Afghan Activists Urge End To Language Discrimination Against Persian Speakers

Speaking to Geo News, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said Pakistan was concerned about the Taliban’s expanding relationship with New Delhi and was ready to respond to any aggression along both its eastern and western borders.

Asked whether Pakistan has the capacity to fight on two fronts simultaneously, Asif said the country was fully prepared.

Relations between Pakistan, India and the Afghan Taliban have deteriorated in recent months. Pakistan fought a four-day conflict with India in May last year and, several months later, clashed with Taliban forces in October.

The remarks follow comments earlier this week by Pakistan army spokesperson Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, who accused the Afghan Taliban of aligning themselves with the government of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

As tensions with Pakistan have risen, the Taliban have expanded engagement with India. Over the past two months, several senior Taliban officials, including three cabinet ministers, have travelled to New Delhi. Taliban officials have said they hope India will help offset economic losses following a downturn in trade with Pakistan.

Asif also referred to last year’s conflict with India, saying Pakistani fighter jets were tested under real combat conditions during the fighting. He added that Pakistan has since received significant international orders for combat aircraft, describing the development as a sign of confidence in the country’s defence capabilities.

In a statement posted on X on Tuesday, Mujahid said remarks by Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry regarding Afghanistan’s political and social structure were “detached from facts” and incompatible with the standards of a responsible military position.

Mujahid urged Pakistan’s state institutions to focus on resolving their internal problems and to refrain from what he described as “straying beyond official diplomatic frameworks”.

He said the Taliban view Afghanistan as “an independent and stable country with a strong security structure and decisive leadership”, adding that comments on Afghanistan’s internal affairs and the use of “threatening language” are unacceptable to the Afghan people.

Citing the sensitivity of relations between the two neighbours, Mujahid called on Pakistani authorities to adopt a cautious and responsible approach in expressing their positions.

Earlier on Tuesday, Chaudhry said at a press conference that Pakistan’s primary focus in 2025 had been security, particularly counterterrorism. He said the current structure in Afghanistan did not constitute a “government” and described the Taliban as presenting themselves as an “interim administration”.

Referring to the Doha agreement between the United States and the Afghan Taliban, Chaudhry said the accord stipulated that Afghan territory should not be used for terrorism. He claimed, however, that terrorist groups and banned organisations are now present in Afghanistan, alleging that the country has become a centre for terrorist operations in the region.

The Taliban have repeatedly rejected such accusations, saying they do not allow Afghan soil to be used to threaten other countries.

Homayoun Afghan, spokesperson for the Taliban’s Ministry of Mines and Petroleum, said a team led by local Takhar officials had been sent to assess the situation at the mining sites.

In an audio message released on Tuesday, Afghan confirmed that confrontations between miners and residents had resulted in casualties and property damage, though he did not give specific figures. He said further details would be released after the investigation is completed.

Afghanistan International reported earlier that residents of the Samti area in Chah Ab district clashed with companies linked to the Taliban over gold mining operations, setting fire to company equipment during the unrest.

Local sources said at least three residents and one Taliban member have been killed, with 16 others wounded. They said clashes were continuing and the situation was rapidly deteriorating.

Videos obtained by Afghanistan International show thick columns of smoke rising from the area of the clashes.
According to local residents, as protests intensified, officials from Taliban-linked companies left the area. Residents said the number of casualties among protesters continues to rise.

Sources said the protests were triggered by concerns over severe environmental damage and water shortages caused by what residents described as unregulated mining.

Residents of Chah Ab district had also clashed with Taliban members on Friday after mining operations began in residential areas.

The companies involved are reportedly linked to Bashar Noorzai, a major drug trafficker described by local sources as a key financial backer of the Taliban. Residents said they are protesting against the activities of three such companies operating in the area.

Maj. Gen. Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said at a press conference on Tuesday that security, particularly counterterrorism, was Pakistan’s top priority last year. He described the fight against militancy as a national effort and said 2025 saw the most extensive and effective counterterrorism campaign in the country’s history.

Referring to the Doha agreement between the United States and the Afghan Taliban, Chaudhry said the accord required that Afghan territory not be used for terrorist activities. He claimed, however, that banned organisations and militant groups are now operating freely in Afghanistan, turning the country into the centre of terrorist operations in the region.

Chaudhry also said about $2.7 billion worth of advanced US military equipment remains in Afghanistan, including night-vision devices, long-range sniper rifles and other weapons. He claimed the equipment is now in the possession of the Taliban and that some of it is being sold on the black market, fuelling extremism across the region.

The military spokesperson said Afghanistan has become a safe haven for smugglers as well as regional and international terrorist groups that, he alleged, operate from Afghan soil against neighbouring countries.

Chaudhry said Pakistan had repeatedly asked the Taliban to curb the activities of these groups but, after those efforts failed, Pakistani forces struck what he described as terrorist positions across the border “within hours”.

While Pakistan had previously not denied conducting airstrikes inside Afghanistan, this marked one of the clearest public confirmations by the military of such actions.

He said the strikes demonstrated Pakistan’s determination to eliminate extremist threats, adding that the country’s counterterrorism efforts have been praised by the international community.

Chaudhry said Pakistani security forces carried out 75,175 intelligence-based operations last year, including 14,658 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 58,778 in Balochistan and 1,739 in other parts of the country.

He said 27 suicide attacks were recorded in 2025, two involving women. According to the military, 1,235 security personnel and civilians were killed during the year, while 2,597 militants were also killed.

Chaudhry said 80 percent of terrorist attacks occurred in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, arguing that a “conducive political environment” in the province had enabled militant activity. He added that terrorist incidents have risen steadily from 2021 through 2025.

Abbas Aliabadi, Iran’s minister of energy, told the ILNA news agency that the directive was issued a day earlier, adding that Iran has so far failed to receive its full water entitlement. “We held many negotiations with the Afghan side, but last year we were unable to receive our full water share,” he said.

Aliabadi said both Iran and Turkmenistan are entitled to water from the Helmand River, but noted that Afghanistan, as the upstream country, has constructed the Salma Dam, making negotiations essential to ensure water flows to the Doosti Dam.

Speaking on Tuesday, Aliabadi said he was cautiously optimistic that Iran would receive its water share this year due to improved rainfall. He added that talks with the Taliban were continuing.

Aliabadi said he has invited Afghan representatives to visit Iran on two occasions and plans to issue a third invitation. He also said an Iranian delegation would travel to Afghanistan at a later stage to pursue the issue directly and with greater urgency.

Disputes over water rights, particularly those linked to the Helmand River, have long been a source of tension between Tehran and Kabul, and have gained renewed attention since the Taliban’s return to power.