The Diplomat: Last week, as the Taliban spokesperson Zabiullah Mujahid triumphantly declared 2025 “a year of diplomatic success,” the claim was received with predictable laud from the movement’s echo chambers. But to anyone observing Afghanistan with even minimal distance from the Taliban’s propaganda, the opposite is true. Far from consolidating power or gaining legitimacy, the
Amu: Pakistan’s defense minister warned that Islamabad is fully prepared to confront both the Taliban and India at the same time, saying the Taliban were no longer trustworthy due to their ties with India and militant groups. Khawaja Asif said in an interview that his earlier optimism about the Taliban after they returned to power
Amu: Taliban chief spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid has accused Pakistan of seeking to destabilise Afghanistan in coordination with major powers, including the United States, as relations between the two sides remain strained despite multiple rounds of talks. He linked the allegation to renewed US statements about Afghanistan’s former Bagram air base, adding: “When the United States
Amu: Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada has appointed 15 Taliban officials to new positions, including their provincial governors, deputy governors and senior security officials, according to a statement. According to a notice released by Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid, Gul Haidar Shafaq, previously Taliban governor of Jawzjan, was appointed governor of Bamiyan, while Abdullah Sarhadi, the Taliban
Afghanistan International: The Taliban’s decision to receive Khalilzad at the level of foreign minister suggested the group views him as a potential intermediary, relying on his experience and contacts to help improve relations between the Taliban and Washington. Click here to read more (external link).
Ariana: Mehmood Khan Achakzai, chairman of the Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP), has said that Afghanistan currently enjoys greater security and justice than Pakistan, asserting that Islamabad cannot impose its demands on the Afghan people. Achakzai also criticized Pakistan’s policy toward Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), calling it misguided. He said Pakistan militarized religious seminaries in the
Amu: Former vice president Marshal Abdul Rashid Dostum has said that the Taliban are “taking their last breaths” and only understand force, as criticism intensified over the killing of a former police chief in Iran. Speaking during an online memorial gathering for Gen. Ikramuddin Saree on Sunday, Dostum said the Taliban do not understand diplomacy
Afghanistan International: Yunus Qanuni, a former Afghan vice president, said Taliban intelligence was responsible for the assassination of Ikramuddin Sari, a former Afghan security commander, in Tehran. He added that there is no doubt the group’s intelligence bodies conduct cross-border operations. Click here to read more (external link). More UN Rapporteur Calls for Probe Into
The Guardian (UK): The peace of the graveyard has descended upon Afghanistan. “Afghanistan might seem safe now, there are not a lot of explosions, but it is a graveyard kind of security. The most peaceful place is the grave: there nobody protests,” says Dr Sima Samar. Samar has spent a lifetime working for the ideals
Tolo News: Following remarks by Maulana Fazlur Rehman, leader of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Pakistan, who condemned Pakistan’s strikes on Kabul and likened Islamabad’s approach to India’s attacks on Pakistan, Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif has now rejected the comparison. Khawaja Asif claimed that Pakistan’s operations against Afghanistan were targeted and specifically aimed at verified Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan