Pakistan raises Afghanistan concerns with U.S.

May 31, 2026
Khaama Press

Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar discussed security threats originating from Afghanistan territory during talks with senior U.S. officials in Washington.

According to Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry, Dar raised concerns over what Islamabad described as the use of Afghanistan soil by militant organisations to carry out attacks inside Pakistan. The two sides also discussed strengthening cooperation on counterterrorism, security, trade and investment.

The ministry said both countries agreed to advance bilateral engagement through high-level contacts and cooperation aimed at promoting regional peace, security and economic development. The United States has not yet issued a separate statement on the meeting.

Pakistan has repeatedly accused the Taliban administration in Afghanistan of failing to prevent militants, including members of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, from using Afghanistan territory to organise and launch attacks. Kabul has consistently rejected the allegations, insisting that Afghanistan territory is not being used against any neighbouring country.

The discussions took place amid heightened regional security concerns and growing diplomatic activity involving South Asia and the Middle East. Washington has recently intensified consultations with regional partners on security issues, including counterterrorism cooperation and stability in Afghanistan following continued cross-border violence.

The meeting also comes as U.S. officials continue negotiations with Iran over a possible extension of the current ceasefire. U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said this week that Washington remains prepared to resume military strikes against Iran if diplomacy fails, while President Donald Trump has said he is reviewing a final proposal related to a potential agreement with Tehran.

Relations between Pakistan and the Taliban government have deteriorated significantly over the past two years due to security disputes. Islamabad has carried out airstrikes and military operations targeting suspected militant positions near the border, while clashes between Pakistani forces and Taliban fighters have periodically erupted along key crossing points.

The security situation has become one of the most contentious issues in relations between Kabul and Islamabad. Pakistani officials argue that attacks by the TTP have increased despite repeated requests for action, while Taliban authorities maintain that Pakistan’s security challenges are an internal matter and should not be blamed on Afghanistan.

Regional powers, including China, have encouraged dialogue between the two sides amid concerns that continued tensions could further destabilise border regions and undermine broader economic and connectivity projects across South and Central Asia.

Pakistan raises Afghanistan concerns with U.S.
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Truck carrying Afghan returnees from Pakistan flips on highway, killing 18

May 31, 2026
Al Jazeera
By AFP and AP
Published On 30 May 2026
At least 10 children among the dead as a packed truck carrying families returning from Pakistan flips on major highway.

At least 18 people, including women and children, were killed when a cargo truck carrying recently returned Afghan refugees from Pakistan overturned on a major highway in eastern Afghanistan, authorities said.

Taliban government spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said the crash took place in the Qarghayi district of Laghman province on Saturday.

The vehicle, heavily loaded with displaced families and their household belongings, veered off the road at approximately 5:30am local time (01:00 GMT) near the Surkhakan intersection in Qarghayi district.

The provincial Director of Public Health Aminullah Sharif said the accident occurred when the truck fell into a ditch after the driver fell asleep.

Authorities said at least 10 children were among the dead.

Abdul Malik Niazay, a spokesperson for the Laghman provincial governor, said more than 30 other passengers were injured, some critically. The families had been temporarily staying in eastern Kunar province and were en route to the capital, Kabul.

Emergency services quickly transferred the wounded to medical facilities in neighbouring Nangarhar province, where several remain in intensive care.

The central government expressed formal condolences to the families of the victims. The Taliban’s Mujahid said in a post on X, “we pray for the speedy recovery of the injured”, adding that he was “deeply saddened” by the tragedy which took place at the end of the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha.

Meanwhile, the National Disaster Management Authority announced 730,000 afghanis ($10,000) in emergency financial assistance for the affected families.

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Deadly traffic accidents are common in Afghanistan, where highways are severely degraded after decades of conflict, vehicles are poorly maintained, and traffic regulations are seldom enforced.

At least 20 people have been killed in three separate traffic accidents reported across Afghanistan over the past 10 days, according to local Taliban authorities and media reports.

The tragedy highlights the growing strain on transportation infrastructure as hundreds of thousands of Afghans return from neighbouring countries. According to United Nations figures, more than 447,000 Afghans have crossed back from Pakistan this year alone following a sustained crackdown on undocumented migrants by Islamabad. International aid groups warn that forced expulsions are compelling families to travel in hazardous, packed commercial cargo trucks.

Truck carrying Afghan returnees from Pakistan flips on highway, killing 18
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Afghan president voiced concern over civilians killed by SAS troops, inquiry told

May 30, 2026

 

Concerns about the number of Afghan civilians being killed by British special forces in the early part of the last decade prompted the country’s then president to make a “muscular” complaint to Nato commanders fighting the Taliban.

Newly released evidence from a public inquiry into the deaths of up to 80 people during an SAS deployment also showed that Afghan partner military forces were no longer willing to work alongside the British by the spring of 2011.

The statements are contained in redacted and summarised evidence of a special forces staff officer, known only as N1788, who had been responsible for reviewing tactics used in operations that led to civilians repeatedly being killed.

“President Hamid Karzai was very ‘muscular’ in addressing the issue” of British detention operations “with Nato’s chain of command”, according to the summary of N1788’s two days of evidence, first given in the autumn of 2024.

Around the same time, the evidence summary said, “everyone was aware that some of the Afghan partner units were being reluctant to go on operations” with the British special forces sub-unit, known only as SU1.

This became “a major issue for campaigns” across the Nato-led forces operating in Afghanistan and emerged at the same time as the US president Barack Obama had increased the number of US troops in Afghanistan to try to deal with a growing Taliban insurgency. “It was a known issue and a big deal,” the summary of the evidence said.

In April 2011, the staff officer had been asked to review a recurring procedure in which Afghan males were asked by the SAS to come back inside a family compound that had been the subject of a special forces raid, typically at night-time.

On several occasions, the Afghan men were said to have produced weapons and were promptly killed. N1788 told the inquiry that there were concerns that the procedure had become an “inefficient practice”. Sometimes there were fewer weapons discovered than there were Afghans killed.

Asked by the chair of the inquiry, Charles Haddon-Cave, to explain what that phrase meant, N1788 said there were concerns that a tactic that had been designed to reduce the threat to British forces and civilians had become counterproductive.

Separating off Afghan adult males during raids had “directly increased the propensity of kinetic [ie military] activity”, N1788 said. It was “undermining the very reason it was designed for … which was to de-escalate”, he added.

Evidence from a second soldier, N2252, who was chief of staff to the director of the UK’s special forces in 2010 and 2011, said there had been a high degree of pressure to deliver because many British soldiers had been killed in 2010.

“As I’ve said to you, we wanted to do things right. We’d all been to lots of funerals in 2009/2010, 100-plus people killed in 2010. We didn’t want that to happen again,” N2252 said. But he said that the tactic of separating off Afghan males during raids had led to “unintended consequences”.

Concerns about the lethal conduct of the SAS in Helmand province in Afghanistan have been circulating since, leading to the setting up of the public inquiry in December 2022. It began with a handful of public hearings the following October, covering UK special forces deployments between 2010 and 2013, though since then progress has been slow.

Hearings involving former members of the special forces, with the exception of former MP Johnny Mercer, have largely been held in private without press or public present and evidence is then summarised and redacted to comply with official requests to maintain secrecy around the day-to-day activities of the SAS.

The inquiry has also heard allegations that two Afghan adults were shot dead while sleeping with children next to them, in evidence presented by Richard Hermer KC, who has since become attorney general.

Another British soldier told his superiors at the time that he believed the SAS had a policy in Afghanistan to “kill all males on target whether they posed a threat or not” – a practice colloquially described as “flat packing”.

An MOD spokesperson said: “The government is fully committed to supporting the independent inquiry relating to Afghanistan as it continues its work, and we are hugely grateful to all former and current Defence employees who have so far given evidence.

“We also remain committed to providing the support that our special forces deserve, whilst maintaining the transparency and accountability that the British people rightly expect from their armed forces.

“It’s right that we allow the inquiry to complete its important work before responding in full.”

Afghan president voiced concern over civilians killed by SAS troops, inquiry told
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UN Concerned Over Obstacles to Aid Deliveries in Afghanistan

May 30, 2026
Liluma Qadiry
Tolo News
29 May 2026

Washington has maintained that, under this directive, any aid that could potentially reach the Islamic Emirate remains suspended.

With tensions continuing across the Middle East, the United Nations has expressed concern over the growing challenges affecting the delivery of humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan.

The World Food Programme (WFP) had previously warned that restrictions at Iranian ports and disruptions to maritime transport routes have significantly reduced food stocks intended for malnourished mothers and children.

In response to the situation, the United States Department of State told VOA’s Afghanistan Service that, after four years in power, the Islamic Emirate must assume a more active and responsible role in ensuring the health and well-being of the Afghan people.

Commenting on the issue, economic analyst Sir Qureshi said: “The U.S. State Department has stated that Afghanistan should address this challenge itself. The solution is therefore quite clear: the country must focus more on domestic production and reduce its dependence on imports. Afghanistan possesses abundant arable land, a capable workforce, and rich mineral resources that can be utilized.”

Amid these concerns, U.S. assistance to Afghanistan has been broadly suspended since January 2025, following President Donald Trump’s directive to halt and review foreign aid programs.

As a result, nearly a year and a half has passed during which a significant portion of this assistance has either been discontinued or severely restricted.

Washington has maintained that, under this directive, any aid that could potentially reach the Islamic Emirate remains suspended.

Another economic analyst, Abdul Shakoor Hadawal, said: “The people of Afghanistan have long relied on foreign assistance. Unfortunately, since the Islamic Emirate came to power and large numbers of migrants returned to the country, many donor nations have reduced their support. Therefore, there is a clear need for the Islamic Emirate to take its own measures to reduce poverty and address this crisis.”

So far, the Islamic Emirate has not commented on the matter.

Meanwhile, the closure of crossings between Afghanistan and Pakistan, along with restrictions affecting routes through Iran and Dubai, has seriously disrupted the transportation of food aid to Afghanistan and reduced vulnerable populations’ access to essential supplies.

Under these circumstances, the continuation of regional tensions has further weakened humanitarian supply chains, highlighting more than ever the need for secure and sustainable routes to ensure the delivery of aid.

UN Concerned Over Obstacles to Aid Deliveries in Afghanistan
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World Bank warns poverty worsening in Afghanistan

May 28, 2026

By Fidel Rahmati

Khaama Press

 

World Bank said Afghanistan’s economy continued to grow in 2025, but the expansion has failed to improve living conditions as poverty, inflation, and economic vulnerability continue to deepen across the country.

In its latest Afghanistan Development Update released Tuesday, the World Bank said Afghanistan’s real gross domestic product grew by 4.8 percent in 2025 despite regional tensions, border closures, and declining foreign assistance.

The report said domestic demand and the return of millions of Afghan refugees contributed to economic growth during the past year, but rapid population growth, weak investment, and structural limitations prevented most citizens from benefiting from the recovery.

According to the World Bank, the return of nearly 3.7 million refugees placed additional pressure on the economy and contributed to a 5.6 percent decline in per capita GDP.

 

 

The report also showed inflation rising sharply to 7.6 percent by March 2026, compared with an earlier average of 3.6 percent, driven largely by higher food prices, supply constraints, and increased domestic demand.

The World Bank warned that rising inflation and falling per capita income have weakened household purchasing power and intensified poverty and food insecurity across Afghanistan.

Although domestic revenues improved to 19.8 percent of GDP because of stronger tax collection, declining foreign aid continued to limit infrastructure investment and reduce the country’s ability to respond to economic shocks.

The report described Afghanistan’s external economic position as fragile, saying the current account deficit widened to 36.1 percent of GDP in 2025 because of heavy reliance on imports and weak export performance.

“Afghanistan’s economy is showing resilience in the face of significant headwinds, but growth alone is not enough,” said Faris Hadad-Zervos, World Bank Country Director for Afghanistan. “With millions of Afghans returning home, rapid population growth is outpacing economic gains – pushing down incomes and deepening poverty and fragility. Unlocking the private sector’s potential and improving access to finance are some of the essential steps to help drive job creation and, ultimately, improve people’s lives.”

The World Bank forecast economic growth could slow to around 4 percent in 2026, citing risks linked to regional instability, falling aid, rapid population growth, and broader economic shocks.

Afghanistan’s economy has remained heavily dependent on humanitarian assistance and imports since the Taliban returned to power in 2021 and international financial support sharply declined.

International organizations have repeatedly warned that restrictions on women’s education and employment, combined with unemployment and weak private sector investment, continue to limit long-term economic recovery in Afghanistan.

World Bank warns poverty worsening in Afghanistan
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Russia Offers to Mediate Between Afghanistan and Pakistan

May 28, 2026
Bibi Amina Hakimi
TOLOnews’ Reporter
28 May 2026

Political analysts believe that the involvement of regional countries, particularly Russia, in diplomatic efforts could help pave the way for reducing tensions.

As efforts continue to reduce tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan, the deputy secretary of Russia’s Security Council has said that Moscow is ready to assist in resolving disputes between Pakistan and the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.

He made the remarks during a meeting with Azad Sajad Khan, deputy national security adviser to Pakistan’s prime minister, on the sidelines of the Moscow International Security Conference.

Alexander Venediktov said: “We seek the normalization of the situation along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. We hope both sides will return to the negotiating table and resolve their differences through political and diplomatic means.”

Gol Mohammaduddin Mohammadi, a political analyst, said: “Russia’s intentions toward Afghanistan are positive; however, I do not think Pakistan is committed to resolving these issues.”

The remarks come amid ongoing political and security tensions between Kabul and Islamabad in recent months, with clashes and the closure of crossing points further straining relations between the two sides.

Political analysts believe that the involvement of regional countries, particularly Russia, in diplomatic efforts could help pave the way for reducing tensions and strengthening regional stability.

Sayed Moqadam Amin, a political analyst, said: “Instability between Afghanistan and Pakistan undoubtedly affects the countries of the region, and regional states can play an important role in ending tensions and maintaining regional stability.”

Another political analyst, Idris Mohammadi Zazi, also stressed: “The current war and tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan must be resolved through dialogue and with the mediation of world countries and international organizations.”

This comes as representatives of Afghanistan and Pakistan previously held talks in Urumqi, China, aimed at reducing tensions, with both sides emphasizing the need to seek a comprehensive solution to their disputes.

Russia Offers to Mediate Between Afghanistan and Pakistan
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Islamic Emirate Seeks Expanded Diplomatic Presence in Europe

May 28, 2026
TOLOnews
TV Network
28 May 2026

At the same time, German media reported that Germany’s Green Party has criticized the Interior Ministry’s cooperation with representatives of the Islamic Emirate.

Germany’s NDR news network has reported that the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan is seeking to expand its diplomatic presence in European countries.

According to the report, the Islamic Emirate has requested the acceptance of its representatives in Afghan embassies across Europe in exchange for cooperation on the deportation of Afghan migrants.

German media outlets wrote: “The Taliban, who currently rule Afghanistan, intend to send more diplomats to European countries. According to investigations by Germany’s NDR network, they want to expand this process beyond Germany to other member states of the European Union as well. In return, the Taliban have offered cooperation in the deportation of Afghan migrants.”

Aziz Maarij, a former diplomat, said: “It is more likely that European countries will hand over consular missions and embassies to the Islamic Emirate and further strengthen their relations.”

At the same time, German media reported that Germany’s Green Party has criticized the Interior Ministry’s cooperation with representatives of the Islamic Emirate, describing it as concerning.

According to the reports, dozens of Afghan citizens living in Germany have been referred to representatives of the Islamic Emirate in an effort to accelerate deportation procedures.

Part of the report states: “According to reports by ZDF and NDR, dozens of Afghan citizens residing in Germany are said to have been referred to Taliban representatives in an effort to speed up deportation proceedings. Germany’s Interior Ministry stated that these measures were carried out by the federal police.”

Nesar Ahmad Shirzai, a former diplomat, said: “Establishing such contacts for dealing with these migrants does not necessarily mean formal relations, but such communication may be sought to address existing concerns.”

This comes as the European Commission had previously sent a letter to the Islamic Emirate requesting its participation in a technical meeting aimed at discussing the transfer of Afghan migrants convicted of crimes back to Afghanistan.

Islamic Emirate Seeks Expanded Diplomatic Presence in Europe
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Moscow Signs Military Partnership With the Taliban

May 28, 2026

Russia and the Taliban government in Afghanistan have signed a military cooperation agreement, Russian news agencies reported Wednesday.

The deal was finalized during an international security forum in the Moscow region following a meeting between Russian Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu and Afghan Defense Minister Mohammad Yaqoob. Yaqoob is the Taliban’s former military chief and the son of its founder, Mullah Mohammad Omar.

The specific terms of the deal have not been made public, according to the Interfax news agency. Bilateral frameworks of this nature generally involve the exchange of weapons, manufacturing licenses and defense technology, alongside joint research projects.

Some analysts downplayed the immediate impact of the agreement, describing it as a symbolic effort by Moscow to formalize its relationship with Kabul on paper rather than the start of a deep partnership.

“In reality, we’re definitely not going to see a full-blown military alliance or a mutual defense coalition,” Ruslan Suleimanov, an analyst at the New Eurasian Strategies (NEST) Center, told the independent outlet The Insider.

The Taliban swept back to power in 2021 after overthrowing the U.S.-backed government and re-imposing an austere version of Islamic law in Afghanistan. In 2024, President Vladimir Putin called the Taliban “allies in the fight against terrorism.”

Russia was the first country to recognize the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan last July after removing the Taliban from its list of terrorist organizations and accepting its ambassador to Moscow.

Moscow Signs Military Partnership With the Taliban
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Why Pakistan and Afghanistan Are Still Fighting

May 28, 2026

Elian Peltier reported from Kabul, Afghanistan and Zia ur-Rehman from Islamabad, Pakistan.

The New York Times

Months after Pakistan declared “open war” on Afghanistan, neither side appears ready to back down, despite China’s efforts to mediate.

Pakistan’s leaders are playing a big role on the global stage, traveling around the world to try to broker peace between the United States and Iran.

But while it plays peacemaker, Pakistan remains locked in a conflict of its own, battling its neighbor, Afghanistan, with no end in sight.

Since Pakistan declared an “open war” on Afghanistan in late February, the two countries have been clashing regularly, despite efforts by China to resolve the dispute by sending an envoy to both capitals and hosting talks last month.

As the violence escalated in March, Pakistan hit Afghan cities and military infrastructure with dozens of airstrikes. While the scale of violence has receded, the fighting is causing casualties on a nearly weekly basis, with hundreds of civilians killed in the last three months.

\Neither country appears ready to back down.

“We were like a magnetic force with Pakistan,” Abdul Mateen Qani, the spokesman for Afghanistan’s interior ministry, said in an interview in March. “We now repel each other, and this is not going to get better.”

On a visit to Pakistani forces this month, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif of Pakistan said the campaign against Afghanistan was continuing “with full resolve.”

“The Taliban regime in Afghanistan must take concrete and effective action against terrorist groups,” he said on May 19, days after several attacks on civilian and military targets in northwestern Pakistan.

Pakistan has blamed militant groups based in Afghanistan for thousands of attacks in recent years and said that its military campaign in Afghanistan has reduced them.

In private, Afghan Taliban officials acknowledge that some Afghan militants are joining Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, the group responsible for most of the violence in Pakistan. But they say that while they share ideological ties, they can’t control the T.T.P.’s leadership. They also deny hosting or facilitating the group and say the conflict with the T.T.P. is Pakistan’s problem.

The United States has said that Pakistan has a right to defend itself — a stance that Afghan officials say they have interpreted as a green light for Pakistan to conduct its operations.

“The United States has de-prioritized Afghanistan and is supporting Pakistan in what it wants to do in Afghanistan,” said Amira Jadoon, an associate professor of political science at Clemson University and a South Asia security expert. “The Pakistanis are taking advantage of that.”

Most of the clashes have taken place along the 1,600-mile border between the two countries. At the Torkham border crossing in eastern Afghanistan, a market burned down after it was hit by a Pakistani strike in March. Nearby, a transit center for Afghans returning from Pakistan stood empty for a month after shelling damaged the facility.

By far the single deadliest incident occurred in mid-March in Kabul, Afghanistan’s capital, when Pakistan hit a drug rehabilitation center with airstrikes that killed at least 269 recovering drug addicts and injured 172 others, according to U.N. figures.

The border closure has badly hurt the Afghan economy, which relies on Pakistan as a destination for agricultural exports and as a source of imports of other food products, construction materials and medical supplies.

Afghan pharmacists say they are facing a critical shortage of medicine for diabetes and other diseases. The Taliban government has ordered domestic pharmaceutical companies to ramp up production and has sought help from Russia and India to fill the gap.

“We are mostly dependent on foreign medicines,” said Parwez Khairi, a pharmacist in Kabul. “Afghanistan is a landlocked country and has always been, and continues to be, harmed by border disputes.”

Representatives from Afghanistan and Pakistan met for eight days in the city of Urumqi, in northwestern China, last month. But talks were marred by deep mistrust and what each side saw as the other’s unwillingness to compromise, according to a participant in the talks and three current and former Afghan and Pakistani officials with direct knowledge of the discussions.

A Pakistani security official dealing with Afghanistan affairs said that China had sought to use its close ties with both countries to bring them to the negotiating table last month, after mediation efforts by other countries had stalled.

But the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss high-level decisions, said that persistent terrorist attacks had prompted the Pakistani government to suspend the talks despite pressure from China to remain engaged.

The participant in the talks said the Urumqi meeting was the only time the two governments had spoken in months.

Pakistani officials say their Afghan counterparts are unwilling to commit, in writing, to reining in T.T.P. and other groups.

Afghan officials have said that Pakistan wants them to take responsibility for all terrorist attacks in Pakistan, a demand they say is unrealistic. And Taliban officials say they believe Pakistan’s long-term goal is to topple their government, leaving them unwilling to lower their guard.

Yaqoob Akbary contributed reporting from Kabul.

Elian Peltier is The Times’s bureau chief for Pakistan and Afghanistan, based in Islamabad.

Why Pakistan and Afghanistan Are Still Fighting
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UNICEF says 2,400 health centers remained operational across Afghanistan last year

May 24, 2026
Khaama Press

 

Tajudeen Oyewale said Sunday that around 2,400 health centers across Afghanistan remained operational last year with support from international donors.

In a post on X, the UNICEF representative thanked the World Bank and Asian Development Bank for supporting health services that reached more than 20 million people across Afghanistan.

Oyewale said during a recent visit to Logar Province he observed how sustained investment was helping provide life-saving healthcare to children and families.

He also warned that Afghanistan is facing one of the world’s largest returnee crises, stressing that the UN response plan urgently requires continued international funding and support.

According to UN estimates, more than two million people could return to Afghanistan between April and December 2026, increasing pressure on the country’s fragile healthcare and humanitarian systems.

UN agencies recently warned that Afghanistan remains among the countries with the highest rates of obstetric fistula, with an estimated 15,000 women and girls living with the childbirth-related condition.

Afghanistan’s health sector also continues to struggle with widespread malnutrition, maternal mortality, shortages of medicine and limited healthcare access, particularly for women and children in rural areas.

UNICEF says 2,400 health centers remained operational across Afghanistan last year
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