Taliban seek time as Jirga pushes peace
The meeting, held in a bid to defuse rising tensions and restore peace in the conflict-hit region, marked a tentative step toward renewed dialogue between the two sides.
Speaking after the session, Jirga member Dr Khalil said a firm message was delivered to the armed groups during the discussions. "We demanded that they either return to Afghanistan or, if they are adamant about fighting, move away from civilian populations and head towards the mountains," he told reporters.
Following the discussions, the Jirga returned to Bajaur, while the Taliban asked for time until 12 noon on Saturday to give their formal response.
Sources within the Jirga indicated that a second round of talks is expected to be held tomorrow, contingent upon the Taliban's reply.
The talks come amid renewed security concerns in the tribal belt, with local elders pushing for a non-violent resolution and the withdrawal of armed groups from populated areas.
On the other hand, law enforcement agencies launched a crackdown on the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM)'s peace march in Khar, Bajaur on Friday, arresting two key organizers, according to police sources.
Those detained include PTM's provincial coordinator Ghairat Khan and local Bajaur coordinator Sulaiman.
District Police Officer (DPO) Bajaur, Waqas Rafiq, stated that PTM workers were chanting slogans against state institutions during the march. "They were trying to disrupt the ongoing peace Jirga in Bajaur," he claimed.
The arrests were made under Section 3 of the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) Ordinance, the DPO added.
The peace march was reportedly organized in protest against the ongoing security operations in the region.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Express Tribune
17 hours ago
- Express Tribune
Russia rolls a geopolitical dice
Listen to article Pakistan presented its first National Security Policy (NSP) in January 2022. The policy emphasised a shift to economic security and a citizen-centric approach. Former National Security Advisor Moeed Yousaf led the idea of recognising that economic security was crucial for overall national security. Seen in the context of Pakistan's foreign policy towards Afghanistan, it is hard to understand how geo-economics can precede geopolitics. Pakistan provides Afghanistan its primary transit route, serves as its largest export market and acts as its principal diplomatic emissary to the world. It's not just geo-economics but geopolitics that binds both countries in a not-so-friendly but enduring relationship. In the matter of Afghanistan, a recent geopolitical event is dominating the current discourse on Afghanistan. Russia has recently rolled a geopolitical dice that may have far-reaching regional and global implications. By according diplomatic recognition to the Taliban regime, the first by any country, the Russian dice puts on spot the very idea of international consensus led by the US not to do so. It is not just Russia but China also that is supporting the idea of developing a regional consensus in treating the Taliban not just as a military movement or a rogue regime but as a responsible political force that can be trusted with the process of state-building. Countries in the Russian and Chinese sphere of influence must already have sensed the bigger picture behind the Russian idea of the roll of this dice. With one roll of the dice, Russia has indicated that it is ready to forego all the historical animosity and grievances that have overshadowed its relationship with Afghanistan. When the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan in 1979, a million Afghans were killed, a million and a half were wounded, three million sought refuge in Iran and Pakistan, and an unknown number were internally displaced — all out of a population of fewer than 20 million people. Yet both Russia and Afghanistan have decided to move beyond their historical grievances, and Russia, by recognising the Taliban's government, has laid the foundation for helping the Taliban in transitioning from a military movement to becoming an internationally recognised legitimate political force. The dice roller in this case would not do that without a specific agenda. What can be on that agenda? Russia and China, together, are throwing up a challenge to the US-led international consensus against diplomatic normalisation with the Taliban regime. The diplomatic engagement and support that both Russia and China have chosen to offer to Afghanistan stems from the rising tensions between the global north and global south and backs these two great powers' driven narrative of 'the rise of the rest against the west'. On the question of Afghanistan, China is utilising geopolitics to create the right conditions to enable its geo-economic strategies. In January 2025, Chinese President Xi Jinping accepted the credentials of the Taliban's newly appointed Afghan ambassador to China. The message that China sent to the world was clear: China does not believe that Afghanistan should be excluded from the international community. Geo-economically, China doesn't want uncertainty in Afghanistan to upset its plans for Central and South Asia, and it would do everything to politically and diplomatically engage with the Taliban to ensure that the insecurity radiating out of Afghanistan does not undermine its billions of dollars of investment in its neighbouring country, Pakistan. An Afghanistan, supported politically and engaged diplomatically, will ensure that China's largest BRI project, the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, which runs through areas near the Afghan border, is not vulnerable to strikes from Pakistani Taliban rebels. If China also recognises the Taliban government, would a broader wave of recognition follow? The diplomatic engagement and support that both Russia and China have chosen to offer to Afghanistan stems from the rising tensions with the US, which has made the possibility of normalisation of its relations with the current Taliban regime explicitly conditional. America's Afghan policy is driven by ensuring a global endorsement that the world will stay united in holding the Taliban to their commitments in key areas. Three key areas that the US wants the Taliban to deliver in are: not allowing Afghan land to be used for terrorist activities abroad and giving up violence as an instrument of power; respecting human rights; and undoing its policy of depriving women of their rights. In contrast, the diplomatic olive branch that both Russia and China have offered to the Taliban regime goes against the US-driven international commitment. Seen from the perspective of increased disengagement of the US and Western powers from Afghanistan, the Russian roll of this geopolitical dice may induce a domino effect of more and more countries joining hands with Russia and China in elevating the Taliban's status from being considered as a rogue regime to being accepted as a responsible political force. Geo-economically, Russia is planning to raise the bar of its bilateral trade with Afghanistan from the current $1 billion annual to $3 billion by the end of this year. Afghanistan acts as an important transit corridor for Russia. If Afghanistan gets its act together, it can play a significant role in enabling regional connectivity and providing access to Russian oil and wheat to the South Asian markets. In April this year, Russia, Uzbekistan and Afghanistan have already signed agreements to launch the Trans-Afghan Railway, reaffirming the strategic importance of Afghanistan in regional connectivity. Russia's actions may fundamentally reshape the global community's stance on Afghanistan. President Trump's idea of rolling a tariff dice is already being viewed with contempt by many countries in the world. India has also been put on the spot as its exports have been subjected to a 25% tariff, and the seven Indian companies that imported oil from Russia have been put under sanctions. Will this encourage India to distance itself from American relations? It is already a defence and strategic partner of Russia; will it bring a shift in its relations with China? Pakistan's current government enjoys good relations with the current American administration, and considering that Pakistan is also part of the international consensus against the Taliban regime, what will be the response of Pakistan's establishment to this Russian roll of geopolitical dice? We will have to wait and see.
Business Recorder
a day ago
- Business Recorder
SU launches Independence Day celebrations under ‘Marka-e-Haq' theme
HYDERABAD: The University of Sindh, Jamshoro, launched its two weeks Independence Day celebrations under the 'Marka-e-Haq' theme with a vibrant walk and a symbolic tree plantation drive on Friday, in line with the schedule announced recently at a high-level meeting chaired by the Chief Minister of Sindh at the CM House. Waving national flags and raising slogans in favour of the Pakistan Army and Pakistan, a large number of faculty members, officers and staff participated in a spirited march led by SU Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr. Khalil-ur-Rehman Khoumbati. The rally began at the back gate of the administrative building and concluded at the main entrance of AC-II circling around the premises. Participants enthusiastically expressed gratitude for the country's triumphs in past conflicts, particularly hailing the Pakistan Air Force for its decisive actions, including the downing of six Indian fighter jets, including three Rafales. Addressing the rally, Vice-Chancellor Dr. Khoumbati reflected on the sacrifices that led to the creation of Pakistan and warned against the challenges the nation faces today from terrorism and extremism. 'Pakistan was born out of a long and difficult struggle. Today, we are again called upon to stand united and resolute,' he said. Pinning his hopes on the younger generation, the Vice-Chancellor said that university students had the potential to become architects of national revival. 'Our youth can be the force that repels negativity. They possess the vision to chart a new course for the country. We must equip them with education, our most powerful weapon to face the complex challenges of the modern world,' he noted. Accompanying the Vice-Chancellor were Registrar Professor Dr. Mushtaque Ali Jariko, Pro-Vice Chancellor of SU Thatta Campus Professor Dr. Misbah Bibi Qureshi, deans, academic and administrative heads, faculty members, and university employees. Earlier in the day, national flags were hoisted across the campus, creating an atmosphere of patriotic fervour. As part of the celebrations, Dr. Khoumbati also inaugurated a 'Tree Plantation Drive for Climate Change' to mark Independence Day with an environmental focus. Speaking at the plantation ceremony, he said that extreme weather patterns had wreaked havoc in Pakistan in recent years. One of the most impactful ways to counter it was through large-scale tree plantation. 'Everyone from students to staff can take part in this collective mission,' he said. He said that enhancing tree cover would not only combat climate change but also improve air quality and public health, adding that environmental action was a civic responsibility. The University's Independence Day celebrations will continue for two weeks, culminating in a series of major ceremonies on August 14, 2025. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Business Recorder
2 days ago
- Business Recorder
Pakistan issues fresh call for Afghans to leave
QUETTA: Pakistan issued a new call on Friday for Afghans living in the southwest to leave the country, triggering thousands to rush to the border, officials said. Millions of Afghans have poured into Pakistan over the past several decades, fleeing successive wars, as well as hundreds of thousands who arrived after the return of the Taliban government in 2021 . A deportation drive first launched in 2023 was renewed in April when Pakistan's government rescinded hundreds of thousands of residence permits for Afghans, threatening to arrest anyone who did not leave. 'We have received directives from the home department to launch a fresh drive to repatriate all Afghans... in a respectful and orderly manner,' Mehar Ullah, a senior government official in Quetta, the capital of Balochistan province, told AFP. The province borders Afghanistan and there are significant ties between the regions. On Friday, there were 'around 4,000 to 5,000 people at the Chaman border' waiting to return, said Habib Bingalzai, a senior government official in Chaman. Abdul Latif Hakimi, the head of Refugee Registration in Afghanistan's Kandahar province across the border, said they were aware of an increase in returning Afghans on Friday. Islamabad has labelled Afghans 'terrorists and criminals', but analysts say the expulsions are designed to pressure neighbouring Afghanistan's Taliban authorities to control militancy in the border regions. In total, more than one million Afghans have left Pakistan since 2023, including more than 200,000 since April. The campaign launched in April targeted the more than 800,000 Afghans with temporary residence permits, some of whom were born in the country or have lived there for decades. Some Pakistanis have grown weary of hosting a large Afghan population as security and economic woes deepen, and the deportation drive has widespread support.
