Afghanistan Flood Death Toll Rises To 51
The Taliban disaster authority says at least three people have died and 16 were injured in flooding over the past 24 hours, bringing the death toll from four days of floods across Afghanistan to 51.
The Taliban disaster authority says at least three people have died and 16 were injured in flooding over the past 24 hours, bringing the death toll from four days of floods across Afghanistan to 51.
Yousuf Hammad, spokesperson for the Taliban’s disaster management authority, said on Thursday, April 2, in a video that heavy rain and flooding had continued over the past 24 hours in 18 provinces.
He said the rainfall had caused floods that completely destroyed 348 homes, while a further 798 houses were damaged.
Flooding also damaged 244 kilometres of roads and 3,048 hectares of agricultural land across various provinces. According to the authority, 201 families have been displaced.
The provinces affected include Kabul, Panjshir, Paktika, Khost, Logar, Maidan Wardak, Ghazni, Kandahar, Zabul, Uruzgan, Herat, Faryab, Badghis, Jawzjan, Baghlan, Badakhshan, Nangarhar and Laghman.
The Taliban Foreign Ministry says a mid-level delegation has travelled to Urumqi, China, for talks with Pakistan, with discussions set to begin under Chinese mediation.
Abdul Qahar Balkhi, spokesperson for the Taliban Foreign Ministry, said in a statement on Thursday, April 2, that the talks are being held at China’s request and based on mutual respect and constructive engagement with Pakistan.
He said the Taliban delegation would take part based on a balanced and principled approach and intends to hold comprehensive and responsible discussions with the other side on good neighbourly relations, strengthening trade ties and the effective management of security issues.
Balkhi added that the Taliban believe diplomatic engagement grounded in mutual respect, non-interference and constructive understanding can provide practical and lasting solutions to existing issues with Pakistan and help create conditions for stability and cooperation in the region.
At the same time, Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson said a delegation of senior officials had been sent to Urumqi for talks with the Afghan Taliban. He said the delegation is there to explore a sustainable solution to cross-border terrorism from Afghanistan.
Informed sources in the Taliban Foreign Ministry told Afghanistan International on Wednesday that the group had sought China’s help to bring Pakistan to the negotiating table.
Local sources in Herat say the Taliban have detained influential Shia cleric Hussein Azimi in Jebrail township and taken him to an unknown location, with no information on his fate or the reason for his arrest.
Sources said Azimi, imam of the Sayyid al-Shuhada Mosque in Jebrail and a member of Herat’s Shia Ulema Council, was detained on Wednesday afternoon before prayers by Taliban intelligence and morality police officers.
There is still no information about his whereabouts, and his relatives have been unable to contact him.
Azimi had previously been arrested by the Taliban in late 2024.
It is reported that his earlier detention, after which he was released on bail following mediation by community elders, was linked to his protest against Taliban restrictions on Ashura ceremonies.
Sources in Herat also said the Taliban have recently detained several other Shia clerics for holding Eid prayers.
Previously, the Taliban had forced people in various provinces to observe Eid prayers a day earlier in line with the group’s announcement.
Russia’s transport minister, Andrey Nikitin, has described Uzbekistan as a key partner in developing relations with the Taliban, highlighting cooperation on regional transport projects.
Speaking at a press conference in St Petersburg on Wednesday, April 1, he said Uzbekistan is Russia’s partner within the Commonwealth of Independent States and an important partner in developing ties with Afghanistan. "We are building a partnership to develop the Afghan-Trans corridor," he said.
The Russian official added that there are many projects in Uzbekistan and Russia expects its companies to take part in them. Nikitin specifically referred to the Afghan-Trans railway project.
Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev had earlier signed an international agreement on a feasibility study for the Afghan-Trans railway project.
The agreement outlines a framework for a regional transport corridor linking Afghanistan, Uzbekistan and Pakistan.
Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry said a delegation of senior officials has travelled to Urumqi, China, for talks with the Afghan Taliban.
Tahir Andrabi said the delegation is in Urumqi to explore a “sustainable solution” to stop cross-border terrorism from Afghanistan.
Speaking at a weekly briefing on Thursday, Andrabi said the talks between Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban were being held at a working level and led by senior officials. He did not provide details on which officials were involved or how long the talks would continue.
He said the discussions reiterated Islamabad’s core concerns, adding that responsibility for meaningful progress lay with Afghanistan, which must take visible and verifiable action against militant groups using its territory to target Pakistan.
Andrabi also said Pakistan’s “Ghazab lil Haq” operation would continue alongside the talks.
Diplomatic sources had earlier told Afghanistan International that a new round of talks between the Taliban and Pakistan was taking place in Urumqi. According to the sources, participants include Pakistan’s deputy foreign minister and Taliban officials from the ministries of foreign affairs, defence, interior and intelligence.
Andrabi also referred to the recent visit of Pakistan’s foreign minister to China, during which the two sides discussed tensions with the Taliban and China’s call for an immediate halt to the fighting.
Tensions between Pakistan and the Taliban have escalated since late February, following Pakistani strikes in Kabul and Kandahar and retaliatory attacks by Taliban forces.
China has stepped in as a mediator amid concerns over regional stability and its economic interests, including the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor and potential Belt and Road projects in Afghanistan.
Talks between Pakistani officials and Taliban representatives in the Chinese city of Urumqi have made no progress, sources said.
The negotiations, held on Wednesday, focused on reducing tensions, establishing a ceasefire and reopening border crossings.
Delegations from Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban met in Urumqi under China’s auspices following deadly clashes between the two sides. A source told Dawn newspaper the meeting produced no breakthrough.
The source said China would continue engaging with both sides, with initial discussions centred on a ceasefire and reopening crossings for trade and movement.
The meeting marked the first since heavy fighting in recent months and Pakistan’s “Ghazab lil Haq” operation against the Taliban. Pakistan had previously ruled out direct negotiations with the Taliban, although a Pakistani official said the meeting was not specifically intended as a mediation effort.
According to Dawn, the talks focused on exchanging views on recent tensions, with no major outcome expected. China appeared to prioritise confidence-building measures and reopening trade routes.
Pakistani sources said Islamabad again raised concerns about the presence of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) sanctuaries inside Afghanistan. Taliban representatives expressed willingness to address the concerns but maintained that TTP activities inside Pakistan were not their responsibility.
Pakistan is said to have indicated readiness to reopen trade routes and expand economic cooperation. A Pakistani official told Dawn the effort was aimed at managing tensions and exploring economic opportunities, despite ongoing core security disagreements.
The official added that China also has concerns about the presence of the East Turkestan Islamic Movement in Afghanistan.
Sources said the Taliban delegation showed greater willingness this time to act on commitments and agreed to consider a verifiable mechanism to address key demands from Pakistan and China regarding TTP and the East Turkestan Islamic Movement.
Islamabad accuses the Taliban of harbouring anti-Pakistan militants, an allegation the Taliban deny, describing it as an internal matter for Pakistan.
Reuters, citing four Taliban sources, reported that the delegations in Urumqi were at a mid-level and, unlike previous meetings in Turkiye, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, did not include decision-makers.
Previous rounds of talks mediated by Qatar, Turkiye and Saudi Arabia had failed to yield results.