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Taliban strongholds in Pakistan give group platform to wage war: NDS
Ahmad Zia Saraj, the acting head of the national directorate of security (NDS), said Monday that because the Taliban has active and secure strongholds in Pakistani cities, the group has been able to intensify the conflict in Afghanistan.
Saraj said this was enabling the Taliban to continue a proxy war.
Saraj stressed that the region’s intelligence policy towards Afghanistan has not changed and that regional countries are trying to achieve a system that the Taliban want.
“Taliban safe havens in Quetta, Karachi and Peshawar are safely plotting every day to challenge us, and in their plans our people are killed, and if the Taliban leadership did not have safe places in these cities they [Taliban] would be facing a bad fate,” Saraj said.
Meanwhile, the acting NDS chief stressed that the Taliban had not cut contact with al-Qaeda and that many terrorist groups were colluding with the group to pursue one goal – which is to destabilize Afghanistan and kill people.
“The Taliban’s relationship with foreign terrorists continues on a regular basis, and terrorist groups are using each other’s capabilities, which has led to an increase in the conflict, and these groups are buying and selling suicide bombers, and all groups are pursuing the same goal, killing people, destroying values and establishing a system,” Saraj added.
Saraj also said that the Taliban does not believe in the peace process.
“If the Taliban was committed to peace, we should have seen results from the talks, and it can be seen that they are not interested in peace and they only want a regime according to their wishes, and if they were committed, they would not increase the violence,” Saraj said.
However, the NDS emphasizes that the only way to reduce the level of violence in Afghanistan is to create and cooperate on a “real” regional consensus basis.
He said conflict of interest among regional countries has resulted in a more widespread war in Afghanistan.
Talks between Afghanistan and Pakistan have officially begun in the Chinese city of Urumqi, sources told Ariana News on Thursday.
Afghanistan’s Minister of Economy, Din Mohammad Hanif, expressed optimism about the negotiations, saying he hopes the discussions will help bring an end to ongoing tensions and conflict between the two neighboring countries.
Meanwhile, Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Tahir Andarabi, said the talks involve senior officials and rejected claims that they are merely low-level engagements, calling such reports a “false narrative.”
Islamabad confirmed it has dispatched a delegation to Urumqi, reiterating its longstanding position that Afghanistan must address Pakistan’s security concerns, particularly regarding militant groups.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning emphasized that both Afghanistan and Pakistan are neighbors of China, adding that Beijing supports resolving differences through dialogue and negotiation.
China has also been actively facilitating mediation between Afghanistan and Pakistan and will continue to play a constructive role in easing tensions and improving relations between the two countries, the spokesperson said.
More than 1,200 Iranian nationals have returned home since the outbreak of the ongoing conflict, with many travelling through neighboring countries including Afghanistan and Armenia, according to reports.
Citing figures from Tasnim News Agency, a total of 1,262 Iranians have been repatriated from the United Arab Emirates since hostilities began. The returns come amid tightening travel restrictions and disrupted regional transport links.
Iranian authorities have formally requested that the UAE facilitate additional evacuation efforts, including the organisation of sea transport and access to a dedicated airstrip to expedite the return of citizens still stranded abroad.
Earlier on Wednesday, Dubai-based airline Emirates indicated on its website that Iranian nationals were no longer permitted to enter or transit through the UAE, further complicating travel options for those seeking to return home.
The developments come as regional airspace disruptions and security concerns linked to the ongoing conflict have significantly curtailed commercial travel routes across parts of the Middle East. With direct flights limited or suspended, many Iranians have been forced to rely on indirect and often complex routes through neighboring countries.
Countries such as Afghanistan and Armenia have emerged as key transit points due to their geographic proximity and continued land access, allowing travelers to bypass restricted air corridors.
The situation reflects broader challenges facing civilians in conflict-affected regions, where shifting aviation policies, border controls, and security risks have made cross-border movement increasingly difficult.
Authorities continue to explore alternative evacuation channels as demand for safe return routes remains high.
The Land Grabbing Prevention Commission has verified and secured more than 27.5 million jeribs of public grazing land in three provinces across Afghanistan over the past year, the Ministry of Justice said on Thursday.
The commission reported that extensive surveys were carried out in Faryab, Badghis, and Badakhshan, resulting in the formal identification and registration of over 27.57 million jeribs of pasture land.
According to the findings, more than 9.3 million jeribs were confirmed in Faryab, over 4.1 million jeribs in Badghis, and upwards of 14 million jeribs in Badakhshan. The grazing lands are located across provincial centers as well as all districts within these provinces.
The commission emphasized that survey and verification teams are currently working in other provinces to assess additional grazing lands.
Once the assessment process is completed in those areas, the lands will also be formally recorded in the land bank, ensuring legal protection and proper management.
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