The latest escalation between Afghanistan and Pakistan will be urgently discussed at the upcoming meeting of the Moscow Format Consultations on Afghanistan, scheduled for October 5, Zamir Kabulov, Russia’s special presidential representative for Afghanistan, told Izvestia.

Kabulov said Russia is prepared to use the Moscow Format as a platform to help the two sides reach a compromise.

“Of course, this issue will certainly be raised, and we will be happy to use the Moscow platform to bring both conflicting parties to some reasonable compromises,” he said.

He added that Russia is ready to mediate between Kabul and Islamabad if both sides request its assistance, noting that Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has previously expressed Moscow’s readiness to help resolve the dispute.

High-ranking officials from both countries are expected to attend the October 5 meeting. Afghanistan’s Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi will participate, while Pakistan will send its special representative for Afghanistan, along with its ambassador to Kabul and other senior foreign-policy officials, Kabulov said.

The Moscow Format, established in 2016, brings together regional countries to discuss Afghanistan’s security and political situation. Its participating countries include Russia, Afghanistan, China, Pakistan, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. Belarus and Egypt have also been invited as guests to the upcoming meeting.

The latest tensions come amid continued disagreements between Kabul and Islamabad over security and cross-Durand Line militancy. Pakistan has repeatedly accused the Afghan authorities of allowing Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which Islamabad blames for attacks inside Pakistan, to operate from Afghan territory.

The Afghan authorities have denied supporting the TTP and have maintained that Pakistan’s internal security problems should not be blamed on Afghanistan.

Kabulov said the dispute remains difficult to resolve because both sides continue to maintain their positions.

The Moscow Format meeting comes after Pakistan carried out fresh airstrikes in Afghanistan on October 1. Afghan authorities said the strikes in Kunar and Helmand provinces killed nine civilians, including women and children, and wounded 11 others.

Afghanistan condemned the strikes as an act of aggression.

Abdul Haq Hamkar, Chief Executive Officer of Da Afghanistan Breshna Sherkat (DABS), has met with Tajikistan’s Minister of Energy and Water Resources Daler Juma during a visit to Tajikistan.

According to DABS, the two sides discussed increasing electricity imports from Tajikistan and expanding power transmission infrastructure between the two countries.

They also discussed a proposed 500-kilovolt transmission line from Tajikistan through Afghanistan to Iran, which they said could contribute to expanding regional power transmission networks and strengthening energy cooperation.

The meeting also covered planned energy projects in Badakhshan province and Afghanistan’s border districts. Both sides emphasized expanding cooperation to help provide a stable electricity supply to these areas.

Hamkar said energy is not only a technical requirement but also essential for the operation of hospitals, industrial development, education, and the country’s economic and social growth.

He called for further expansion of energy cooperation between Afghanistan and Tajikistan.

Afghanistan will face Pakistan, Zimbabwe, India and Australia in the group stage of the 2027 Men’s Cricket World Cup, after the International Cricket Council (ICC) announced the tournament schedule.

Afghanistan has been drawn in Group A alongside defending champions Australia, India, Pakistan, Zimbabwe and one qualifier.

The Afghan side will begin its World Cup campaign against Pakistan on October 8 in Tshwane of South Africa.

Afghanistan will then face Zimbabwe on October 11 in Bulawayo of Zimbabwe, followed by a highly anticipated clash with India on October 14 in Tshwane.

The team’s fourth group-stage match will be against Australia on October 18 in KuGompo City of South Africa, before Afghanistan concludes its group campaign against Qualifier A on October 21, also in KuGompo City.

The top three teams from each group will advance to the Super 7 phase, along with the fourth-placed team that has the better record between the two groups.

The Super 7 phase will be played from October 25 to November 14, with the seven teams starting the phase without carrying any points from the group stage. Each team will play six matches.

The top four teams in the Super 7 standings will advance to the semi-finals, scheduled for November 17 and 18 in Cape Town and Tshwane respectively. The final will be played in Johannesburg on November 21.

The 2027 World Cup will be jointly hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia, with the tournament beginning on October 2 with a three-team Super Series in Windhoek.

Afghanistan is among the 12 teams already placed in the group stage. The remaining four World Cup places will be decided through the Cricket World Cup Qualifier, with the qualifier winner advancing directly to the group stage and the other three teams competing in the Super Series for the final spot.

The group stage officially begins on October 7, with Australia facing India in Cape Town in a repeat of the 2023 World Cup final.