Taliban Signal Positive Progress In Talks With Pakistan

Express Tribune reported that Pakistan also demanded proof that the Taliban have taken action to dismantle TTP hideouts inside Afghanistan.

Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry confirmed that high-level talks with the Taliban are under way in China but did not provide further details.

China, which is mediating the latest round of talks, is seeking to persuade both sides to agree on a five-point framework to resolve their disputes.

Earlier, Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Taher Andrabi said Pakistan’s participation in the talks should not be seen as a shift in its policy regarding ongoing border tensions with Afghanistan.

Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi said on Sunday that dialogue between the two sides is under way and that the Taliban seek to resolve issues with Pakistan through talks.

Pakistan has stressed that the scope of the negotiations is limited to counterterrorism and border security, ruling out broader political engagement at this stage.

Spokesman Mohammad Ashraf Haqshenas said routes in Balkh (Marmul, Chimtal and Chahar Kent districts), Nangarhar (Nazyan, Dur Baba, Spin Ghar and Pachir Wa Agam), Badghis–Herat and Badghis–Faryab highways, Ghor–Herat road, Dara-e Suf–Mazar-i-Sharif and Aybak –Ruyi Du Ab in Samangan, Charsadda district in Ghor, and the Qonaq and Bekkak passes in Bamiyan have been closed.

He said clearance work is under way by relevant provincial departments.

He urged citizens to avoid travelling on these routes until further notice.

The ministry had also reported on Monday that the Kabul–Kandahar highway in Zabul province had been closed.

Since March 26, various parts of Afghanistan have experienced heavy rain, flooding and, in some areas, snowfall, causing significant casualties and damage.

The Taliban’s disaster management authority says 110 people have been killed and 154 injured during this period.

In a post on X on Tuesday, April 7, Karzai said his letter highlighted Pakistan’s approach over more than four decades, including the use of armed groups and extremism to exert regional influence.

He called on the UN secretary-general to take diplomatic steps to prevent further attacks on Afghan territory and help reduce regional tensions.

Karzai had previously condemned Pakistan’s strikes on several Afghan provinces, describing them as a clear violation of good neighbourly principles and international law.

He said Islamabad should abandon hostility and adopt a “long-term, constructive and civilised policy” towards Afghanistan.

Earlier, Guterres had also expressed deep concern over escalating clashes between the Taliban and Pakistan and urged both sides to avoid further tensions.

Marking World Health Day on April 17, Bennett said restrictions on movement, education and female health workers are leading to suffering and preventable deaths.

He recently released a report on women’s and girls’ right to health in Afghanistan, finding that Taliban policies systematically violate their fundamental rights.

The UN rights expert has repeatedly warned that without urgent international action, millions of Afghans, especially women and girls, will be deprived of essential healthcare.

Following the Taliban’s return to power, Afghanistan’s health system deteriorated, with hundreds of clinics closed.

The United Nations has recently warned that the need for healthcare services in the country has sharply increased, while the Taliban have repeatedly called for medical assistance.

At the same time, rising tensions with Pakistan and conflict in the Middle East have disrupted the delivery of vital aid to Afghanistan.

Speaking at a press conference on Monday, the leader of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Pakistan said the government has not explained to the public or lawmakers the impact of Middle East tensions on Pakistan’s economy.

He said: “If some matters cannot be discussed publicly, at least they should be explained in closed parliamentary sessions so representatives understand the country’s real situation.”

Fazl ur Rehman added that economic pressure on Afghanistan through border closures has not worked.

He said Afghanistan has found alternative trade routes with Central Asia, while India continues trade with East and South Asia, but “we have closed our own trade routes”.

Referring to the closure of Pakistan’s main borders with Afghanistan and India, he said: “We have closed both borders, and now we cannot trade with the West or the East.”

Following rising tensions between Kabul and Islamabad in October last year, Pakistan closed eight border crossings with Afghanistan, disrupting trade and movement of goods.

The Taliban later gave traders three months to settle contracts in Pakistan and shift to other routes.

They have since reduced trade dependence on Pakistan, increasing transit through Iran and Central Asia.

Earlier, Pakistan’s central bank reported that trade with Afghanistan had fallen by about 60% over the past seven months.

Fazl ur Rehman also said fuel prices have risen in Pakistan, and that oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz under Pakistan’s flag have not lowered costs.