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Uzbek Foreign Minister meets Haqqani, reaffirms commitment to strengthening bilateral ties

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Uzbekistan’s Foreign Minister Bakhtiyor Saidov met late Thursday with Acting Interior Minister of Afghanistan, Sirajuddin Haqqani, along with senior officials from the Afghan Interior Ministry, to discuss the Trans-Afghan Railway Project and broader bilateral relations.

According to a statement from the Afghan Ministry of Interior, the meeting focused on advancing regional connectivity through the ambitious railway initiative, which aims to link Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, and Pakistan.

The discussion followed the signing of a trilateral agreement earlier this week by transport and railway officials from the three nations to initiate the project’s feasibility study.

Saidov provided updates on recent developments related to the railway project and expressed satisfaction with the momentum gained. He highlighted that trade between Uzbekistan and Afghanistan had nearly tripled over the past year, underscoring growing economic cooperation between the neighboring countries.

The expansion of ties among Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, and Pakistan, along with increased political, economic, and cultural collaboration, is a promising sign for the entire region, Saidov said.

He also reaffirmed Uzbekistan’s support for the unfreezing of Afghan financial assets, the resolution of refugee issues, and the inclusion of Afghanistan in regional and international platforms.

Haqqani welcomed the Uzbek delegation and praised the “spirit of goodwill, constructive cooperation, and brotherhood” shown by Uzbekistan. He noted the strategic importance of the railway project and emphasized its potential to drive economic growth across the region.

We view this project not only as a transit corridor, but as a symbol of shared prosperity, Haqqani said, adding that Afghanistan remains committed to strengthening its political, economic, and cultural ties with Uzbekistan.”

The Trans-Afghan Railway Project, first proposed in 2018, is a key element in Uzbekistan’s broader push to become a regional transit hub. If completed, the railway would reduce cargo transit times between Central Asia and South Asia by several days and provide landlocked Uzbekistan with direct access to Pakistani seaports via Afghanistan.

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Afghanistan says Pakistani military post destroyed near Spin Boldak

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Afghanistan’s Ministry of Defense says a Pakistani military post near Spin Boldak was targeted and destroyed after Pakistani forces opened fire toward Afghanistan.

Ministry spokesperson Enayatullah Khwarazmi said in a post on X that Afghan forces suffered no casualties or damage in the clash.

Khwarazmi also rejected claims made by the Pakistani side about the incident, describing them as “propaganda.”

 

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Mujahid: Pakistan attacking Afghanistan to evade Mecca Pact responsibilities

He warned that the Islamic Emirate would give an “appropriate response” to what he called the Pakistani military regime’s “bullying.”

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Islamic Emirate spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid has accused Pakistan of carrying out attacks on Afghanistan to divert attention from its domestic problems and to evade responsibilities under the “Mecca Pact.”

Speaking at a religious seminary in Kandahar, Mujahid said Pakistan was facing political and economic challenges at home and was using attacks on Afghanistan to shift public attention away from protests and its internal problems.

“Pakistan, by violating the territory of its neighboring Islamic country, wants to divert attention from its failures,” he said.

Mujahid also criticized Pakistan’s political situation, claiming that political space had been restricted and that freedoms guaranteed under the country’s laws were not being allowed.

He said Pakistan’s economic problems had also increased significantly and accused the country of seeking to distract the public from those problems by engaging in conflict with Afghanistan.

Mujahid further accused Pakistan’s military leadership of putting the Pakistani people at risk through what he described as its “false position.”

He warned that the Islamic Emirate would give an “appropriate response” to what he called the Pakistani military regime’s “bullying.”

His remarks followed Pakistani airstrikes on Kandahar, Paktia and Khost provinces on Thursday, which Afghan authorities said killed four civilians.

The strikes came three days after attacks on Kunar and Paktika provinces, in which Afghan authorities said three civilians were killed.

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Kabul rejects U.S. claim that meth seized in Pakistan was of Afghan origin

Balkhi said the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) has imposed an absolute ban on the production, trafficking and use of all types of narcotics in Afghanistan.

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Afghanistan’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Abdul Qahar Balkhi has rejected a U.S. claim that 463 kilograms of synthetic drugs seized in Pakistan were of Afghan origin, calling the attribution “unfounded and politically motivated.”

Balkhi said the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad should investigate the origin of the seized drugs in Pakistan rather than attributing them to Afghanistan.

“The attribution by the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad of the synthetic drugs bound for Sri Lanka and intercepted in Pakistan through joint U.S.-Pakistani efforts as ‘Afghan-origin’ is an unfounded and politically motivated allegation,” Balkhi said.

He said the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) has imposed an absolute ban on the production, trafficking and use of all types of narcotics in Afghanistan.

Balkhi also claimed that following the ban in Afghanistan, the cultivation, production and trafficking of narcotics have increased “on the other side of the Durand Line.”

He further argued that Afghanistan does not have the capacity to produce synthetic drugs and said crossing points along the Durand Line have been completely closed to all movement for nearly a year.

His remarks came after the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad said U.S. and Pakistani anti-narcotics authorities had seized 463 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine worth an estimated $21 million and bound for Sri Lanka.

The embassy said the operation led to multiple arrests and highlighted ongoing U.S. cooperation and training with Pakistani authorities to disrupt international drug-trafficking networks.

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