Pakistan Capable Of Defeating Any Aggression, Says PM Shehbaz Sharif

The individual, identified as Safiullah, was introduced to the Taliban’s Foreign Ministry with a proposed monthly salary of 2,500 euros, according to the documents.

Sources at the Afghan consulate in Bonn said the man had previously worked at Afghanistan’s embassy in Berlin, which operates under Taliban administration.

Some sources expressed concern about a third-country national having access to confidential consular documents and information, warning of the potential risk of sensitive data being disclosed.

Several former Afghan diplomats said that while it may be common in some cases to employ nationals of the host country at diplomatic missions, appointing a citizen of a third country would be contrary to established principles.

Afghanistan International also received additional documents related to the individual, including his German residence card.

The Taliban have not explained why a Pakistani national was appointed to the position.

The Afghan consulate in Bonn, which was handed over to the Taliban in October, has since resumed operations. The mission was transferred to Taliban representatives following the collective resignation of its diplomats and staff in late September.

Spokesperson Tahir Andrabi told a news conference on Thursday that Islamabad was aware of threats emanating from Afghanistan and that Pakistani institutions were prepared to ensure security.

Andrabi said Pakistan had carried out strikes on militant sanctuaries in Afghanistan based on verified intelligence. He added that Islamabad’s objective was to end what he described as the freedom of militants to operate from Afghan territory, while maintaining that Pakistan did not wish to harm relations with the Afghan people.

Pakistan’s air force struck areas in Nangarhar and Paktika provinces on 22 February. Taliban officials said 18 civilians were killed in the strikes, while the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan confirmed 13 civilian deaths in Nangarhar.

Andrabi said the operation had been conducted with utmost caution to avoid civilian casualties.
Following the strikes, Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid accused Pakistan of targeting civilians and said the group would respond at an appropriate time.

Some lower-level Taliban officials also issued threats. Abdul Hadi Himmat, head of the Taliban’s military court in the north-east zone, said that if authorised by the leadership, Taliban forces would be in the Pakistani cities of Peshawar and Quetta within two nights. Speaking at a graduation ceremony for Taliban defence forces in Kunduz Province, he said defending the people and taking revenge was a religious obligation.

Andrabi described the Taliban officials’ remarks as misleading and said Afghanistan must prevent its territory from being used by militants against other countries. He stressed that Pakistan would act against militants in Afghanistan in line with its right to self-defence.

In an interview with Afghanistan International, Halevi also urged India to halt what he described as its support for the Taliban.

He said Israel has influence in Washington and other capitals and that this influence should be used to strip the Taliban of international legitimacy and to support the emergence of opposition forces.

Halevi said the first step should be to completely revoke the Taliban’s legitimacy, after which opposition forces should be encouraged, similar to international backing for opponents of the government in Iran, so that people can stand up for their rights and future.

He added that achieving these goals would require taking all practical steps, including potential military measures, to bring about fundamental change.

Asked about India’s policy towards the Taliban, Halevi said New Delhi should reassess its strategy, arguing that India could eventually face security threats.

His remarks come as India has recently stepped up diplomatic engagement with the Taliban authorities. New Delhi has sought to maintain its political and economic presence in Afghanistan amid regional developments, security concerns and economic interests.

Commenting on Pakistan’s reported role in a proposed peace initiative linked to US President Donald Trump, Halevi said Israel’s policy is guided by the substance of positions rather than appearances, and that any reconsideration would depend on changes in Pakistan’s core principles.

Jamshid Khojaev, Uzbekistan’s deputy prime minister, and Nuruddin Azizi, the Taliban’s minister of industry and commerce, discussed practical steps to expand trade and economic cooperation during an online meeting.

In a post on LinkedIn on Monday, Khojaev said Uzbekistan places particular importance on what he described as friendly and constructive relations with Afghanistan. He said bilateral trade had grown two-and-a-half times over the past five years, rising from $653 million in 2021 to $1.7 billion in 2025.

He said the shared objective is to raise that figure to $5 billion.

Khojaev said both sides had agreed to accelerate implementation of a preferential trade agreement and advance investment and industrial cooperation projects. He added that practical steps would begin after Ramadan, including a business forum in Kabul and the development of a roadmap for priority sectors.

Azizi said trade between the two countries is expected to increase severalfold. He said extending operations to 24 hours a day at the Hairatan and Termez border crossings reflected a firm commitment to strengthening commercial ties.

Official data show trade between Afghanistan and Uzbekistan reached about $1.1 billion in 2024, with nearly $1 billion representing Uzbek exports to Afghanistan.

Before 2021, annual trade between the two countries was reported at more than $600 million.

Since disruptions to Afghanistan’s trade with Pakistan, exchanges with Central Asian countries, particularly Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, as well as with Iran, India and China, have increased.

In recent years, the Taliban authorities have sought to expand alternative transit routes to reduce reliance on Pakistani ports.

In a joint statement presented at the council’s 61st session, the organisations said the Taliban have intensified repression over the past four years, particularly against women and girls.

Referring to the Taliban’s penal code, the statement described it as a dangerous formalisation of repression that could have serious consequences for the protection of fundamental rights in Afghanistan.

The groups said the document lacks legitimacy and violates fair trial standards, freedom of expression, the prohibition of discrimination, the rights of women and children, proportionality between crimes and punishments and other basic freedoms.

The statement was signed by 86 Afghan civil society organisations and 13 international groups, including the World Organisation Against Torture, the Canadian Network for Education Defenders, the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom and the Asia Democracy Network.

The signatories urged the international community to support victim-centred accountability efforts, ensure funding and political backing for international investigative mechanisms on Afghanistan and strengthen support for Afghan civil society organisations and human rights defenders.

The statement also highlighted restrictions on freedom of expression, discrimination against religious and ethnic minorities, discrimination against LGBTQ people and what it described as a growing risk of severe punishments.

The council’s 61st session began on Monday, 23 February, in Geneva and is scheduled to run until 31 March. Afghanistan’s human rights situation is due to be reviewed on 26 February, when reports on conditions in the country are expected to be presented.