The report also states that 399 civilians were killed or injured as a result of Pakistan’s attacks on Afghanistan between April 1 and the end of June.
UN Secretary-General’s Latest Report Reviews Afghanistan’s Security, Humanitarian, Economic and Human Rights Situation
In his latest report on Afghanistan, the United Nations Secretary-General addressed issues including security, politics, human rights, the situation of women and girls, the humanitarian and economic situation, the return of migrants, Afghanistan’s relations with Pakistan and regional countries, counterterrorism and counternarcotics efforts, and Afghanistan’s engagement with the international community.
The security section of the report states that 2,947 security incidents were recorded from May 1 through the end of July, representing an 11 percent increase compared with the same period last year. Of these, 64 incidents affected UNAMA personnel.
The report also states that 399 civilians were killed or injured as a result of Pakistan’s attacks on Afghanistan between April 1 and the end of June.
Sadiq Shinwari, a military affairs analyst, said: “The United Nations should play a more active and impartial role in reducing tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan and should also support the protection of civilian lives.”
In the report, the UN Secretary-General called on the Islamic Emirate authorities to take concrete steps to uphold Afghanistan’s international commitments and support human rights and fundamental freedoms. He also called on member states and participants in the Doha Process to maintain their collective commitment and continue principled and pragmatic engagement to support the Afghan people and facilitate the country’s reintegration into the international community.
Enayatullah Humam, a political affairs analyst, said: “The Islamic Emirate has sought to establish balanced relations with the region and interested countries, and we see that around 50 countries are practically engaging with the Islamic Emirate.”
In the humanitarian and health sectors, 13.8 million people are facing acute food insecurity, while 3.7 million children and 1.2 million pregnant and breastfeeding women are experiencing acute malnutrition. At the same time, funding shortages and the return of migrants have increased pressure, while nearly 150 health facilities have been closed or suspended operations.
The humanitarian, economic and health section of the UN Secretary-General’s report states that 13.8 million people are facing acute food insecurity; 3.7 million children and 1.2 million pregnant and breastfeeding women are experiencing acute malnutrition; 1.15 million Afghans have returned from Pakistan and Iran in nearly eight months; the 2026 humanitarian response plan has received only about 30 percent of the required funding; and nearly 150 health facilities were closed or suspended operations during the first six months of the year due to funding shortages.
Qutbuddin Yaqoubi, an economic affairs analyst, said: “Foreign governments or countries working in this area should separate their policies from those concerning the Afghan government so that they can assist Afghans in need based on humanitarian principles and not politicize their aid.”
The UN Secretary-General’s latest report on the situation in Afghanistan and UNAMA’s activities is scheduled to be reviewed today at a meeting of the United Nations Security Council. The meeting will be held at 6:30 p.m. Kabul time, and Georgette Gagnon, Deputy Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Afghanistan and Officer-in-Charge of UNAMA, will brief Council members on the report.
ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) — An Islamic State group member was sentenced Wednesday to 20 years in prison for aiding the terrorist organization that took credit for a suicide bombing that killed 13 U.S. service members and about 160 Afghans at the Kabul airport five years ago during the American military’s chaotic withdrawal from the country.
A federal jury in Virginia had convicted Mohammad Sharifullah in April of providing material support to the IS affiliate known as ISIS-K. But jurors could not agree whether he bore some responsibility for the airport bombing on Aug. 26, 2021.
U.S. troops were conducting an evacuation operation at the airport when a lone suicide bomber detonated an improvised explosive device near an entry point known as Abbey Gate. Sharifullah’s role in the attack was scouting a route to Hamid Karzai International Airport, prosecutors said.
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Sharifullah, 28, received the maximum sentence for his one-count conviction in an international terrorism case that President Donald Trump heralded last year during a speech to a joint session of Congress.
Sharifullah did not testify at his trial and declined to address the court before U.S. District Judge Anthony Trenga imposed the sentence. The judge said the defendant was a “dedicated terrorist” who expressed no remorse for the “unfathomable” grief and suffering that he had caused.
Trenga heard victim impact statements from several parents of the U.S. service members. From a podium only a few feet from where Sharifullah sat, they took turns paying tribute to their children’s sacrifices and describing how the attack has shattered their families.
Mark Schmitz of Missouri asked Sharifullah to turn and look at him as he spoke about the life and death of his 20-year-old son, Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Jared Schmitz.
“They may have taken his life, but they’ll never take his legacy,” Schmitz said. “A bomb killed my son. It did not kill what he stood for.”
Paula Knauss-Selph, whose son, Army Staff Sgt. Ryan Knauss, was killed in the Abbey Gate bombing, said the family was “forever changed” by the attack.
“No justice will ever be enough to mend my broken heart,” she said.
Sharifullah requested a 17-year prison sentence, while prosecutors sought 20 years. His lawyers say he was never an ISIS-K leader and has not been convicted of any conduct related to the airport suicide bombing.
“He was brought here because the government believed he participated in the Abbey Gate attack, a theory which it was unable to prove at trial,” defense attorneys wrote.
Prosecutors said in their sentencing memo that “from his teenage years, when he pledged an oath of allegiance to ISIS-K, Sharifullah’s carnage was driven by hate. Hate towards Americans.”
Jurors convicted Sharifullah of providing material support to ISIS-K. They deadlocked on whether any deaths at the airport “resulted from” that conspiracy. Sharifullah could have faced a possible life sentence if the jury had unanimously decided that question.
According to prosecutors, Sharifullah told a journalist that he wanted to “catch and kill the crusaders” from the United States for invading his country after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. They said Sharifullah was involved in dozens of other attacks, including a March 2024 assault on a Moscow concert hall that killed roughly 140 people.
Defense lawyers argued that prosecutors failed to present any evidence tying Sharifullah to the Kabul bombing besides his own words during hours of FBI questioning. His team said Sharifullah told FBI agents what he thought they wanted to hear, possibly because he was afraid of being tortured in Pakistani custody before he was brought to the U.S.
A review by U.S. Central Command found that the Abbey Gate bomber was Abdul Rahman al-Logari, an IS member who had been released from an Afghan prison by the Taliban. According to an FBI affidavit. Sharifullah recognized the alleged bomber as an operative he had known while incarcerated.
Afghan man sentenced to 20-year prison term in case tied to suicide bombing at Kabul airport
Every day, Laila attends a classroom that is not supposed to be seen. She leaves home in the morning, goes to a school with no signboard and studies alongside girls who must remain hidden to continue their education.
Five years ago, Laila was 12 and had just entered seventh grade when the Taliban closed secondary schools to girls. Formal schooling ended for her, but her education did not.
A few months later, she found a secret school in her neighbourhood.
Laila is now in the 12th grade at “Invisibles” and is close to graduating. She says the greatest difficulty over the past five years has been the fear that the school could be discovered, students arrested and classes shut down.
Yet those years have also given her opportunities to learn.
She told Afghanistan International: “My intellectual skills have developed greatly, I understand my lessons better, and I have learnt tailoring, which I can use to earn an income.”
For Parasto Hakim, founder of the “Invisibles” initiative, remaining hidden is part of the price girls must pay to continue their education in Afghanistan.
The Invisibles Are Many
Hakim says the programme began with one secret school in September 2021, shortly after the Taliban returned to power. Today, she says, the network operates in 16 provinces, with 35 schools, more than 45 teachers and 1,830 students.
But for Hakim, “Invisibles” is not simply the name of schools that must remain out of the Taliban’s sight.
Girls leave home in the morning without people around them knowing they are going to school, while teachers give lessons behind closed doors in ordinary homes.
Hakim says what initially began as a security necessity gradually became part of the network’s identity.
“Every day, a girl wakes up early in the morning, goes invisibly to school and studies invisibly. The teacher teaches invisibly, and the team works invisibly.”
She says that very condition has become one of the network’s strengths.
“They wanted to define us as a weak force, but we used our invisibility to show what power looks like.”
UNICEF says more than 2.6 million girls in Afghanistan have been deprived of secondary education since 2021. Afghanistan is the only country in the world where secondary and higher education are banned for girls and women.
Under these conditions, “Invisibles” is trying to preserve part of girls’ education outside the formal system.
Students Who Became Teachers
Yalda, 18, graduated from an “Invisibles” school last year with high marks. Her name has been changed for security reasons.
But graduation was not the end of her journey. After finishing school, she set up a class in her area of Kabul, brought together dozens of children and asked the “Invisibles” initiative for help obtaining books and other educational materials.
According to Hakim, initiatives by students and teachers themselves have helped the network expand. More than 2,000 teachers across Afghanistan have also expressed willingness to join the programme and continue teaching their students.
Yalda says that after graduating, she was given the opportunity to work as a teacher through the same school where she had studied.
“After graduating, I got the opportunity to work as a teacher through the same school I had graduated from.”
She says the experience taught her that education is not only a right but something capable of changing lives.
Hosi, another student at one of the schools, had also lost hope of continuing her education when girls’ schools were closed.
“It was unbelievable that we could find an underground school, study there for five years and celebrate our graduation.”
She says security concerns were always present, but continuing their education kept them from remaining at home without learning.
“It saved us from illiteracy. We did not end up staying at home as illiterate girls doing only housework.”
Hosi also began working as a teacher with “Invisibles” after graduating.
Alongside academic subjects, the initiative’s schools teach skills such as carpet weaving, tailoring, digital skills, jewelry-making, design and art.
Hakim says the aim is to help girls use these skills to earn an income.
Education Against a Restricted Future
UNICEF has warned that girls who are out of school face greater risks, including early marriage, child labour and violence.
UNICEF data shows that around 29% of Afghan women aged 20 to 24 were married before turning 18. However, the data alone does not show that child marriage has increased since the Taliban returned to power in 2021.
Hakim says that after universities were closed to women and restrictions intensified, the responsibility of “Invisibles” went beyond academic education.
“Our responsibility went far beyond simply teaching. We had to help girls protect themselves from forced marriage, imposed decisions and economic dependence.”
Maryam, a teacher whose name has been changed for security reasons, stayed at home for around six months after the Taliban returned to power. She says the isolation had a negative effect on her mental wellbeing.
Later, children from the neighbourhood came to her home and asked her to teach them. Maryam gradually gathered more students and later began working with “Invisibles”.
She says that during five years of secret teaching she has “felt afraid every day”, but what encouraged her to continue was seeing hope in her students’ eyes.
“The main reason I continued was seeing hope in the girls’ eyes.”
Maryam has now graduated one group of students and is preparing for the graduation of a second.
Saba, 15, another student at the schools, says secret education has given her hope that she can achieve her future goals.
“Every time we fell, our teacher helped us stand up again, stronger than before.”
She says she wakes up every morning motivated to go to school and has learnt from her teachers to set ambitious goals for her future.
A Secret Classroom, a New Choice
Yalda says her secret school was shut several times, but she eventually graduated in 2026.
After graduating, she considered herself one of the luckiest girls in Afghanistan. But that feeling led her to ask why other girls should not have the same opportunity.
That is why she started a secret class for younger girls.
“This experience taught me that education is not only about building the future; it can also change who we are today.”
Yalda now hopes to continue her studies at a leading university abroad and plans to apply for a scholarship.
Hakim says that alongside academic teaching, “Invisibles” holds reading sessions on human rights, human dignity, justice and respect.
She says the aim is to strengthen girls’ ability to defend their rights within their families and communities, particularly at a time when they are being excluded from formal education.
This part of the initiative did not exist when the programme began. Hakim says her own view of the project has also changed over the past five years.
“When I started this work, I thought there was no way the Taliban could last five years. I thought perhaps I only needed to buy the girls some time; perhaps the world would do something to save us.”
But five years later, the secret schools are still operating.
Hakim says Afghan women have, on the one hand, been pushed to the margins by the country’s rulers and, on the other, have felt that the world does not sufficiently see their suffering.
“We were invisibles who were suffering, but somehow we kept going, just as we always have.”
For Hakim, continuing the initiative is no longer only about keeping classrooms open. It is about preserving the possibility of choice for a generation of girls whose usual paths through life have largely been closed.
“If a woman decides to change her future, she can do it even invisibly.”
For Laila, who has spent five years fearing that her school might be discovered and that she could be arrested, continuing her education means preserving the possibility of choosing a different future.
For Yalda, that choice has now taken another form: she is giving younger girls the same opportunity that was once given to her.
The schools may be invisible, and the teachers may work in silence, but inside these small classrooms, girls are preparing for a future they do not want an education ban to define for them.
Hakim says the struggle for the basic rights of women and girls does not always require taking to the streets or appearing in front of cameras.
“The struggle for basic human rights can be invisible and secret.”
Five years after girls’ schools were closed, these small classrooms remain open, out of the Taliban’s sight and with the hope that one day girls will no longer need to be invisible simply to learn.
Students To Teachers: Inside Afghanistan’s Invisible Schools
The UN Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) has warned that millions of people in Afghanistan continue to lack reliable access to safe drinking water, calling for stronger efforts to expand water services and protect the country’s increasingly stressed water resources.
UN-Habitat said on Sunday that Afghanistan needs smarter urban planning, better water-resource management and improved waste management to protect water supplies, strengthen sanitation and build healthier communities.
The warning comes as Afghanistan faces overlapping climate and humanitarian pressures. Years of drought have depleted groundwater, while recurrent floods and other climate-related disasters continue to damage livelihoods and infrastructure. UN reporting has described domestic water supplies as facing critical challenges from climate change and rising demand, with about one-third of the population lacking basic drinking-water services.
Kabul faces a particularly serious water crisis. UN-Habitat’s 2026–27 strategic priorities report says the capital is at risk of depleting its groundwater reserves by 2030. The agency also says inadequate waste and wastewater management is creating serious health risks by increasing the likelihood of water- and vector-borne diseases.
UN-Habitat has also warned that drought and underinvestment in urban water management are making access to clean water increasingly difficult and expensive. Its Afghanistan programme says recurrent droughts have degraded rural livelihoods and contributed to migration toward cities, where many vulnerable families live in informal and underserviced settlements.
The pressure on water supplies is also being intensified by large-scale returns of Afghans from neighbouring countries. UN-Habitat says millions of returnees since late 2023 are placing additional pressure on already fragile urban and peri-urban settlements, where access to housing, water, sanitation and other basic services remains limited.
Poor sanitation and inadequate waste management further threaten already limited water resources. UN-Habitat has identified clean drinking water, waste collection and sanitation as pressing needs in vulnerable Afghan communities, particularly in rapidly growing urban areas.
The UN agency says improving access to basic services, including water and waste management, should remain a priority as Afghanistan seeks to strengthen climate resilience and improve living conditions. Without greater investment in water infrastructure and sustainable resource management, the country’s water crisis is likely to deepen as climate pressures and urban populations continue to grow.
UN-Habitat Warns Millions in Afghanistan Lack Safe Drinking Water
Egeland called on Afghan authorities to allocate more funding to returnees and stressed that the return of migrants should be voluntary, well-prepared and safe.
Jan Egeland, Secretary General of the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), has said that engagement and investment in Afghanistan are essential to addressing the country’s humanitarian situation.
In an exclusive interview with TOLOnews, Egeland called on the international community to resume direct engagement with Afghan authorities by sending its diplomats back to Afghanistan.
The Secretary General of the Norwegian Refugee Council said: “I urge countries to return to Afghanistan with their diplomats and engage directly with Afghan authorities. I do this myself. I met with Afghan authorities in Kabul and Kandahar, and we discussed all issues, including refugees, internally displaced people and girls’ education. This situation can only be addressed through engagement and investment.”
Referring to the return of nearly six million Afghans from Iran and Pakistan over the past three years, Egeland described it as one of the largest return movements in the world and said these people need greater attention and assistance.
Egeland called on Afghan authorities to allocate more funding to returnees and stressed that the return of migrants should be voluntary, well-prepared and safe.
Egeland said: “One group facing enormous challenges, but receiving little global attention, is the six million people who have returned from Iran and Pakistan over the past three years and their needs. These numbers are significant by global standards. This is one of the largest return movements in the world, and therefore requires greater attention and assistance.”
The NRC Secretary General also expressed concern over the significant decline in international aid to Afghanistan. He said humanitarian assistance, which amounted to nearly $3.5 billion in 2022 and 2023, could fall to only around $500 million this year.
According to Egeland, the United States, which was Afghanistan’s largest donor until 2024, has now stopped its assistance, while European countries have also reduced their support.
Egeland said: “This means there is now a very large gap, part of which could perhaps be filled by domestic resources. Afghanistan has capable businesspeople involved in the mining sector who can export. Afghanistan can do much more for its most vulnerable people, and the international community, which was present here for years and carried out major development programs, should not forget those same civilians.”
Egeland also said that despite reduced financial resources, the Norwegian Refugee Council continues to provide assistance in various sectors.
He added that the number of NRC employees in Afghanistan has fallen from nearly 800 to 350, but the number of people benefiting from the organization’s services has not decreased.
Expressing optimism about Afghanistan’s future, Egeland said cooperation between the international community and Afghan authorities remains essential to improving the lives of millions of Afghans.
Egeland Calls for Engagement and Investment in Afghanistan
It is not yet clear when the fourth Doha meeting on Afghanistan will be held.
Three years after the launch of a series of meetings of special envoys on Afghanistan, known as the Doha Process, the spokesperson for the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan says that despite a promising start, the process has so far failed to achieve its stated objectives.
Zabihullah Mujahid added that the Doha Process remains incomplete and that very little progress has been made in social and economic cooperation with Afghanistan, while the country’s demands have yet to be met.
Zabihullah Mujahid, spokesperson for the Islamic Emirate, said: “We can say that the Doha meetings had a good start, but they have not been followed up sufficiently. I do not think the process has been completed yet. It should have been completed and succeeded in achieving its objectives. In terms of cooperation with Afghanistan in the social and economic sectors, we have seen very little progress, and what we wanted has not been achieved.”
The Doha Process was launched three years ago at the initiative of the UN Secretary-General with the aim of creating a coherent framework for the international community’s engagement with Afghanistan. Through three rounds of meetings of special envoys on Afghanistan and meetings of its working groups, the process was intended to help reintegrate Afghanistan into the international community.
UNAMA recently said the Doha Process remains the main framework for dialogue on Afghanistan’s political issues and that progress has been made toward developing a comprehensive approach. However, the mission said further efforts are needed.
Sayed Muqaddam Amin, a political analyst, said: “The Doha Process remains an important roadmap for Afghanistan’s development in various sectors and its integration into the global system.”
Moeen Gul Samkani, a political analyst, said: “For Afghanistan’s reintegration, we must take the UN Charter into consideration and align our plans accordingly.”
It is not yet clear when the fourth Doha meeting on Afghanistan will be held.
Earlier, on the 4th of the solar month of Dalwa, Rosemary DiCarlo, UN Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, held talks with Islamic Emirate officials during a three-day visit to Kabul about the Doha Process and its working-group meetings.
Islamic Emirate: Doha Process Has Failed to Meet Its Objectives
Al-Qaeda has released a new propaganda video featuring Hamza bin Laden, the son of the group’s founder Osama bin Laden, ahead of the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks, raising renewed international concerns about the militant network’s presence and activities in Afghanistan.
The nearly 50-minute video, titled A Quarter Century of the 11 September Raids, was published by Al-Qaeda’s media wing, As-Sahab, days before the anniversary of the 2001 attacks on the United States. The footage shows Hamza bin Laden describing Islam as being engaged in an “all-out war” and urges supporters to continue jihad, according to intelligence monitoring organizations.
The release is significant because it includes what analysts describe as the first publicly circulated footage of Hamza bin Laden in years. U.S. officials reported in 2019 that Hamza had been killed in a counterterrorism operation near the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, but Al-Qaeda has never officially confirmed his death or issued a funeral statement for him.
According to intelligence monitoring platform Hamer Intelligence, the new production differs from previous As-Sahab videos because it makes fewer apparent attempts to conceal filming locations or environmental details. Analysts say the clearer visual background could indicate increased confidence within Al-Qaeda’s propaganda apparatus or an effort to demonstrate the group’s continued operational relevance.
The video also contains previously unseen footage of former Al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri, who was killed in a U.S. drone strike in Kabul in 2022. Security analysts quoted by Indian media said the production appears designed to reinforce the leadership of current Al-Qaeda chief Saif al-Adl while leveraging the Bin Laden name for recruitment and ideological influence.
The publication comes as international security agencies continue to warn that Al-Qaeda maintains an active presence in Afghanistan despite repeated assurances from the Taliban that Afghanistan territory will not be used to threaten other countries.
The United Nations has repeatedly reported that Al-Qaeda continues to operate in Afghanistan and maintains longstanding ties with Taliban members. Recent UN monitoring reports said the group has training facilities, safe houses and senior operatives in several Afghanistan provinces, while describing its relationship with the Taliban as close despite public denials from Taliban authorities.
Former Afghan intelligence officials have also alleged that Hamza bin Laden has been present in Afghanistan since the Taliban returned to power in August 2021. Ahmad Zia Saraj, the former head of Afghanistan’s National Directorate of Security, and former deputy intelligence official Ajmal Obaid Abidi have claimed Hamza was seen in Kandahar and, at times, Panjshir. Those claims have not been independently verified.
The Taliban has consistently rejected accusations that it harbors Al-Qaeda leaders, insisting it is complying with commitments under the 2020 Doha Agreement to prevent terrorist groups from using Afghanistan as a base for international attacks.
Counterterrorism experts say the timing of the video’s release is unlikely to be accidental. As-Sahab has historically used major anniversaries, including September 11, to distribute propaganda aimed at supporters and sympathizers while attempting to demonstrate that Al-Qaeda remains active despite years of leadership losses and military pressure.
The latest video is expected to intensify scrutiny of Al-Qaeda’s activities in Afghanistan and renew questions about the group’s ability to maintain regional networks and produce high-profile propaganda nearly five years after the Taliban regained control of the country.
Al-Qaeda Releases New Video of Hamza bin Laden Ahead of 9/11 Anniversary
The Lahore High Court has temporarily suspended a Pakistani medical regulator’s order requiring Afghan medical students to leave the country, allowing them to continue their education while the court reviews legal challenges against the decision.
The interim ruling, issued on Friday, came after a group of Afghan medical students petitioned the court against a directive from the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) ordering Afghan students to return to Afghanistan and instructing medical colleges not to admit new Afghan students during the current academic year.
The court ordered medical and dental colleges in Lahore not to expel the students, prevent them from taking examinations, or deny them access to classrooms and university hostels until further hearings are held.
The petition was filed by 13 Afghan students enrolled at some of Pakistan’s leading medical institutions, including King Edward Medical University, Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Medical and Dental College, and Services Institute of Medical Sciences in Lahore. Lawyers representing the students argued that the PMDC directive would abruptly end their education despite years of study in Pakistan.
During the hearing, a PMDC representative told the court that some Afghan students did not possess valid visas. Justice Khalid Ishaq questioned the argument, asking how students had been admitted to Pakistani medical institutions and allowed to study if their immigration documents were allegedly invalid from the outset.
The judge also stressed that the status of Afghan medical students should not be treated as a national security issue. He said changes in Pakistan’s policy toward Afghan nationals should not automatically deprive students of their right to complete their education.
The PMDC issued its directive on September 1 as Pakistan continues tightening policies affecting Afghan nationals. The regulator instructed medical colleges across the country to stop offering new admissions or academic placements to Afghan students and asked those already enrolled to return to Afghanistan.
The court’s temporary order provides immediate relief to the affected students, who can now return to their hostels, attend classes, and sit for scheduled examinations while the legal case proceeds.
The decision could affect a broader group of Afghan students. Pakistani media reports indicate that more than 30 additional Afghan medical students have filed similar petitions challenging the PMDC order in courts across Pakistan.
Thousands of Afghan students have pursued higher education in Pakistan over the past decade through scholarship programs, including the Allama Iqbal Scholarships administered by Pakistan’s Higher Education Commission. Many of the affected students are women who left Afghanistan after the Taliban imposed sweeping restrictions on female education, including bans on university attendance inside the country.
Human rights organizations and education advocates have warned that forcing Afghan students to leave Pakistan could interrupt the education of young professionals who have few opportunities to continue their studies in Afghanistan under the Taliban’s restrictions on women and higher education.
The Lahore High Court’s ruling is an interim measure and does not overturn the PMDC directive. The court is expected to hear further arguments from the students and Pakistani authorities before deciding whether the regulator’s order can be implemented.
Pakistan Court Suspends Order Expelling Afghan Medical Students, Allows Them to Continue Studies
Former U.S. diplomat Zalmay Khalilzad said the United States’ primary interest in Afghanistan is preventing the country from once again becoming a base for terrorist groups that could threaten America, while urging Washington to remain engaged in Afghanistan rather than leave the field to rival powers.
Speaking in a video published on Saturday, Khalilzad said the U.S. wants to avoid Afghanistan descending back into “chaos and disorder,” arguing that instability would create conditions for extremist groups to regroup and threaten American interests. He said continued engagement with Afghanistan serves Washington’s long-term strategic and security objectives.
Khalilzad also argued that Afghanistan’s economic development, including investment in its vast natural resources, could align with U.S. interests if carried out in cooperation with international partners and private companies. He warned that if Washington disengages from Afghanistan entirely, a strategic vacuum could emerge that would be filled by competing global powers.
According to Khalilzad, China is seeking greater access to Afghanistan’s mineral resources through its Belt and Road Initiative, while Russia has become “very active” in expanding its influence in the country. He said U.S. policy should consider not only Afghanistan’s current situation but also what kind of country Washington wants Afghanistan to become in the future.
Khalilzad served as the U.S. special representative for Afghanistan reconciliation during the Trump administration and was the chief architect of the 2020 Doha Agreement between the United States and the Taliban, which paved the way for the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Afghanistan.
Washington distances itself from Khalilzad’s comments
The U.S. government has repeatedly said Khalilzad does not represent official American policy on Afghanistan. State Department spokespersons have stated on multiple occasions that Khalilzad holds no official position in the U.S. government and is not a U.S. envoy or representative for Afghanistan.
His latest remarks therefore reflect his personal views and policy recommendations rather than the official position of the Trump administration or the U.S. State Department.
Washington’s stated Afghanistan policy has continued to focus on counterterrorism, humanitarian assistance and securing the release of U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents detained in Afghanistan, while maintaining that broader engagement depends on the Taliban’s actions.
US policy remains tied to terrorism, hostages and human rights
U.S. officials have consistently said preventing terrorist organizations such as ISIS-K and al-Qaeda from using Afghanistan territory remains a central American security priority. Washington has also pressed the Taliban to honor commitments that Afghanistan soil will not be used to threaten other countries.
At the same time, the United States has continued to demand the release of detained Americans and Afghan-American citizens, including Mahmood Shah Habibi, an Afghan-American businessman who disappeared in Kabul in 2022. U.S. officials have repeatedly said they believe Habibi is being held by the Taliban, while Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid has denied the group has information about his whereabouts.
American officials have also linked deeper political and economic engagement with Afghanistan to improvements in human rights, particularly the Taliban’s restrictions on women and girls, as well as progress on counterterrorism commitments and unresolved hostage cases.
Khalilzad’s remarks come as debate continues in Washington over the future of U.S. engagement with Afghanistan nearly five years after the Taliban returned to power in August 2021. While Russia has formally recognized the Taliban government, the United States and most other countries have not extended diplomatic recognition to the Taliban administration.
Former U.S. Diplomat Says Stable Post-9/11 Afghanistan Remains in America’s Interest
According to the Pakistani ambassador, some SCO member states have concerns about the participation of the Islamic Emirate.
Pakistan’s ambassador to Russia says Afghanistan is part of the region and an important link between Central and South Asian countries, and Islamabad hopes the country can eventually become a full member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).
Faisal Niaz Tirmizi, in an interview with a Russian media outlet, said that given the current situation, Afghanistan’s full membership in the organization does not appear possible.
According to the Pakistani ambassador, some SCO member states have concerns about the participation of the Islamic Emirate.
Faisal Niaz Tirmizi said: “I hope it happens, because Afghanistan is part of our region and an important link. But given the current regime in Kabul, I do not see this as an option at present.”
Tirmizi stressed that Islamabad wants a stable Afghanistan that is part of regional processes and, according to him, can facilitate the development of transit routes and connectivity among countries in the region.
Meanwhile, the Pakistani ambassador said his country will participate in the Moscow Format consultations on Afghanistan in October.
Tirmizi said: “Pakistan will also participate in the Moscow Format consultations on Afghanistan in October. We want to see a stable government in Afghanistan that is part of the region, not a country that causes instability for its neighbors.”
Wahid Faqiri, a political analyst, said: “Pakistan will try at this meeting to portray Afghanistan as unstable and exaggerate the threat of the TTP and other terrorist groups from Afghanistan, so that it can both keep Afghanistan isolated and conceal its own internal problems.”
The Islamic Emirate has previously stressed the importance of its representatives participating in regional meetings.
Afghanistan was admitted as an observer member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in 2012, but following the developments of 2021, Afghanistan’s participation and activities in the organization have faced suspension and challenges.
Pakistani Ambassador: Current Situation Blocks Afghanistan’s SCO Membership
The United Nations says aid workers are still in a “race against time” to remove rubble and rebuild after the devastating earthquake struck eastern Afghanistan last month, killing at least 2,200 people and cutting off remote areas.
The 6.0-magnitude quake on Aug. 31 was shallow, destroying or causing extensive damage to low-rise buildings in the mountainous region. It hit late at night, and homes — mostly made of mud, wood, or rocks — collapsed instantly, becoming death traps.
Satellite data shows that about 40,500 truckloads of debris still needs to be cleared from affected areas in several provinces, the United Nations Development Program said Wednesday. Entire communities have been upended and families are sleeping in the open, it added.
The quake’s epicenter was in remote and rugged Kunar province, challenging rescue and relief efforts by the Taliban government and humanitarian groups. Authorities deployed helicopters or airdropped army commandos to evacuate survivors. Aid workers walked for hours on foot to reach isolated communities.
“This is a race against time,” said Devanand Ramiah, from the UNDP’s Crisis Bureau. “Debris removal and reconstruction operations must start safely and swiftly.”
People’s main demands were the reconstruction of houses and water supplies, according to a spokesman for a Taliban government committee tasked with helping survivors, Zia ur Rahman Speenghar.
People were getting assistance in cash, food, tents, beds, and other necessities, Speenghar said Thursday. Three new roads were under construction in the Dewagal Valley, and roads would be built to areas where there previously were none.
“Various countries and organizations have offered assistance in the construction of houses but that takes time. After the second round of assistance, work will begin on the third round, which is considering what kind of houses can be built here,” the spokesman said.
Afghanistan is facing a “perfect storm” of crises, including natural disasters like the recent earthquake, said Roza Otunbayeva, who leads the U.N. mission to the country.
Afghanistan Peace Campaign
