rise from last year, indicating strong regional demand.

Trade and transit between Afghanistan and Pakistan have been suspended for more than a month following recent border clashes. Islamabad has set conditions for reopening crossings, while the Taliban have maintained that the closures have not negatively affected Afghanistan’s trade.

The Taliban Ministry of Finance said trade with neighbouring, regional, and global partners was continuing normally. Abdul Ghani Baradar, the Taliban’s deputy prime minister for economic affairs, urged Afghan traders to seek alternative routes for trade and transit.

Pakistani authorities have said security concerns were the reason for the border closures.