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Tag: Afghanistan

  • Afghanistan says working with Tajikistan to investigate deadly border clash

    Afghanistan says working with Tajikistan to investigate deadly border clash

    KABUL: Afghanistan’s Taliban authorities said Saturday they were working with neighboring Tajikistan to investigate a border clash earlier this week that killed five people, including two Tajik guards.

    Tajikistan announced on Thursday that three members of a “terrorist” group had crossed into the Central Asian country “illegally” at Khatlon province, which borders Afghanistan.

    Tajik security forces killed the trio, but two border guards also died in the clash, the Tajik national security committee said.

    Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi said on Saturday that “we have started serious investigations into” the recent “incidents” on Tajik soil.

    “I spoke to the foreign minister of Tajikistan and we are working together to prevent such incidents,” he told an event in Kabul.

    “We are worried that some malicious circles want to destroy the relations between two neighboring countries,” the minister added, without elaborating.

    Tajikistan shares a mountainous border of about 1,350 kilometers (839 miles) with Afghanistan and has had tense relations with Kabul’s Taliban authorities, who returned to power in 2021.

    Unlike other Central Asian leaders, Tajik President Emomali Rakhmon, who has been in power since 1992, has criticized the Taliban and urged them to respect the rights of ethnic Tajiks in Afghanistan.

    At least five Chinese nationals were killed and several wounded in two separate attacks along the border with Afghanistan in late November and early December, according to Tajik authorities.

    According to a UN report in December, the jihadist group Jamaat Ansarullah “has fighters spread across different regions of Afghanistan” with a primary goal “to destabilize the situation in Tajikistan.”

    Dushanbe is also concerned about the presence in Afghanistan of members of the terrorist organization Daesh in Khorasan.

  • Will Afghanistan’s pledge against cross-border attacks ease tensions with Pakistan?

    Will Afghanistan’s pledge against cross-border attacks ease tensions with Pakistan?

    KABUL: As tensions flare up again between Afghanistan and Pakistan, the Afghan leadership has moved to reaffirm its commitment against cross-border militancy this week in what is seen as Kabul’s attempt to move the needle on peace negotiations, after multiple rounds of talks failed to produce a lasting truce.

    The neighboring countries have struggled to maintain a fragile ceasefire after border clashes killed dozens in October, the worst fighting since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in 2021.

    While subsequent talks toward a permanent ceasefire yielded little progress, the temporary truce brokered by Qatar and Turkiye collapsed last Friday, with heavy firing along the Spin Boldak-Chaman border that killed at least five people.

    Over the years Pakistan has put much of the blame for the border clashes on the government in Kabul allowing Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan — an outlawed armed group, which is separate from the Afghan Taliban — to use Afghan territory for cross-border attacks — a claim that Afghanistan has repeatedly denied.

    Afghanistan again pledged to prevent its territory from being used to harm other countries on Thursday, with Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi highlighting it as a religious duty, as endorsed just a day earlier by around 1,000 Afghan clerics in a fatwa, or religious decree.

    “The fatwa was more political than religious,” Kabul University lecturer Abdullah Awwab told Arab News on Friday.

    “I think it was a smooth way out of the pressure put on them by Pakistan and mediators, who were asking for a fatwa against the TTP. The emirate couldn’t issue that, so instead they had scholars issue a fatwa for ordinary Afghans, banning them from jihad abroad.

    “The fatwa shows Pakistan that the Taliban can use a fatwa to stop Afghans from joining the war. It demonstrates Kabul’s power and control over its own soil and people — and, at the same time, it shows Pakistan’s weakness in needing to ask Kabul for a religious fatwa.”

    Addressing new graduates at a ceremony in Kabul, Muttaqi said the Taliban had not “permitted anyone to carry out military activities in other countries” and that the government had the right to take action against anyone who violated the directive.

    “The leaders and elders of this Islamic emirate have pledged that Afghan soil will not be used to harm anyone. All the scholars and religious leaders affirmed that obeying this commitment is necessary for all Muslims,” he said.

    “Just as this nation has historically acted upon the fatwas and advice of its scholars, so too will (it) act upon them now. This is our shared duty.”

    Asif Durrani, Pakistan’s former special envoy to Afghanistan, said the decree was a “very significant” development.

    “Hopefully, the TTP, which owes allegiance to the Taliban’s Supreme Leader Mullah Hibatullah Akhundzada, will now submit to the collective wisdom of the Afghan Taliban ulema and surrender arms,” he wrote on X.

    Though the decree answers one of Pakistan’s demands, Afghan political analyst Wasi Baheer said it had “no direct impact” in the conflict.

    “Pakistan’s harsh words and threats to Kabul don’t mean much, because the real issue is inside Pakistan,” he told Arab News.

    “They cannot simply force changes in Kabul. The main reason talks collapsed in Qatar, Istanbul, and Saudi Arabia is that Pakistan demanded the Taliban act harshly against the TTP — which makes no sense, because it is an internal Pakistani problem. Using force here in Afghanistan will not bring any relief to Pakistan’s security.”

  • Afghanistan shifts trade to Iran route to avoid Pakistan closures

    Afghanistan shifts trade to Iran route to avoid Pakistan closures

    KABUL, Nov 14 (Reuters) – Landlocked Afghanistan is leaning more heavily on trade routes through Iran and Central Asia to reduce dependence on Pakistan, officials said, as tension between the neighbours escalates, with their border closed in recent weeks.

    Afghanistan’s reliance on Pakistan’s ports has long given Islamabad leverage to press Kabul over Pakistani militants sheltering across the border.

    But Afghanistan is increasingly making use of Iran’s concessions to shift freight to its Indian-backed port of Chabahar, bypassing Pakistan and avoiding recurring border and transit disruptions.

    “In the past six months, our trade with Iran has reached $1.6 billion, higher than the $1.1 billion exchanged with Pakistan,” Abdul Salam Jawad Akhundzada, a spokesman for the commerce ministry, told Reuters.

    “The facilities at Chabahar have reduced delays and given traders confidence that shipments will not stop when borders close.”

    THREE-MONTH DEADLINE

    Traders have three months to settle contracts in Pakistan and shift to other routes, said Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, Afghanistan’s deputy prime minister for economic affairs.

    Accusing Islamabad of using “commercial and humanitarian matters as political leverage”, he said Afghanistan would not mediate disputes after the deadline and ordered ministries to stop clearing Pakistani medicines, citing “low-quality” imports.

    The biggest shift is to Chabahar, used since 2017 under a transit pact with Iran and India. Afghan officials say incentives from tariff cuts and discounted storage to faster handling are drawing more cargo south.
    Iran has installed updated equipment and X-ray scanners, while offering Afghan cargo a 30% cut in port tariffs, 75% off storage fees and 55% off docking charges, said Akhundzada, the commerce ministry spokesman.

    PAKISTAN SEES NO HARM FROM AFGHAN DECISION

    Afghanistan’s decision would cause no economic harm to Pakistan, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif told Geo News.

    “Afghanistan can trade through any port or country,” he said.
    However, Commerce Minister Jam Kamal Khan told Reuters, “We cannot compromise on security.”

    India has stepped up engagement with Afghanistan’s ruling Taliban, hosting acting foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi and broadening humanitarian assistance.

    CENTRAL ASIA CORRIDORS EXPAND

    Afghanistan has boosted shipments through Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, routes it says are growing faster than Pakistan’s.

    As advantages Akhundzada cited new transit deals, lower border costs and offices at Milak and Zahedan, Iran’s main border crossing points for Afghan trade.

    But Pakistan is still the fastest route to the sea, with trucks reaching its southern port of Karachi in three days. Its exports to Afghanistan neared $1.5 billion in 2024.

    Islamabad says closures curb militant movement; Kabul denies providing safe haven to the militants.

  • Pakistan says 4 from Afghanistan-based group arrested over Islamabad bombing

    Pakistan says 4 from Afghanistan-based group arrested over Islamabad bombing

    Pakistan said Friday it had arrested four members of a cell over this week’s suicide bombing in Islamabad, which the government said was led from Afghanistan.

    The Tuesday attack outside court buildings was claimed by a faction of the Pakistani Taliban, known as the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

    Those arrested in connection with the bombing, which killed 12 people and wounded 37, were linked to the TTP, according to Islamabad.

    “The network was handled and guided at every step by the… high command based in Afghanistan,” a government statement said, adding that the cell’s alleged commander and three other members were in custody.

    “Investigations are continuing, and more revelations and arrests are expected,” it said, identifying the bomber as Usman alias Qari, a resident of Nangarhar province in eastern Afghanistan.

    The government did not detail where the arrests were made.

    Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi told the Senate on Thursday that the bomber was Afghan.

    The accusations come amid a sharp deterioration in ties between Islamabad and Kabul, with Pakistan blaming Afghan-based militants — particularly the TTP — for a surge in attacks since the Taliban returned to power in 2021.

    Kabul denies the charge.

    Relations hit a low last month after recent attacks prompted the worst cross-border clashes in years, killing more than 70 people, including dozens of Afghan civilians, according to the United Nations.

  • Pak Taliban group claims Islamabad bombing, Sharif blames India & Afghanistan

    Pak Taliban group claims Islamabad bombing, Sharif blames India & Afghanistan

    Even after the terror group Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing that 12 people in Islamabad today (11 November), Pak PM Shehbaz Sharif has sought to pin it on India.

    He condemned the perpetrators, calling them “Indian-sponsored terrorist proxies”. “These attacks are a continuation of India’s state-sponsored terrorism aimed at destabilising Pakistan,” he added, as per a report by his country’s news agency Associated Press of Pakistan (APP).

    India has not reacted yet to the allegations, as of 7:30 pm today but has in the past rubbished such assertions by Pakistan’a.

    Sharif, without citing evidence, also claimed the same network operating from Afghan territory had attacked children in Wana. He was referring to the Monday attack outside a Cadet College in Wana, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, bordering Afghanistan in which three people died. According to security officials, this attack too was carried out by the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

    Addressing the Inter-Parliamentary Speakers’ Conference in Islamabad, Shehbaz Sharif said, “Afghanistan must understand that lasting peace can only be realised by reining in TTP and other terrorist groups operating from Afghan territory.”

    In an X post on the Government of Pakistan account, Sharif also claimed that the “suicide attack” in the capital Islamabad on Tuesday originated in Afghanistan “with India’s backing”.

    Islamabad accuses Kabul of harbouring armed groups, particularly the TTP or Pakistani Taliban, which regularly claims deadly attacks in the country. The Afghan Taliban deny sheltering the group.

    “No condemnation is enough for these attacks being carried out from Afghan soil under Indian patronage,” Sharif said, as per APP.

    The attack on Tuesday took place at the federal capital’s G-11 judicial complex. Sharif said such attacks “cannot not shake Pakistan’s resolve to root out terrorism completely”.

    Islamabad has largely been spared major militant violence in recent years, with the last suicide attack occurring in December 2022. But Pakistan is facing a resurgence of attacks, which officials attribute mainly to armed groups allegedly sheltered on Afghan soil.

    The Islamabad court complex bombing came as Pakistani security forces battled militants who had holed up in a school in Khyber’s Wana.

    Recent attacks prompted a bloody clash between Pakistan and Afghanistan in October, their worst fighting across their border in years. More than 70 people were killed on both sides, including about 50 Afghan civilians, according to the United Nations.

    The two countries agreed to a fragile ceasefire, but failed to finalise its details during several rounds of negotiations that collapsed last week. Each side blamed the other for the impasse.

    Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said the Islamabad suicide attack should be seen as “a wake-up call”. “In this environment, it would be futile to hold out greater hope for successful negotiations with the rulers of Kabul,” he wrote on X.

  • Pakistan and Afghanistan agree to 48-hour ceasefire after deadly border clashes

    Pakistan and Afghanistan agree to 48-hour ceasefire after deadly border clashes

    Pakistan said on Wednesday it agreed to a 48-hour ceasefire with Afghanistan following days of violence that have killed dozens of people on both sides of the border.

    Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry said the ceasefire was at Afghanistan’s request.

    Moments later, the Taliban government’s chief spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, said the truce was at “the insistence” of the Pakistani side. His social media post did not mention a 48-hour time frame. All Afghan forces have been instructed to observe the ceasefire “as long as no one violates it”, Mujahid added.

    Pakistan accuses Afghanistan of harbouring armed groups, a charge rejected by the Taliban rulers. Pakistan is grappling with militant attacks that have increased since 2021, when the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan.

    The escalation of tensions is likely to destabilise a region where groups, including Islamic State and al-Qaeda, are trying to establish a foothold and resurface.

    Earlier on Wednesday, before the ceasefire announcement, Pakistan said its forces killed dozens of Afghan security forces and militants in overnight fighting. The clashes had stopped briefly on Sunday following appeals from Saudi Arabia and Qatar.

    Pakistan forces said they had repelled “unprovoked” assaults, but denied targeting civilians after the Taliban government said more than a dozen were killed and more than 100 others wounded when Pakistan targeted sites in a border area of Afghanistan’s southern Kandahar province.

  • Afghanistan’s Taliban foreign minister visits India to build closer ties

    Afghanistan’s Taliban foreign minister visits India to build closer ties

    Afghanistan’s Taliban foreign minister arrived in India on Thursday for talks aiming to foster economic ties with New Delhi in the first such visit by a leader of the Islamist group since it seized power in 2021.

    The six-day trip by Amir Khan Muttaqi highlights the Taliban’s efforts to spur engagement with regional powers to secure eventual diplomatic recognition.

    He is set to meet Indian counterpart Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and other officials to discuss a range of political, economic and trade matters.

    “We look forward to engaging discussions with him on bilateral relations and regional issues,” foreign ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a post on X welcoming the minister.

    Muttaqi is also expected to speak with Indian business representatives, visit the ancient monument to love, the Taj Mahal, and a historic Islamic seminary, media said.

    He arrives in New Delhi after talks in Moscow with diplomats from Afghanistan’s neighbours, who appeared to unite against US President Donald Trump’s stated aim of taking over the Bagram military base near Kabul, the capital.

    Russia is the only country to have yet recognised the Taliban administration, whose members are under UN sanctions including a travel ban and asset freeze, including Muttaqi, who got a temporary exemption to visit India.

    Historically, India and Afghanistan have had friendly ties but New Delhi does not recognise the Taliban and shut its embassy in Kabul after the US withdrawal from the war-shattered country in 2021.

    New Delhi opened a small mission a year later to ease the way for trade, medical support and humanitarian aid, while its senior officials have held two-way talks with Taliban leaders.

  • Over 800 Killed, 2,800 Injured In Afghanistan Earthquake: What We Know So Far

    Over 800 Killed, 2,800 Injured In Afghanistan Earthquake: What We Know So Far

    More than 800 people were killed and thousands more injured as a major earthquake struck southeastern Afghanistan late on Sunday, one of the worst such disasters in the country in recent years.

    As authorities scramble to rescue survivors, here is a look at what happened and the devastation the tremors caused.

    Where Did The Quake Strike?

    The epicentre of the 6.0 magnitude quake, which occurred at 11:47 p.m. local time (1917 GMT) at a depth of 10 km (6 miles), lay near the eastern city of Jalalabad, among the five largest cities in Afghanistan, and the capital of Nangarhar province.

    Tremors were also felt in other South Asian countries, including neighbouring Pakistan and India.

    What Was The Extent Of Damage?

    More than 800 people died and 2,800 others were injured as the tremors buffeted several areas of Nangarhar and the neighbouring province of Kunar, where three villages were completely flattened.

    Both provinces are located on Afghanistan’s border with Pakistan. While Kunar, which alone recorded more than 600 deaths, lies in the Hindu Kush mountain range, Nangarhar is located to the south of it.

    What Kind Of Rescue Efforts Are Being Made?

    The Afghan Taliban government has mobilised several teams related to security, health, transport and food, among other domains, to ensure “comprehensive and full support” is provided to those affected.

    At least 40 flights have been carried out to transport bodies and more than 400 of the injured.

    Are Earthquakes Common In Afghanistan?

    The country is prone to devastating earthquakes and it experienced tremors with a magnitude of more than 5.0 on at least four occasions between April and August alone.

    Sunday’s earthquake, however, is its worst since June 2022, when a 6.0 magnitude quake killed more than 1,000 people.

    Why Is The Country Prone To Earthquakes?

    Afghanistan is particularly vulnerable to earthquakes because of its location at the intersection of two major tectonic plates – the Indian plate and the Eurasian plate.

    As the Indian plate moves northward and collides with the Eurasian plate, the pressure between the two creates regular seismic activity in the region, especially in the area of the Hindu Kush.

  • Afghanistan Generates 250 MW of Electricity, Imports 800 MW from Central Asia and Iran

    Afghanistan Generates 250 MW of Electricity, Imports 800 MW from Central Asia and Iran

    By Sadokat Jalolova

    Afghanistan’s state-owned electricity company, Da Afghanistan Breshna Sherkat (DABS), has signed or prepared agreements for domestic power generation projects totaling 1,070 megawatts over the past 11 months, with 70% of the funding coming from foreign investors, TOLOnews reported.

    Speaking in an interview, DABS chief Abdulbari Omar said the initiative marks a significant step toward energy self-sufficiency after years of underinvestment in the sector. “In the past 11 months, we have invested 69 billion Afghanis ($1.01 billion), 70% of which came from abroad. This shows we have encouraged foreign investors to enter the Afghan market,” he said.

    Afghanistan currently produces about 250 MW of electricity domestically and imports around 800 MW from Turkmenistan, Iran, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan, at an annual cost of $250-280 million. Omar said the country would need between 6,000 and 7,000 MW to meet domestic demand, rising to 10,000 MW if industrial activity expands.

    He acknowledged the challenges of developing power from wind, water, gas, coal, and waste, but stressed that projects are moving forward with domestic funds and private investment, without relying on the World Bank or other international organizations.

    Omar also highlighted the problem of unpaid bills, citing 450 million Afghanis ($6.48 million) owed by former political leaders and warlords. “All individuals, from ministers to ordinary citizens, are treated equally under the law,” he said, noting that power has been cut to ministers who failed to pay.

    Last year, The Times of Central Asia reported that DABS extended its electricity import agreement with Uzbekistan until the end of 2025. The deal, signed in Uzbekistan by Omar and the National Electricity Company of Uzbekistan, remains vital for meeting Afghanistan’s needs.

    According to the Taliban-controlled Ministry of Energy and Water, Afghanistan requires around 1,500 MW of electricity, with roughly 720 MW imported and the rest generated domestically.

  • Kazakh Foreign Minister Visits Kabul, Signs $500M Railway Deal as Mining Push Gathers Momentum

    Kazakh Foreign Minister Visits Kabul, Signs $500M Railway Deal as Mining Push Gathers Momentum

    By Stephen M. Bland

    In a major step toward deepening regional engagement, Kazakhstan’s Foreign Minister Murat Nurtleu arrived in Kabul this week, signaling a continuing shift towards pragmatic engagement in Astana’s policy towards Afghanistan. The visit resulted in significant diplomatic and economic developments, including the signing of a $500 million agreement on the Herat-Torghundi railway.

    During his visit, Nurtleu met with Afghanistan’s acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi and other senior officials in the Taliban-led government. In a joint statement, the two sides emphasized their commitment to expanding bilateral ties in transit, trade, education, and regional security. Nurtleu pledged Kazakhstan’s support for Afghanistan’s stabilization, food security, and comprehensive development, stating that Astana is seeking to expand its partnership with Kabul based on shared regional interests.

    A highlight of the visit was the signing of a memorandum of understanding for the construction of the Torghundi–Herat railway. The 115-kilometer line will link western Afghanistan to Turkmenistan, and is expected to extend connectivity into Iran and further south to the Arabian Sea. Afghanistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Abdul Ghani Baradar welcomed the agreement, stating that the deal will lay the foundation for establishing a logistics hub in Herat. As reported by Baradar’s office, discussions also covered the possibility of relaxing visa regulations for Afghan traders, resuming direct flights between Kabul and Astana, and increasing bilateral trade volumes.

    The two sides emphasized expanding economic collaboration through joint initiatives in key industries, including mining, transportation, communications, energy, and infrastructure. They also considered formalizing accords on agricultural product safety, cross-border logistics, and reduced transit costs — steps aimed at potentially raising trade between the countries to $3 billion.

    In parallel to these diplomatic overtures, Kazakhstan’s mining giant Kazakhmys Barlau is exploring Afghanistan’s untapped mineral resources. CEO Galym Nurzhanov confirmed that his team has already begun reconnaissance operations in the mineral-rich Nuristan Province. Nurzhanov described the terrain as a geological time capsule, stating that “For our geologists and miners, it’s like stepping into the 19th century. We looked at lead-zinc deposits, grades of nearly 39%, with concentrates reaching 41%. That’s ready ore, you can crush it and send it straight to the plant.”

    As previously reported by The Times of Central Asia, despite lingering tensions over issues such as Afghanistan’s controversial Qosh Tepa Canal project, Kazakhstan has emphasized an approach to relations with Kabul based on “practicality, not ideology,” highlighting the shared need for regional security, trade corridors, and energy development.