Iran Envoy Visits Kabul After Taliban Skip Tehran Talks

Speaking on Wednesday at a ceremony for students at a religious seminary, Baradar said clerics “must, alongside their religious duties, also strengthen among the people the spirit of preserving the Islamic system and national interests.”

Baradar said religious seminaries form the foundation of jihad and ideological thought. He said the narrative of the obligation of jihad emerged from madrassas, spread to villages and cities, and developed into action and confrontation that, in his words, “defeated the great armies of disbelief.”

Speaking amid signs of internal differences within the Taliban administration, Baradar added that religious schools “must, under all circumstances, preserve their main and fundamental path.”

His remarks follow a speech a day earlier by Neda Mohammad Nadeem, the Taliban’s minister of higher education, who warned of “distrust” and “divisions” within the Taliban during an address at a jihadist madrassa in Kabul, saying the survival of the administration depends on maintaining unity.

The comments also come days after Sirajuddin Haqqani, the Taliban’s interior minister, criticised the group’s treatment of the public in a speech in Khost province last Friday.

In that address, Haqqani denounced what he described as a “government of fear and intimidation,” saying: “We, who were once condemned by the world’s empires, now lack tolerance and instead condemn and humiliate our own people.”

Haqqani urged Taliban officials to treat the population in a manner that would reduce hostility and resentment.

This mark the first such individual deportation carried out following a new agreement between the German government and the Taliban administration, according to the German newspaper Bild.

The report said the Afghan man travelled alone and was handed over to Taliban authorities at Kabul airport early on Wednesday.

Bild said the deportation represents a new phase in Germany’s policy on returning Afghan nationals, following contacts between Berlin and the Taliban. European Union officials have previously confirmed that the bloc has been in contact with Taliban authorities at a “technical level” regarding the deportation of refugees.

German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt told Bild that deporting criminals and individuals considered dangerous is in Germany’s national interest. He said anyone who commits a crime in Germany forfeits the right to remain in the country.

“Deportations of Afghan nationals have begun and will be expanded step by step,” Dobrindt was quoted as saying.

Germany suspended deportations to Afghanistan in 2021 after the Taliban returned to power. Last year, Berlin returned a number of Afghan migrants indirectly. In July this year, the German government directly deported 81 Afghan migrants to Afghanistan.

According to Bild, deportations are now being carried out not only through large charter flights but also via regular commercial flights. The report said some individuals classified as dangerous criminals will be deported individually to Kabul under the new approach.

He said that the survival of the Taliban administration depends on maintaining unity.

Speaking on Tuesday at the Taliban’s central jihadist madrassa in the capital, Nadeem urged Taliban members not to be swayed by what he described as “enemy propaganda.” He said there were efforts under way to sow division within the ranks and told fighters to ignore the messaging of what he called the “enemies of Islam.”

Nadeem, who is considered close to Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada, again stressed the need for obedience and allegiance to the leader. His remarks followed recent criticism by Sirajuddin Haqqani, the Taliban’s interior minister, who has spoken publicly about intimidation and the widening gap between the authorities and the public.

The higher education minister said the Taliban could preserve its system only through unity and adherence to its leadership, warning that internal divisions and a growing distance from the population could weaken the administration.

This is not the first time Nadeem has raised concerns about internal rifts. He has previously warned of tensions and disagreements among senior Taliban figures and their potential impact on the group’s hold on power.

His comments come days after Haqqani again criticised the Taliban’s approach towards the public in a speech in Khost province. In that address, Haqqani denounced what he called a “government of fear and intimidation,” saying: “We, who were once condemned by the world’s empires, now lack tolerance and instead condemn and humiliate our own people.”

Haqqani urged Taliban officials to treat the population in a manner that would reduce hostility and resentment.

According to a statement from the ministry, the delegation includes deputy ministers from Kyrgyzstan’s ministries of trade, energy and transport, as well as several private sector representatives. The visit is taking place at the official invitation of the Taliban’s Ministry of Commerce.

The delegation is scheduled to hold talks with a number of Taliban officials during the visit. It is also expected to take part in a trade conference and bilateral business meetings, and to visit industrial facilities and other commercial operations in Afghanistan.

The visit follows remarks made in June by Kyrgyzstan’s ambassador in Kabul, who said during a meeting with Taliban Commerce Minister Nooruddin Azizi that a delegation led by a deputy minister from Kyrgyzstan’s Ministry of Economy would soon travel to Afghanistan.

At the time, Azizi said that while a delegation at the deputy minister level would be welcome, agreements could be signed in a more coordinated manner and at a higher level if the Kyrgyz delegation were led by the minister of economy and trade.

Randhir Jaiswal, the ministry’s spokesperson, said the visit reflects India’s continued support for Afghanistan’s health sector and that New Delhi looks forward to “constructive and productive” talks with the Taliban.

The visit comes amid strained relations and recent clashes between the Taliban and Pakistan. Taliban officials have stepped up diplomatic engagement with India in recent months, and Jalali’s trip marks the third visit by a Taliban cabinet minister to India in nearly three months.

Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi visited India on 8 October after receiving travel authorisation from the United Nations Security Council. He travelled at the official invitation of India’s external affairs minister. Separately, Nooruddin Azizi, the Taliban’s minister of industry and commerce, led a delegation to India on 19 November.

Relations between the Taliban and Pakistan have deteriorated over the presence of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan fighters in Afghanistan, with heavy fighting reported in recent months. During Muttaqi’s visit to India, Pakistan launched airstrikes inside Afghanistan, and clashes continued for more than a week.

Georgette Gagnon, UNAMA’s deputy special representative, has said that at least 50 civilians were killed and 453 others wounded in clashes between Taliban forces and Pakistan between 10 and 17 October.

Following the fighting, border crossings have remained closed for nearly two months. The Taliban have said they are seeking alternative transit and trade routes and aim to strengthen commercial ties with other countries.

Earlier, the Taliban’s minister of commerce said India was a suitable destination for Afghan agricultural exports, putting the current volume of trade between the two sides at about $1 billion.

Since Taliban officials began visiting India, New Delhi has on several occasions sent consignments of medical supplies and food assistance to Afghanistan.