The death toll from a suicide bombing and shooting by armed attackers in Kohat, Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, has risen to at least 31, with more than 100 injured. Local police say at least 16 of those killed were officers.
According to published reports, the attackers drove a vehicle packed with explosives towards a mosque in the Old Police Lines complex in Kohat at midday on Friday, carrying out the attack during Friday prayers.
The explosion caused extensive damage to the mosque building. In addition to the mosque, the complex houses the city’s police headquarters and key departments, including the Counter Terrorism Department and Special Branch.
The Hafiz Gul Bahadur group claimed responsibility for the attack. Meanwhile, Pakistani officials reiterated their commitment to continuing their fight against terrorist groups.
On Saturday, 19 September, the Taliban Foreign Ministry issued a statement strongly condemning the attack on the mosque in Kohat.
Without describing the incident as a terrorist attack, the ministry called attacks on holy sites unjustifiable and condemnable.
The incident comes as Islamabad has repeatedly attributed the rise in attacks in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan to militants who, according to Pakistan, organise their operations from Afghan territory. The Taliban denies the allegation.
Informed security sources say the Taliban administration is seeking to encourage the Houthis to intensify attacks on Saudi Arabia, with the aim of drawing Pakistan into the Yemen conflict.
According to the sources, the Taliban is seeking, through direct and indirect engagement with the Houthis, to increase the group’s attacks against Saudi Arabia.
The sources told Afghanistan International that the Taliban’s objective is to open a new front for Pakistan and divert Islamabad’s military and security focus away from the Afghanistan-Pakistan border.
They said the Taliban wants to draw Pakistan into the Yemen crisis in order to reduce Pakistani military pressure on armed groups inside Pakistan and along the Afghan border, giving groups allied with the Taliban greater room to operate.
The Taliban is pursuing these efforts at a time when relations between Kabul and Islamabad have become severely strained in recent months.
Pakistan accuses the Taliban of allowing Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan to operate from Afghan territory. The Taliban denies the allegation.
Turkish and Qatari Delegations Visit Kabul
The reported Taliban efforts coincide with visits to Kabul by senior security officials from Türkiye and Qatar.
İbrahim Kalın, head of Türkiye’s National Intelligence Organisation, and Hamad bin Khamis Al-Kubaisi, Qatar’s deputy national security adviser, travelled to Kabul on Tuesday and met several senior Taliban officials.
After meetings in Kabul and Kandahar, Kalın travelled to Islamabad, where he met Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, army chief Asim Munir and intelligence chief Asim Malik.
In Kabul, Kalın and Qatar’s deputy national security adviser met senior Taliban officials, including Abdul Ghani Baradar, Sirajuddin Haqqani, Abdul Haq Wasiq and Mohammad Yaqoob Mujahid.
Sources told Afghanistan International that restarting talks between Kabul and Islamabad and reviewing the regional situation were among the main topics of the meetings.
The sources added that the high-level Turkish and Qatari delegations travelled to Kabul at the Taliban’s request as part of efforts to resume negotiations with Pakistan.
Türkiye and Qatar have previously mediated to reduce tensions between the Taliban and Pakistan and have hosted talks between the two sides.
At the same time as the senior Turkish and Qatari officials visited Kabul, the Taliban Foreign Ministry described a Houthi drone attack near Mecca as a matter of deep concern and condemned any action targeting Islam’s two holy mosques. The Houthis are backed by Iran.
In Islamabad, Kalın also stressed Turkey’s efforts to resolve tensions between the Taliban and Pakistan through dialogue.
Turkish and Pakistani officials also discussed regional developments and tensions in the Middle East, including developments involving Yemen and Saudi Arabia.
Pakistan’s Position on Houthi Attacks Against Saudi Arabia
The Mecca Mutual Defence Pact was signed on 7 August in Mecca in the presence of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
Under the publicly disclosed terms of the pact, an armed attack on any one of the three member states is regarded as an attack on all three. Its stated aim is to strengthen collective deterrence against external aggression.
Pakistani officials have said Islamabad would stand with Saudi Arabia if the conflict in Yemen escalates.
Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said on Wednesday that if the situation escalated, Pakistan would stand with Saudi Arabia practically and diplomatically. He also referred to the defence agreement between Pakistan, Türkiye and Saudi Arabia.
Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry on Thursday described the situation around the Bab al-Mandab Strait as very serious and said the joint defence agreement with Saudi Arabia was operational, with several Pakistani forces stationed in the kingdom.
Islamabad has nevertheless stressed that the crisis should be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy.
Houthi attacks against Saudi Arabia have intensified in recent days.
The Saudi-led coalition on Wednesday accused the Houthis of attempting a drone attack on Mecca. The Houthis denied the allegation.
Taliban’s Objective
Informed security sources say the Taliban’s aim in drawing Pakistan into the Yemen crisis is to alter Islamabad’s security calculations.
According to the sources, the involvement of Pakistani forces in a military crisis in the Middle East could divert some of Pakistan’s capabilities and attention away from the Afghan border and operations against armed groups opposed to Islamabad.
The reported efforts come as Islamabad is increasing pressure on the Taliban to prevent Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan from operating in Afghanistan, while Pakistan is also facing security threats at home.
Security sources say the Taliban is seeking to create pressure on an external front to gain greater room to manage tensions and the activities of allied groups along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border.
The Financial Times, citing informed sources, reported that Pakistan’s army chief Asim Munir has repeatedly urged Iranian officials to help stop Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia and its energy infrastructure.
A source at Germany’s Foreign Ministry told Afghanistan International that Berlin, together with international partners, is pursuing efforts to hold the Taliban accountable for violations of women’s rights.
The German Foreign Ministry official said initial legal steps had been taken under Article 29 of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women.
According to the source, Germany supports international mechanisms, including the UN-led Doha process, aimed at improving the human rights situation in Afghanistan.
The German official stressed that the country would continue its efforts to ensure Afghanistan fulfils its obligations under the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women.
Germany’s Foreign Ministry added that, together with Australia, Canada and the Netherlands, it had taken the first necessary steps under Article 29 of the convention and had contacted the Taliban administration.
Legal Process at the International Court of Justice
Australia had previously also announced that it was pursuing the legal process.
A spokesman for Australia’s Foreign Ministry told Afghanistan International that Canberra, in cooperation with Germany, Canada and the Netherlands, was pursuing legal action to hold the Taliban accountable for widespread violations of the rights of women and girls.
Under Article 29 of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, disputes between member states over the interpretation or application of the convention can, after specified procedures, be referred to arbitration and ultimately to the International Court of Justice.
In September 2024, Germany, Australia, Canada and the Netherlands jointly announced that they had initiated legal proceedings under Article 29 of the convention and called on the Taliban administration to enter into dialogue over the matter.
The Rawadari human rights organisation and several other civil society groups have also recently launched campaigns urging the countries that initiated the process to continue with their commitments and legal action.
More than 20 countries have backed the move by Germany, Australia, Canada and the Netherlands to use the mechanism provided under Article 29 of the convention. They include Spain, Sweden, Belgium and South Korea.
Since the Taliban returned to power in August 2021, sweeping restrictions have been imposed on the rights and freedoms of women and girls in Afghanistan.
Girls are barred from education beyond sixth grade, while women and girls are also prohibited from attending universities.
Women have also been excluded from many areas of public and social life, with broad restrictions imposed on their employment and freedom of movement.
In several cases, women and girls have been detained or questioned for failing to comply with Taliban dress requirements.
Human rights organisations have described the Taliban’s policies as a clear example of gender apartheid.
The Taliban has previously rejected allegations of human rights violations and discrimination against women, saying citizens’ rights in Afghanistan are protected within the framework of Sharia law and that no one is discriminated against.
Former Afghan national security adviser Hamdullah Mohib has published a book titled Shadows Over Kabul: An Insider Account of the Fall of the Afghan Republic, accusing former US envoy Zalmay Khalilzad of betrayal.
Mohib writes that Khalilzad bears significant responsibility for the collapse of the Afghan republic.
In the book, co-written with Tom Hussain, Mohib sharply criticises Khalilzad’s role in the US negotiations with the Taliban and describes his conduct as a major betrayal.
The book was published in English on Thursday, 17 September.
According to Mohib’s account, former Afghan president Ashraf Ghani was sceptical of Khalilzad’s mission from the outset of his appointment as Washington’s chief negotiator on Afghanistan and believed his involvement could have disastrous consequences for the country.
Mohib writes that Khalilzad’s professional background and his links to the oil company Unocal created what Ghani saw as an ethical ambiguity surrounding his mission.
According to Mohib, Khalilzad had a strong ability to connect government activities with personal interests and was also secretive in his working style.
The former Afghan national security adviser goes on to accuse Khalilzad of establishing contacts with the Taliban without informing the Afghan government at the time.
Mohib writes that Khalilzad had known several Taliban officials since the 1990s.
According to Mohib, the Taliban’s confidence increased significantly after Khalilzad was appointed US envoy and entered the Afghan peace process because the group realised it could negotiate directly with Washington while excluding the Afghan government.
Mohib says that after arriving in Kabul, Khalilzad did not even meet him or Salam Rahimi, who was responsible for the peace process in the former government, preventing Afghan officials from presenting their position on the negotiations.
In this section of the book, Mohib writes that Khalilzad’s work was a major betrayal.
He also recounts that after a trip to Pakistan; Khalilzad returned to Kabul without briefing Ashraf Ghani on the details of his discussions.
Mohib says Afghan government officials later learned that Khalilzad had met the Taliban in Pakistan.
Mohib writes that Khalilzad, without informing officials of the former government, spoke directly to the Taliban on our behalf and marginalised us.
He adds that, at the time, Afghan officials were unclear whether Khalilzad was acting under official US policy or following his own views and personal initiative.
According to Mohib, former government officials tried to determine the answer but did not reach a clear conclusion.
In another section of the book, Mohib refers to a trip he made to Washington, where he says he publicly stated that Khalilzad’s efforts were weakening the Afghan government and strengthening the Taliban.
He writes that he questioned whether Khalilzad was pursuing such a policy with the support of, and on behalf of, the US government.
According to Mohib, the responses he received were contradictory, and his scheduled meetings with US State Department officials were ultimately cancelled.
Overall, in his account of the peace process, Mohib accuses Khalilzad of sidelining the Afghan government from negotiations, holding direct and secret talks with the Taliban and strengthening the group’s political position.
He argues that Khalilzad played a significant role in a process that ultimately contributed to the collapse of the Afghan republic.
Shadows Over Kabul: An Insider Account of the Fall of the Afghan Republic, written by Hamdullah Mohib and Tom Hussain, presents an account from inside Afghanistan’s former government of the events that led to the republic’s collapse.
Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry says the country is ready to reopen border crossings and resume trade with Afghanistan if the Taliban cooperates in stopping armed groups that Islamabad says cross from Afghan territory into Pakistan.
Sajjad Haider Khan, the new spokesman for Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry, said on Wednesday that Islamabad wanted to resolve its problems with Afghanistan through dialogue and diplomacy.
He said Pakistan had also sought mediation from Qatar, Turkiye and China to ease tensions, but those diplomatic efforts had yet to produce a clear outcome.
Khan accused the Taliban of refusing to guarantee that armed groups would stop using Afghan territory to operate against Pakistan. The Taliban has repeatedly denied the presence of foreign armed groups in Afghanistan and rejected claims that Afghan soil is being used against neighbouring countries.
Asked about visits by Turkish and Qatari security officials to Kabul, the Pakistani Foreign Ministry spokesman said Islamabad was not aware of the details of the trips but noted that Qatar and Turkey had previously played a role in mediating between Pakistan and the Taliban.
He also referred to China’s efforts to facilitate dialogue between the Taliban and Pakistan.
Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry also said Afghan students who hold valid visas and are enrolled in recognised academic programmes are allowed to continue and complete their studies in Pakistan.
According to Khan, students who have finished their studies and are not yet enrolled in further education or specialist programmes may be deported to Afghanistan.
Earlier, the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council had instructed universities not to admit new Afghan students and ordered the removal of Afghan students already in the country. The decision prompted protests from students.
The Lahore and Sindh high courts, and in one case the Islamabad High Court, suspended implementation of the decision for several students who had challenged it.
The ministry said Afghan students with scholarships may also continue their studies, and that hundreds of Afghan students are currently studying in Pakistan.
The possible invitation of a Taliban administration representative to a meeting of ministers from the Economic Cooperation Organisation in November was also raised at the briefing.
The Pakistani Foreign Ministry spokesman said no decision had yet been made on the matter.
Australia’s Foreign Ministry says it is pursuing legal action with international partners, including Canada, Germany and the Netherlands, to hold the Taliban accountable for widespread violations of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women.
A ministry spokesman told Afghanistan International that the Taliban was carrying out a campaign of sustained and systematic repression aimed at completely excluding women from public life.
According to Australia’s Foreign Ministry, the Taliban’s actions demonstrate a blatant disregard for the human rights and fundamental freedoms of women and girls in Afghanistan.
Information released by the Australian government says the four countries have invoked Article 29 of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women and activated its dispute-resolution mechanism, calling on the Taliban administration to enter good-faith negotiations.
In late 2024, Germany, Australia, Canada and the Netherlands jointly warned that they would take the Taliban to the International Court of Justice if the situation of women and girls in Afghanistan did not change.
The International Court of Justice is the United Nations’ principal judicial body and hears disputes between states, including cases involving international legal obligations.
Australian officials said that although the process would take time, Canberra remained firmly committed to supporting Afghan women and girls. The next stages could include referral to international arbitration and ultimately bringing the case before the International Court of Justice.
The Australian Foreign Ministry spokesman said pursuing legal action under the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women did not alter Canberra’s position that the Taliban administration is illegitimate.
The Australian government again stressed that it does not recognise the Taliban as the legitimate representative of the Afghan people and has no intention of accepting diplomats, honorary consuls or any other representatives appointed by the group.
In line with that position, it had previously been agreed that the Afghan embassy in Canberra would cease its activities in Australia.
Australian officials say the legal initiative is grounded in the lived experiences of Afghan women and that Australia is committed to meaningful engagement with Afghan women and civil society organisations throughout the process.
As part of these efforts, Germany hosted civil society consultations in Berlin in March last year involving legal delegations from partner countries. Australia also plans to hold domestic consultations with civil society in October this year to examine the initiative in greater detail.
The joint legal action by the four Western countries comes amid continuing criticism from international human rights organisations over Taliban policies towards women.
UNICEF and Amnesty International have again called on the Taliban administration to lift all restrictions on girls’ education and allow women and girls to return immediately to schools and universities.
Amnesty International has also called for urgent and coordinated international action to pressure the Taliban to reopen girls’ schools.
More than 20 countries have backed the decision by Germany, Australia, Canada and the Netherlands to pursue a case against the Taliban before the International Court of Justice. They said they condemned human rights violations in Afghanistan, particularly gender discrimination against women and girls by the Taliban.
Albania, Andorra, Belgium, Bulgaria, Chile, Croatia, Finland, Honduras, Ireland, Iceland, South Korea, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malawi, Morocco, Moldova, Montenegro, Romania, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden are among the 23 countries supporting the initiative by Germany, Australia, Canada and the Netherlands.
The Taliban has previously rejected allegations of human rights violations and gender discrimination in response to the four countries’ decision.
A Taliban Foreign Ministry spokesman said that at the time human rights are protected in Afghanistan and there is no discrimination against anyone.