Chinese, Taliban Foreign Ministers Discuss Pakistan Border Tensions

Speaking on Friday at an event marking the 31st anniversary of the killing of Abdul Ali Mazari, the late leader of the Islamic Unity Party of Afghanistan, Massoud said the Taliban had turned Afghanistan into a stage for security and geopolitical rivalries.

He said that by providing sanctuary to groups such as Al-Qaeda, Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, Jaish al-Adl, Ansarullah and other militant organisations, the Taliban had created conditions that allowed such tensions to escalate.

Massoud, who took part in the meeting virtually, added that the Taliban’s attempt to mobilise people against Pakistan’s attacks could not lead to the defence of the country because the group lacked both domestic and international legitimacy and had excluded the public from the power structure.

Referring to recent developments, he stressed that any freedom in Afghanistan must be achieved by the people of the country themselves.

The National Resistance Front leader also warned against any deal or intervention under the current circumstances, saying freedom should come from the will of the Afghan people.

According to Massoud, any settlement reached without consulting the people would be wrong, and ignoring public opinion cannot resolve Afghanistan’s ongoing crises.

He also called on political leaders to use what he described as an opportunity for Afghanistan’s freedom, provided they act in a coordinated, organised and unified manner.

In another part of his remarks, Massoud expressed concern about the impact of conflicts in the Middle East on Afghanistan’s economy, saying the prices of essential goods were rising daily while people struggled with despair and uncertainty.

According to the sources, the attacks targeted facilities linked to the Taliban’s Unit 313 and an ammunition depot in Kabul; the Tarawo training center and logistical infrastructure, including a fuel depot, in Kandahar; and the Shirnaw militant camp in Paktia.

The Pakistani sources stressed that militants were being trained at these sites.

Rejection of talks with the Taliban

At the same time, the sources rejected any negotiations or dialogue with the Afghan Taliban. They said no delegation from Pakistan had travelled to Kabul for talks with the group.

Earlier reports had suggested that a Pakistani delegation had gone to Kabul to hold discussions with the Taliban. However, a spokesperson for Pakistan’s foreign ministry also said that no official delegation had travelled to Afghanistan for negotiations.

Pakistan has also warned that if the Taliban do not stop supporting militant groups, they will face serious consequences.

The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) confirmed the casualties and urged both sides to immediately halt the fighting to prevent further civilian harm.

In a statement, the UN said civilians, particularly women and children, were paying the price for the clashes between the Taliban and Pakistan.

UNAMA added that since 26 February, at least 75 civilians have been killed and 193 others injured in Afghanistan during the fighting between the Taliban and Pakistan.

Zabihullah Mujahid, the Taliban’s spokesperson, said in an interview that the issue of American detainees in Afghanistan was neither complex nor serious. He said they would be released either through judicial processes or through dialogue between the two sides.

The Taliban spokesperson stressed that only two US citizens were being held by the group and rejected claims that Mahmood Shah Habibi was in Taliban custody.

The United States has said that three of its citizens, including Afghan-American Mahmood Shah Habibi, are being detained by the Taliban.

The US State Department recently placed Taliban-controlled Afghanistan on its list of wrongful detention countries. The US secretary of state said the Taliban use American citizens as a political tool.

Speaking to TOLOnews on Thursday, Mujahid rejected the allegation and said the Taliban had not used the detention of American citizens for political purposes.

“We have not carried out unlawful detentions. American citizens have been detained for violating Afghanistan’s laws,” he said.

Mujahid also said pressure and threats were not a solution to the issue.

He again stressed that the matter was neither serious nor unsolvable but said Washington’s decision to place Afghanistan on the wrongful detention list and to highlight the issue of detainees was “an excuse for certain future scenarios”.

Mujahid did not specify what he meant by these scenarios. However, some observers believe the United States may act against the Taliban.

Adam Boehler, the US president’s envoy for hostage affairs, warned that if the Taliban did not release the detained Americans, they could face the fate of Iran, which he said is under heavy US air strikes.

Mujahid also said US policy towards the Taliban resembled the wartime approach, and that this was evident not only in the detainee issue but also in sanctions, blacklists and what he described as “the use of Pakistani generals to destabilise the region”.

No collapse of the Islamic Republic

In another part of the interview, the Taliban spokesperson referred to regional developments and said that “the Iranian regime will not collapse”.

He said Iran had faced many similar experiences in the past and possessed a strong military.

Mujahid stressed that the Taliban would not intervene in the conflict between the United States and Israel and Iran, but said the group was concerned about the continuation of the fighting. “We are affected by this war. War is not the solution, and it has no winner,” he said.

At the height of tensions with Iran, the United States has increased pressure on the Taliban. President Donald Trump, the US secretaries of state and defence, the US ambassador to the United Nations and American senators have repeatedly spoken about the withdrawal from Afghanistan and what they describe as the abandonment of Bagram air base.

The US ambassador to the United Nations said yesterday that if the Bagram base had remained in US hands, it could have been used to launch attacks on Iran.

Enayatullah Khwarazmi, the ministry’s spokesperson, posted a video of a drone flight on X and said the Kohat military fort had been targeted.

He claimed that Taliban air force strikes destroyed military facilities, the command center, warehouses and troop accommodation at the fort, causing heavy casualties and significant material damage.

Pakistani officials have not yet commented on the Taliban’s claim.

Earlier, Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said the Pakistani army had again bombed areas in Kabul, Kandahar, Paktia and Paktika.