Taliban Defence Minister Vows To Deter Future Pakistani Attacks

According to the documents, the Taliban’s Foreign Ministry signed a contract with a private company based in the United Arab Emirates to design and manage the websites.

The contract states that the company will be responsible for creating all websites related to diplomatic missions under Taliban administration.

The websites are also intended to provide services such as online visa applications, passport distribution and authentication of official documents, with separate systems designed for each service.

On the websites, the Taliban has replaced the title “Islamic Republic of Afghanistan” with “Islamic Emirate” and substituted Afghanistan’s national flag with the group’s white banner. In various sections of the sites, there are no images of women.

The Taliban has so far released no details about the contract, its cost or the terms of cooperation with the Dubai-based company.

Several former Afghan diplomats in Europe told Afghanistan International that handing over citizens’ identity documents and personal information to a private company raises serious concerns about data security and the privacy of Afghans.

According to them, giving a private company access to official citizen data could increase the risk of misuse of personal information.

Although no country other than Russia has formally recognised the Taliban, control of several Afghan embassies and consulates in some European countries has been handed to diplomats affiliated with the group.

He said the continuation of this process would contribute to the economic development of the Anzali Free Zone.

According to Iran’s Tasnim News Agency, Taati-Moghaddam said that under the development plans for Caspian Port, a direct ship-to-rail cargo transfer system would soon become operational. He added that this measure, alongside legal incentives and the advantages of the Anzali Free Zone, would reduce fuel transit costs and strengthen Iran’s competitive position in international trade corridors.

Taati-Moghaddam noted that with the full operation of this railway route, the annual fuel transit capacity through Caspian Port would steadily increase. He said this would not only boost the economic growth of the Anzali Free Zone but also reinforce Iran’s role as a regional logistics hub.

He also stated that expanding this route would facilitate trade with Central Asian and Eurasian countries and support the development of combined sea-rail transport for other goods, including petrochemical products and grain.

The Iranian official explained that linking this route to neighbouring countries’ railway networks would provide economic actors with access to wider regional markets.

The new fuel transit route comes as the Taliban administration, following tensions with Pakistan, halted trade with Islamabad and expanded commercial ties with Iran, Russia and Central Asian countries.

In a statement, Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry said the two sides discussed Pakistan-US relations, economic and trade cooperation, cultural ties, counterterrorism and regional security.

According to the statement, Ishaq Dar and Marco Rubio welcomed the positive trajectory of relations between the two countries over the past year and stressed the importance of expanding cooperation in various fields.

Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry said Dar praised US President Donald Trump’s vision and efforts for peace. He also thanked Trump for supporting a ceasefire between the United States and Iran and for sending a high-level delegation led by Vice President JD Vance to Pakistan for peace talks in Islamabad.

The statement added that Marco Rubio commended Pakistan’s diplomatic and mediation efforts and emphasised continued coordination between Pakistan’s leadership and the US administration.

Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry also said Ishaq Dar expressed appreciation for the role played by Trump and Rubio in easing tensions between Pakistan and India last year and preventing a wider conflict between the two nuclear-armed neighbours.

The Pakistani foreign minister said Islamabad remains concerned about terrorist groups using Afghan territory to launch attacks against Pakistan. He stressed the need for increased cooperation in counterterrorism efforts to address regional security challenges.

At the end of the meeting, both sides agreed to continue working together to strengthen Pakistan-US relations.

Residents of Kandahar told Afghanistan International on Friday, May 29, that following the suspension of trade and transit, particularly the Taliban’s ban on importing Pakistani medicines, the pharmaceutical market in the province had been severely affected.

They said that although medicines were previously widely available, prices have now surged while the quality of available drugs has declined.

Several pharmacists in Kandahar city said that after trade with Pakistan was halted, medicine imports dropped significantly and many traders were forced to smuggle pharmaceuticals into the country through unofficial routes.

One pharmacist in Kandahar, who asked not to be named, told Afghanistan International: “Previously, most medicines were imported regularly from Pakistan. But now the routes are closed, taxes have increased and imports have fallen. Some medicines cannot be found at all, and if they are available, their prices have multiplied.”

He added that in recent months, medicines for colds, fever, infections, diabetes, blood pressure and children’s illnesses have become scarce. Panadol, Brufen, Augmentin, amoxicillin, insulin, blood pressure medicines, IV fluids, children’s antibiotic syrups, asthma inhalers and heart medications are among the drugs now difficult to obtain and significantly more expensive.

Some pharmacists said medicines that used to cost between 100 and 150 Afghanis before the import restrictions are now selling for between 300 and 400 Afghanis.

Aziz Ahmad, a resident of Kandahar, said the rise in medicine prices had created serious problems for ordinary people, especially as many families were already struggling financially because of the economic crisis.

Rahmatullah, a diabetic patient, said: “I used to buy insulin cheaply, but now it is difficult to find and much more expensive. Because of financial problems, rising prices and shortages, I sometimes cannot obtain all the medicines prescribed by the doctor. Usually, I only buy the most essential ones.”

Residents say children’s medicines have also become scarce. Families with financial means can still seek treatment for their children, but many others cannot afford it.

Several pharmaceutical traders and health sources said large quantities of Pakistani medicines have recently entered Afghanistan through smuggling routes since trade with Pakistan was suspended.

According to them, some of these medicines reached the market through illegal channels, while others were confiscated and burned by the Taliban.

Health officials warn that smuggled medicines are often substandard, improperly stored, close to expiry and generally of poor quality.

Healthcare services in Afghanistan were already under pressure due to economic difficulties, unemployment and falling household incomes, but the medicine crisis has further worsened the situation.

Munir Ahmad, a doctor in Kandahar, said: “When medicines are prescribed to patients, many cannot obtain what they need because of high prices and shortages.” He added that as a result, many patients fail to complete their treatment.

The doctor said patients with chronic illnesses such as diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure and asthma have been affected the most.

Some residents and pharmacists say the authorities have so far failed to take serious practical measures to control medicine prices or address the shortages.

Following the ban on Pakistani medicine imports, Taliban officials entered talks with India, Iran and Uzbekistan to address the problem. Ministers for health and trade travelled to India and Iran to discuss pharmaceutical imports.

Health analysts say Afghanistan remains heavily dependent on imported medicines, and if trade problems with Pakistan continue, the pharmaceutical market will suffer even greater damage.

They stress that official medicine imports must be facilitated, effective price control mechanisms established, the entry of smuggled and low-quality medicines prevented, domestic pharmaceutical production supported and urgent measures taken to resolve the crisis.

The Taliban defence minister also claimed that under Taliban rule, the Islamic State group in Afghanistan had been completely eliminated and contained.

He said security should be guaranteed through mutual trust and that the Taliban administration would never allow anyone to use Afghanistan to harm another country.

Mullah Yaqoob stated that under the shadow of security, stability and the rule of law, Afghanistan offers strong opportunities for transit and trade, alongside domestic and foreign investment.

The remarks come despite a United Nations Security Council report last year stating that Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISIS-K) had established schools in parts of Afghanistan, where children, particularly those under 14, were being trained in suicide attacks and extremist ideology. The UN described the trend as alarming.

Earlier this year, Russian Defence Minister Andrei Belousov said the situation in Afghanistan remained unstable and that the country continued to be a source of terrorist threats. Belousov stressed that Afghanistan’s unstable situation remains a major source of transnational crime and terrorist threats.

Moscow has expressed concern over the presence and activities of ISIS-K and several Central Asian radical movements in Afghanistan, including the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, Ansarullah Tajikistan and other Islamist groups.

Amid these concerns, Russia and the Taliban have signed a military-technical cooperation agreement.

Several European media outlets have described the secrecy surrounding the agreement’s contents as a dangerous signal.

In an analysis, the British newspaper The Independent questioned whether Taliban fighters could eventually appear on the front lines of the war in Ukraine. The paper wrote that the secrecy of the agreement had fuelled fears that the Taliban might send experienced fighters to support Russian forces.

Nevertheless, military consultations between the Taliban and Moscow are continuing.

On Thursday, May 28, Russian Deputy Defence Minister Vasily Osmakov met Taliban Defence Minister Mullah Mohammad Yaqoob Mujahid in Moscow, where they discussed regional security issues and prospects for bilateral military cooperation.