Taliban ‘Not Weak’ but Seek To Avoid Escalation With Pakistan, Says Haqqani

The Taliban had earlier claimed that more than 400 people were killed and 265 others wounded in Monday night’s airstrike on the Afghan capital.

Pakistan has rejected the Taliban’s claim that a rehabilitation centre was targeted, saying it struck military facilities and infrastructure linked to militant groups.

The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan said previously that “dozens” of people were killed or wounded in the attack but had not officially released a precise casualty figure.

In a statement, UNAMA said the drug treatment centre in Kabul had been “affected” by the Pakistani airstrike.

Muttaqi urged Taliban representatives abroad to convey the group’s position on the conflict to the international community.

In a statement, the Taliban’s Foreign Ministry said participants in the meeting condemned what they described as Pakistan’s “brutal” airstrike on Monday night near a drug rehabilitation centre.

Taliban diplomats in different countries described the attack as a clear violation of humanitarian principles.

The statement added that Muttaqi issued instructions to Taliban diplomats regarding the group’s position, policies and future actions in response to Pakistan.

Zamir Kabulov, the Russian president’s envoy for Afghanistan, said in an interview with a Russian newspaper that rising tensions between Pakistan and the Taliban could escalate further.

Kabulov added that Russia maintains good relations with both Pakistan and the Taliban and would be willing to act as a mediator if requested by both sides.

He said Moscow is seeking a compromise solution that could help end the conflict and shift the situation towards diplomacy, but stressed that Russia does not intend to impose itself on the parties involved.

Abdullah Khenjani, head of the group’s political office, made the remarks Tuesday at a meeting in the Belgian Senate.

Khenjani said none of the operations had caused harm to civilians.

He added that hundreds of National Resistance Front members had been detained by the Taliban but said armed resistance against the group was continuing.

Khenjani also said Afghanistan was undergoing a period of transformation and expressed hope the country would move towards justice and prosperity.

He called on European countries not to shape their policies on Afghanistan based on the Taliban’s demands.
Khenjani also stressed the need for continued support for Afghan women and girls and called for a halt to the deportation of Afghan refugees.

Muttaqi described Pakistan’s attacks on Afghanistan as similar to Israel’s strikes on Gaza.

He called on the international community and Islamic countries to speak out against Pakistan’s actions and fulfil their responsibilities.

Muttaqi also said that negotiations had been under way with mediation from China and some other countries, but claimed that Pakistan’s military establishment was seeking to expand insecurity and pursue what he described as a proxy war through the killing of civilians.