Afghanistan Must Not Be Used To Target Pakistan, Says Pakistan President To UN Chief

Lavrov made the remarks during a joint press conference in Moscow with the foreign minister of Timor-Leste. According to the Russian foreign ministry’s website, he said the failure to issue a statement should not be treated as a tragedy because the roots of the tensions were foreseeable.

Lavrov said there were currently serious tensions between the Taliban and Pakistan, which he linked mainly to the presence of Islamic State and affiliated groups carrying out attacks and causing insecurity in both countries.

Lavrov said this group creates problems and carries out terrorist attacks on the territory of Afghanistan and Pakistan.

He added that one of the main lessons from the situation was the need to end interference by countries outside the region in its geopolitics.

Lavrov also linked the emergence of Islamic State to the US invasion of Iraq, saying the militant organisation later expanded into other parts of the world. He added that new terrorist groups had also emerged following NATO’s intervention in Libya.

The Russian foreign minister said he was confident that both the Taliban and Pakistan were interested in normalising relations and that Moscow supported such efforts.

Earlier, Zamir Kabulov, the Russian president’s special representative for Afghanistan, said the eighth Moscow Format meeting ended without a joint statement because of disagreements between the Taliban and Pakistan, a development Moscow said it regretted.

Kabulov said differences arose between the Taliban and Pakistani delegations during the drafting of the final statement because the Taliban believed Afghanistan had been mentioned “too extensively in relation to terrorism” in this year’s text.

According to him, Moscow found the Taliban’s position surprising because similar language had appeared in last year’s final statement. The Taliban, however, argued that bilateral relations had changed and that the inclusion of such wording was no longer acceptable to them.

Russian officials nevertheless stressed that the failure to adopt a joint statement would not prevent the Moscow Format from continuing its work and that the mechanism would remain a platform for coordinating regional cooperation.

The eighth Moscow Format meeting was attended by representatives and officials from Russia, Pakistan, Iran, India, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, while Belarus and Egypt participated as guests.

The eighth Moscow Format meeting was held in Moscow on Monday, 5 October, with representatives and senior officials from Russia, the Taliban, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, China, Pakistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi led the group’s delegation, while representatives from Belarus and Egypt attended as guests.

In a statement, Russia’s foreign ministry said participants stressed the importance of developing relations with the Taliban administration “on the basis of equality and mutual benefit” and called for support for Afghanistan’s further integration into the global economy.

Participating countries also urged the international community to continue providing humanitarian assistance to the Afghan people on a regular basis and not make such aid conditional on political requirements.

The Moscow Format is one of the regional frameworks for discussions on Afghanistan. Russia, China, Iran, Pakistan, India and Central Asian countries are among its main participants. Previous meetings have addressed issues including security, counter-terrorism, narcotics, the economy and Afghanistan’s regional relations.

On the sidelines of Monday’s meeting, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov met Muttaqi. Russia’s foreign ministry said the two discussed expanding bilateral relations and cooperation within regional and international meetings and organisations.

The Taliban’s foreign ministry also said in a statement that Muttaqi and Lavrov discussed political relations, economic and trade cooperation, regional issues and the continuation of political consultations between the two sides.

According to the Taliban foreign ministry, Muttaqi called for greater focus on economic, trade and transit cooperation, saying the Taliban attached considerable importance to developing long-term relations with Russia.

The ministry quoted Lavrov as saying Russia was also interested in expanding economic and trade relations with Afghanistan. It said Lavrov also praised the Taliban’s efforts to combat narcotics and maintain security.

Russia has gradually expanded its relations with the Taliban in recent years and has recognised the group’s administration. Moscow has repeatedly supported increased economic and political engagement with the Taliban at regional meetings, while also expressing concern in previous Moscow Format sessions about militant groups operating in Afghanistan.

Russian officials have said expanded relations with the Taliban are necessary for security reasons. Moscow is concerned about the potential movement of Central Asian and other foreign militants from northern Afghanistan into Tajikistan and other countries in the region.

Hekmatyar made the remarks in a recent online address attended by a number of his supporters. He said he wanted power transferred from the Taliban to the Afghan people so that citizens could elect a council and determine the country’s future political system and government.

He stressed that Afghanistan’s political future should be decided by the people rather than political parties or groups, and that the will of citizens should form the basis of any future political structure.

Referring to Afghanistan’s political future, Hekmatyar said “change is inevitable and near”, arguing that just as governments backed by the Soviet Union and the United States had failed to endure, Taliban rule would also not last.

He also said the Taliban administration remained politically isolated and, contrary to its claims, had no genuine and lasting allies in the region or internationally. According to Hekmatyar, countries that once supported the Taliban were no longer firmly aligned with the group, while no state offered it complete support.

Criticism of Taliban Foreign Policy

Hekmatyar also criticised the Taliban’s foreign policy, saying the group did not have any stable and reliable allies. He claimed that countries including Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and the United States had supported the Taliban in different ways in the past, but no longer backed the group and, in some cases, were now in political confrontation with it.

He said the Taliban had sought in recent years to expand relations with Russia, Iran and India and turn them into its main regional partners, but argued that these relationships did not amount to lasting or unconditional support.

Hekmatyar said that although Moscow had recognised the Taliban government, Russian officials had repeatedly raised concerns about security threats emanating from Afghanistan, the activities of militant groups and the Taliban’s system of governance.

He added that Tehran and New Delhi had also shaped their relations with the Taliban according to their own interests and considerations rather than on the basis of a strategic alliance.

The Hezb-e Islami leader said the Taliban faced a serious lack of international legitimacy and had failed to establish a stable position for itself in the regional and international order.

Hekmatyar added that although Russia had recognised the Taliban government, Moscow had repeatedly expressed concern over Afghanistan’s security situation and the Taliban’s governance, which he said showed that even the group’s closest foreign partners had reservations about its conduct.

He also accused the Taliban of intolerance towards opponents, saying that under its rule even unarmed critics and political opponents were unable to operate freely.

Addressing the Taliban, Hekmatyar said: “When you say opponents have no place in Afghanistan, then you have no place either, because you do not tolerate others.”

He said political disputes and disagreements should be addressed through “principled and Islamic” solutions and that Afghanistan’s problems should be resolved through dialogue and national understanding.

Hekmatyar also said proxy wars were continuing in the country while Afghans faced widespread problems including unemployment, insecurity and poverty.

He added that the mass expulsion of Afghan migrants from neighbouring countries had further compounded the country’s existing crises.

Noorullah Noori, the Taliban’s minister of borders, ethnic affairs and tribes, said in his latest remarks that there was no longer any need for dialogue or understanding with the group’s opponents and that the time for negotiations had ended.

Addressing Taliban opponents, he said they should not wait for talks to resume, adding: “This is not the time for negotiations. There is no need for negotiations or understanding.”

He made the remarks at a meeting with elders and religious scholars from Jaghori district in Ghazni province.

Less than a week earlier, the senior Taliban official had said the group was ready to hold talks with its opponents. On 30 September, during a meeting with Kuchi elders from six provinces, he called on opponents to abandon armed struggle and return to Afghanistan.

At that meeting, Noori had told opponents: “Afghanistan is the home of all Afghans. We are open to understanding and we will talk to you.” He also urged them to return to the country and “live peacefully”, while warning that they would be defeated if they continued armed resistance.

The Taliban official now says that “an Islamic system” is in place in Afghanistan and that opponents should explain what plan or alternative they have for the current system. Addressing them, he asked: “If you want an Islamic system, what is your version and what is your plan?”

The Taliban minister also claimed that the group had established security in Afghanistan and called on its opponents to explain what plans they had for maintaining security.

Noori again stressed the authority of the Taliban system under the leadership of Hibatullah Akhundzada and said “Sharia” was being enforced in the country. He also accused Taliban opponents of receiving financial support from the intelligence agencies of foreign countries.

The Taliban official went on to warn that opponents would not be able to disrupt security in Afghanistan.

Taliban opponents consider the group’s administration illegitimate and unlawful, saying it seized power through war and has deprived citizens, particularly women, of their fundamental rights.

Warning to Pakistan: Do not test the patience of the Afghan people

In another part of his remarks at the meeting with elders, religious scholars and residents of Jaghori district in Ghazni province, Noori criticised Pakistan and called on the country to respect the principles of good neighbourly relations.

The Taliban’s minister of borders, ethnic affairs and tribes said Pakistan should learn from the history, geography and past of both countries and should not take advantage of the “patience and tolerance” of the Afghan people.

He added that it was surprising that a country familiar with Afghanistan’s history and struggles would, in his words, continue to violate Afghan territory contrary to the principles of Islamic neighbourliness and international law.

South Korean media reported that the Taliban military delegation took part in the multinational “Centre 2026” exercises at Russia’s invitation. The drills were held from 28 September to 3 October across several locations in Russia, including Chelyabinsk.

According to South Korean media, the delegation was led by Mawlawi Nasibullah Madani, commander of the Taliban’s Abdullah bin Masoud Joint Combat Training Centre. NK News also reported that Madani met Ro Ki Chol, North Korea’s military attaché.

A photograph released by the Taliban’s defence ministry shows the two officials together at a weapons exhibition held during the exercises.

The Taliban’s defence ministry only confirmed that its delegation met military representatives from several countries during the exercises, including North Korea, China, India, Vietnam, Colombia, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan.

According to the ministry, the sides discussed bilateral relations, the exchange of military experience, specialised training and potential areas of cooperation.

Rare Contact Between the Taliban and North Korea

This is the first reported instance of direct contact between Taliban and North Korean military officials. The two sides do not have formal diplomatic relations, and Pyongyang has not recognised the Taliban government.

The meeting comes as Russia has expanded its relations with both the Taliban and North Korea. Moscow has recognised the Taliban government, while Russia’s relationship with North Korea has developed into extensive military cooperation since the start of the war in Ukraine.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un signed a “Comprehensive Strategic Partnership” treaty in June 2024, expanding security and military cooperation between the two countries.

The Taliban declared a neutral position at the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. On 25 February 2022, a day after the invasion began, the Taliban’s foreign ministry called on Russia and Ukraine to exercise restraint and resolve their differences through dialogue.