Pakistan announced on Friday that it is prepared to receive its nationals currently residing in Afghanistan, provided they are formally handed over through the Torkham and Spin Boldak-Chaman crossings.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Tahir Andarabi said during a press briefing that Pakistan would accept any Pakistani citizen and their families returning from Afghanistan, but stressed that the handover must occur at the Torkham or Chaman points.

He accused the Islamic Emirate of attempting to portray members of militant groups as refugees or civilians seeking shelter. “This is not a humanitarian or a refugees crisis, but a ploy to frame terrorists as refugees,” Andarabi said.

The spokesperson reiterated Pakistan’s concerns about what it describes as a surge in attacks since the Islamic Emirate took power in Kabul in 2021. He said the Islamic Emirate have failed to act against militants using Afghan soil to target Pakistan, despite repeated assurances.

Andarabi added that while Pakistan remains committed to dialogue with Kabul, it will not negotiate with militant groups.

The statement followed the conclusion of the third round of Afghanistan-Pakistan talks held in Istanbul earlier this week, mediated by Turkiye and Qatar.

Pakistani officials have repeatedly claimed that militant groups carrying attacks in Pakistan have sanctuaries in Afghanistan. The Islamic Emirate, however, denies the claim.

Two weeks ago, Islamic Emirate’s spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, said that during the Istanbul negotiations, the Pakistani side was informed that the Islamic Emirate was willing to deport people Islamabad considers a security threat. However, Pakistan did not accept the offer.

A high-level delegation from Tajikistan, including officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, security agencies, and other key authorities, arrived in Kabul on Saturday.

Sources told Ariana News that the delegation’s visit aims to strengthen and expand political, economic, and security relations between Tajikistan and the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. In addition to meeting with various Afghan government officials, the delegation will also discuss future cooperation.

Over the past four years, Tajikistan has had less direct engagement with the Islamic Emirate compared to other Central Asian countries. The visit signals a renewed effort to reinforce political ties and economic interactions between the two countries.

Sources added that alongside broader discussions on bilateral relations, the two sides are also expected to talk about the opening of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan’s embassy in Dushanbe and other related matters.

The visit marks a significant step in Tajikistan’s efforts to establish more direct and stable relations with Afghanistan’s leadership, reflecting an interest in fostering closer regional cooperation.

Amir Khan Muttaqi, the Foreign Minister of the Islamic Emirate, held a telephone conversation with Rosemary DiCarlo, the United Nations Deputy Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs.

According to a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the discussion covered assistance to victims of the recent earthquake in the country and returning migrants, the situation in Afghanistan and the region, humanitarian cooperation, the economic situation, counter-narcotics efforts, and working groups related to the private sector.

Muttaqi thanked DiCarlo for her sympathy and assistance to the earthquake victims, and noted that although more than two million migrants returned to Afghanistan over the past year, the Islamic Emirate managed their return in an appropriate manner.

Referring to the issue of refugees, Muttaqi said that humanitarian matters should not be tied to politics, but unfortunately this is often the case in practice.

He assured that Afghanistan is moving in a positive direction in the political, security, administrative, and economic sectors, and that with the exception of one country—Afghanistan’s relations with regional and neighboring countries have expanded and continue to improve.

Regarding the work of UN agencies and the two working groups on “supporting the private sector” and “counter-narcotics,” the Foreign Minister said that IEA has provided suitable conditions for international organizations to operate and has enabled their access to all parts of the country; however, he added that UN agencies still need to carry out more practical work in this area.

Rosemary DiCarlo thanked him for the opportunity for the telephone conversation and for the information provided, and emphasized that proper and humane conditions must be ensured for returning migrants.

She added that they are actively engaging with various parties to provide assistance to earthquake victims and returning migrants, and praised IEA for its effective management of the returnees and its successful counter-narcotics efforts.

She assured that the Office of the UN Secretary-General has not halted its efforts to increase political engagement with Afghanistan through member states and relevant partners.

In the conversation, DiCarlo also called for greater cooperation by IEA with the staff of UN agencies in Afghanistan.