Russia’s Foreign Ministry said inter-ministerial consultations were held with the Taliban in Kabul. The talks covered bilateral cooperation in the political, economic, cultural and humanitarian fields.
The ministry said the meeting took place between the Second Asian Department of Russia’s Foreign Ministry and the Third Political Department of the Taliban’s Foreign Ministry.
No further details of the discussions were disclosed.
Russia is the only country to have formally recognised the Taliban administration.
The two sides had previously signed an agreement on military and technical cooperation.
Informed sources told Afghanistan International that Mohammad Rahmati, managing director of Tamadon TV, is seriously ill in Taliban custody and has been denied access to medication and medical treatment.
According to the sources, Rahmati suffers from heart disease, diabetes and high blood pressure. They said his condition has deteriorated during his detention.
Local sources said his continued imprisonment without medical care has heightened concerns about his health, while his family remains deeply worried about his condition.
Rahmati and Mohammad Reza Ehsani, an employee of Tamadon TV, have been detained for the past 10 days on the orders of the Taliban’s justice minister. Sources said the two men are being held at Kabul provincial prison.
Earlier, Jawad Mohseni, head of Tamadon TV, said that if any harm came to Rahmati, responsibility would lie with the authorities who ordered his detention without a court ruling.
In recent days, Taliban forces raided Tamadon TV’s headquarters in Kabul and suspended the broadcaster’s operations. Officials at the station also said that part of the network’s property had been confiscated.
Taliban Information and Culture Minister Sher Ahmad Haqqani warned Pakistan that it could break apart if it continues its attacks on Afghanistan.
Haqqani described Pakistan’s attacks on Afghanistan as “oppressive” and said division and fragmentation inside Pakistan would increase.
Addressing Pakistan, he said: “Division among you will increase. You will be scattered, and it is not unlikely that you will be divided. Division will take place among you. This is not impossible.”
Speaking at a meeting in Kapisa province, the Taliban minister said that “when oppressors commit oppression, God punishes them for it”, adding that such punishment could reach a point where Pakistan’s people face division and the “oppression and brutality” come to an end.
He also said Afghans do not fear Pakistan’s bombings or threats and would not accept defeat. He stressed that the Taliban would not surrender in the face of these attacks.
Haqqani made the remarks on Wednesday during a meeting titled “Enhancing the Intellectual, Ideological and Professional Capacity of Journalists”.
Addressing Pakistan, he said: “We are not afraid of bombings and hardships. We defeated those who were more advanced than you in military equipment and technology.”
The Taliban information minister added that the killing of civilians “is in no way a sign of victory”. He warned: “If Pakistan’s oppressive actions continue, it is not far-fetched that the country could face division.”
Mawlawi Hayatullah Muhajir Farahi, the Taliban deputy minister for publications at the Ministry of Information and Culture, also spoke at the event and said the Taliban had carried out attacks on Islamic State centres in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
He also said Taliban forces do not target civilians, while Pakistani forces attack civilians inside Afghanistan.
Iran’s ambassador to Kabul, Alireza Bikdeli, said relations between Iran and the Taliban administration are moving in a constructive direction. He said the trend would strengthen bilateral and regional cooperation.
Speaking at the opening of the Fifth International Exhibition in Kabul, Bikdeli said Iran supports Afghanistan’s private sector in its pursuit of economic independence, development and public prosperity.
He said an economy-focused approach could drive lasting relations, adding that improved security and Afghanistan’s expanding ties with neighbouring countries form part of this broader economic strategy.
The Iranian diplomat added that expanding infrastructure, including railways, roads and dams, as well as developing the industrial and agricultural sectors, could pave the way for Afghanistan’s economic growth.
Bikdeli called on traders, investors and business leaders in both Iran and Afghanistan to make use of the friendly and brotherly atmosphere and expand commercial relations between the two countries.
The Iranian ambassador stressed that the presence of a large Iranian delegation at the exhibition was not merely symbolic but reflected Tehran’s serious commitment to expanding cooperation with Afghanistan.
According to Bikdeli, the participating Iranian companies operate in sectors including industry, mining, machinery and industrial equipment, construction materials, energy, engineering services and advanced technologies.
Relations between Iran and the Taliban have in recent years been characterised by a mix of pragmatic cooperation and deep mistrust.
The dispute over the Helmand River water rights remains the biggest source of tension, although border cooperation and economic and security contacts between the two sides have continued to expand.
Pakistani security sources say 265 Afghan nationals were involved in suicide bombings and other terrorist attacks in Pakistan between 2022 and 2025. Documents obtained by Afghanistan International link them to attacks in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The sources said Afghan nationals were involved in attacks in Peshawar, Bannu, Besham, North Waziristan, Tank and Dera Ismail Khan.
The five-page dossier obtained by Afghanistan International contains names, aliases, dates of attacks and photographs of the individuals.
Pakistani officials have repeatedly claimed in recent years that Afghan nationals were involved in attacks inside the country.
The security sources said the documents support Islamabad’s longstanding position that Afghan nationals and Afghan territory have been used to organise and plan suicide bombings and other militant attacks in Pakistan.
Pakistani security officials said the information forms part of an effort to document the alleged involvement of Afghan nationals in attacks across the country.
Most recently, Pakistan’s military said the attacker behind the assault on a Rangers camp in Karachi was an Afghan national who was arrested after being wounded.
Responding to Pakistan’s claims, Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid described the allegations as illogical. He said Pakistani officials blamed the Taliban whenever an explosion occurred in Karachi or elsewhere in the country.
He added that Pakistan should focus on securing its own cities instead of accusing others.
The Taliban administration has consistently denied allegations that Afghan nationals are involved in bomb attacks in Pakistan.
Since late 2025, repeated clashes have taken place between Pakistani forces and the Afghan Taliban, leading to heightened security tensions along the border.
Over the past five years, Pakistan has carried out at least 13 air and artillery strikes inside Afghanistan.
Islamabad says members of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan are based in these areas and use Afghan territory to plan and launch attacks against Pakistan, a claim the Taliban deny.
Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry on Wednesday rejected India’s criticism of Islamabad’s recent airstrikes in Afghanistan, calling New Delhi’s remarks baseless and accusing it of playing a destabilising role in the region.
Pakistani Foreign Ministry spokesperson Tahir Andrabi rejected India’s statement, describing it as “baseless and irresponsible.” He said Pakistan’s actions were “lawful, targeted and proportionate measures against terrorist infrastructure located in Afghanistan.”
He accused India of interfering in the internal affairs of neighbouring countries for years and undermining their sovereignty and territorial integrity in violation of the UN Charter.
Andrabi also alleged that India had supported militant groups operating from Afghan territory against Pakistan, describing this as a violation of the UN Security Council sanctions regime.
The statement further accused India of acting as a destabilising force in the region.
The spokesperson said Islamabad would continue to take all necessary measures, in accordance with international law, to safeguard the security and safety of its citizens.
Pakistan carried out airstrikes on the Afghan provinces of Paktia, Paktika and Kunar on Sunday evening. At least 28 civilians were killed and another 49 injured in the attacks.
India is the only country to have condemned the strikes. Other countries, including regional states that maintain political and economic ties with the Taliban, have not publicly commented on the attacks.