Zalmay Khalilzad Calls for Political Solution Between Afghanistan, Pakistan

May 17, 2026
By Bibi Amina Hakimi
TOLOnews’ Reporter
16 May 2026

Zalmay Khalilzad, former US special representative for Afghanistan reconciliation, warned about the consequences of continued mistrust between the two countries.

Following the killing of eight Pakistani security personnel in a car bombing in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, concerns over rising tensions between Kabul and Islamabad have intensified once again.

Zalmay Khalilzad, former US special representative for Afghanistan reconciliation, warned about the consequences of continued mistrust between the two countries.

Khalilzad said Islamabad may hold Afghanistan responsible for the attack, but stressed that continued dialogue and reaching a political solution are essential to prevent further escalation between the two sides.

“I have pleaded repeatedly for a negotiated solution: a new agreement between Afghanistan and Pakistan with commitments by both countries to not allow their territory to be used by individuals or groups to threaten the security of the other, with monitoring by a trusted 3rd party,” Khalilzad said.

Meanwhile, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur said the dispatch of a Pakistani delegation to Afghanistan has been delayed due to rising tensions in the Middle East.

He added that the security of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is directly linked to the situation in Afghanistan and that the delegation will soon travel to Afghanistan for talks and an assessment of the situation.

“We held a jirga yesterday with tribal elders and political leaders in Peshawar, and it was decided that a joint jirga should be convened because the security of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is directly connected to the situation in Afghanistan,” he said.

At the same time, several political analysts warned that the continued exchange of accusations between the two countries will not help resolve the crisis and could negatively affect political and economic ties, as well as the lives of people on both sides of the crossing.

Political analyst Sayed Muqaddam Amin said mistrust between Afghanistan and Pakistan remains strong, warning that if no mutually acceptable solution is found, tensions could further escalate and harm both countries.

Another political analyst, Shir Agha Rohani, said that according to the principles of international relations, both countries are obliged to maintain good neighborly relations to prevent people living along the Hypothetical Durand Line from suffering.

The remarks come as Pakistani officials have repeatedly claimed in recent weeks that some attacks inside Pakistan are being planned from Afghan territory, allegations consistently rejected by the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.

Zalmay Khalilzad Calls for Political Solution Between Afghanistan, Pakistan
read more

Taliban legalizes sick child marriages with special rules for ‘virgin girls’ in Afghanistan

May 17, 2026
Jeanne Erickson
New York Post
Published May 16, 2026

The Taliban has formally legitimized child marriages under a twisted new family law decree that sets out rules for marriages involving minors — treating the girls as sellable property.

It also establishes specific guidelines governing “virgin girls,” reported Afghan outlet Amu TV.

Approved by Supreme Leader Hibatullah Akhundzada, the 31-article regulation — titled “Principles of Separation Between Spouses” — was published in the regime’s official gazette in mid-May.

In Taliban-controlled Afghanistan, girls can effectively be sold before they are even old enough to walk.

Desperate families, crushed by poverty, routinely strike “marriage” deals involving infants as young as 20 days old, exchanging their baby daughters for cash to pay debts or simply survive another day.

The price of a child bride reportedly ranges between $500 and $3,000, according to human rights groups.

Nearly one-third of Afghan girls are married before the age of 18, according to the charity Girls Not Brides.

Under the Taliban’s horrifying new rules, a female child legally married to an adult man may later seek an annulment “upon puberty” — but only if a Taliban court approves it.

Even worse, the regulations state that the silence of a “virgin girl” may be interpreted as consent to marriage.

The decree lays out the rules for dissolving marriages under a maze of religious and legal conditions, including child marriage, missing husbands, forced separation, breastfeeding relations and accusations of adultery.

The regulations give power over child marriages to fathers and grandfathers, claiming the marriages could be overturned if the guardians are considered abusive, mentally unfit or morally corrupt.

Since seizing power in August 2021, the Taliban regime has imposed what many international observers describe as a gender apartheid system against women and girls, report many humanitarian groups, such as Amnesty International.

The Taliban’s legal code reportedly does not prohibit sexual or psychological violence against women, reports British outlet GB News. Reports also state husbands are permitted to beat their wives, provided it does not leave obvious bodily harm.

“Child marriage is not marriage in any meaningful sense. A child cannot properly consent, and treating silence as consent is dangerous because it removes a girl’s voice completely,” political commentator Fahima Mahomed told the outlet.

“As a Muslim, I would also strongly reject the idea that this reflects Islam as a whole. The Qur’an itself speaks against compulsion and mistreatment of women, so the Taliban’s position should not be presented as ‘Islamic law’ in a broad sense.

“It is their political and extremist interpretation, enforced through power and fear.”

Taliban legalizes sick child marriages with special rules for ‘virgin girls’ in Afghanistan
read more

Militant threats linked to Afghanistan continue to concern US security agencies

May 17, 2026
Khaama Press

A senior United States military official said Afghanistan remains a central focus of American counterterrorism monitoring, warning that militant threats linked to the country continue to concern US security agencies.

US media reported Friday that senior commander Brad Cooper told lawmakers during a congressional hearing that Afghanistan remains “at the forefront” of terrorist activities being closely monitored by Washington and its regional partners.

The official said further details would be discussed in classified sessions but stressed that the United States continues working with regional allies to contain and disrupt threats emerging from Afghanistan.

According to Cooper, Washington is maintaining close surveillance of developments in the region and remains prepared to respond to potential security threats linked to militant organizations.

The remarks highlight continuing American concerns nearly five years after the withdrawal of US and NATO forces from Afghanistan in 2021, which ended two decades of military involvement in the country.

Taliban in Kabul have repeatedly denied the presence of foreign terrorist groups operating from Afghanistan territory and insist the country no longer poses a threat to regional or international security.

However, Western intelligence agencies and international monitoring bodies have continued to warn about the activities of extremist groups, including regional branches of Islamic State, inside Afghanistan and neighboring areas.

The comments also come amid growing geopolitical tensions surrounding engagement with Kabul authorities after Russia expanded contacts with Taliban officials, prompting earlier warnings from the US State Department against cooperation with what Washington described as “malign actors.”

Militant threats linked to Afghanistan continue to concern US security agencies
read more

Afghan mothers and children face worsening hunger crisis, WFP warns

May 17, 2026

United Nations

UN News

Afghan mothers and children face worsening hunger crisis, WFP warns
read more

CENTCOM Stresses Continued Focus on Afghanistan

May 15, 2026
 Bibi Amina Hakimi
TOLOnews’ Reporter
15 May 2026

These remarks come as officials of the Islamic Emirate have repeatedly stressed that they will not allow Afghan soil to be used against other countries.

U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) has stated that Afghanistan remains one of Washington’s main security concerns, and that the United States is closely monitoring activities related to potential threats originating from the country.

Brad Cooper told a U.S. Senate committee hearing that Washington has not completely ignored Afghanistan and continues to work with its regional partners to contain and suppress potential threats.

“We have not completely ignored Afghanistan. The country remains an area of concern,” he emphasized.

These remarks come as officials of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan have repeatedly stressed that they will not allow Afghan soil to be used against other countries.

Hedayatullah Ahmadi, a political analyst, said: “Most countries in the region and the world are currently convinced that the Afghan government is fighting terrorist groups, and this is a very important decision for the Afghan government.”

This comes as the United States recently published its “2026 United States Counterterrorism Strategy,” a document that, unlike reports from previous years, does not mention the presence or activities of groups such as ISIS-K and al-Qaeda in Afghanistan.

CENTCOM Stresses Continued Focus on Afghanistan
read more

Deadly attack on Pakistan outpost puts Afghanistan ceasefire at risk

May 15, 2026
Al Jazeera
By AFP and Reuters
Published On 15 May 2026
Two assaults in the northwest region have killed more than 20 people in recent days, threatening Islamabad’s shaky truce with the Taliban.

An attack on a security compound in northwest Pakistan has killed several paramilitary officers, with the Afghan-based Pakistan Taliban (TTP) claiming responsibility.

An armed group rammed a vehicle filled with explosives into the Bajaur district camp’s gate on Thursday and then launched a gun battle, security sources said. It was the latest in a string of deadly incidents in the border region that threaten the fragile ceasefire between Islamabad and Kabul.

The vehicle triggered a “huge explosion,” one Pakistani official told Reuters news agency. The fighters then rushed the camp and opened “indiscriminate fire”.

Reports say that eight or nine Pakistani soldiers were killed in the attack. At least 10 of the attackers were killed, the AFP news agency reported, while about 35 security personnel were wounded.

A Reuters journalist in the town of Bajaur said the blast was felt at markets more than 20 kilometres (12 miles) from the compound. Images showed that most of the outpost’s structures had been destroyed or charred by flames.

Pakistani military troops reportedly shut down nearby roads and surrounded the compound, which is located on the mountainous border with Afghanistan.

Deadly attacks escalate

The Pakistan Taliban (TTP), which seeks to overthrow the Pakistani government via attacks launched from its base in the remote border area of Afghanistan, claimed responsibility for the attack.

The latest attack adds to several other assaults in the same region, which have killed more than 20 people in recent days.

A car bomb killed more than a dozen as it targeted a police post, while at least nine people were killed in an explosion at a market.

Three security personnel were wounded in Bajaur’s Inayat Killi area when a mortar shell landed inside another camp, officials told AFP.

Islamabad claims Afghanistan is harbouring the armed groups that carry out attacks inside Pakistan. Kabul denies the accusation, with tension between the South Asian neighbours surging since the Afghan Taliban returned to power in 2021.

From February, this friction escalated into cross-border clashes between the two countries, and then into what Pakistan’s defence minister declared was “open war“.

A pause was agreed to in March, but sporadic violence broke out again. Islamabad and Kabul agreed last month to avoid escalation in China-brokered discussions.

However, the talks have not resulted in a formal agreement or ceasefire, leaving the situation volatile. The series of attacks over recent days threatens to ignite further hostilities between the two states.

The cross-border conflict has killed at least 372 Afghan civilians and injured nearly 400 others in the first three months of 2026 alone, the United Nations said earlier this week.

Deadly attack on Pakistan outpost puts Afghanistan ceasefire at risk
read more

Over 500 Detained Afghan Migrants Return From Pakistan

May 15, 2026
Khaama Press

More than 500 Afghan migrants detained in Pakistan returned home this week as deportations and cross-border repatriations continue increasing.

Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation said 561 Afghan citizens detained in Pakistan were released and returned to Afghanistan during the current week amid continuing deportation and repatriation operations affecting Afghan migrants.

According to the statement, 481 of the returnees entered Afghanistan through the Torkham Border Crossing, while another 80 people crossed through Spin Boldak Border Crossing.

The ministry stated that the individuals had been arrested in Pakistan due to lacking legal residency documents and were later transferred back to Afghanistan after registration procedures and the distribution of limited humanitarian assistance.

Meanwhile, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees said that more than 11,000 Afghans returned from Pakistan, Iran, Tajikistan and several other countries between May 3 and May 9 this year.

Reports also stated that nearly 1,000 Afghan families returned to the country in a single day, with official figures showing that 975 families, comprising more than 5,200 people, arrived through different border crossings.

According to the High Commission for Addressing Migrants’ Problems, more than 1,100 of those returning families were later transferred to their home provinces under what officials described as a “safe relocation process.”

The continuing wave of deportations and returns has increased pressure on Afghanistan’s fragile economy and humanitarian system, as international agencies warn that millions of people already face poverty, unemployment and severe food insecurity across the country.

Recent reports by United Nations Development Programme said nearly three-quarters of Afghanistan’s population cannot meet basic living needs, while mass migrant returns, drought and declining international aid are worsening humanitarian conditions.

Over 500 Detained Afghan Migrants Return From Pakistan
read more

Afghanistan Faces Sharp Decline in Forests and Water Resources: Report

May 15, 2026
TOLOnews
TV Network
14 May 2026

Officials stressed the need for greater international and regional cooperation to improve Afghanistan’s environment and support stability.

Afghanistan’s National Environmental Protection Agency (NEPA) publicly released the Afghanistan Environment Status Assessment Report during an event in Kabul attended by representatives of regional countries and the United Nations.

The report identifies several major environmental challenges, including the decline of forest cover to less than two percent of the country’s total land area, widespread degradation of rangelands, a significant reduction in wetlands and other aquatic ecosystems, severe depletion of groundwater in urban and agricultural areas, shrinking urban green spaces, heavy air pollution in major cities, and the increasing harmful effects of climate change.

Matiul Haq Khalis, Director General of NEPA, said: “This report was prepared to show the environmental challenges Afghanistan is facing and how steps can be taken to improve the situation.”

Officials of the Islamic Emirate and representatives of the United Nations, referring to the report’s findings, stressed the need for greater cooperation from international organizations and regional countries to improve Afghanistan’s environmental conditions and support stability in the country.

Stephen Rodriques, representative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Afghanistan, said that Afghanistan is among the countries most vulnerable to climate change but still lacks access to vital resources needed to address the crisis. He called on the international community to increase its cooperation with Afghanistan.

Arzu Hatakoy, Deputy Head of UNAMA, said the mission, with donor support, has worked on establishing a climate, water, and environment working group, which is expected to begin operations later this month to strengthen coordination and identify shared priorities in environmental and climate-related sectors.

According to NEPA, the Afghanistan Environment Status Assessment Report is published every two years to draw the international community’s attention to the country’s environmental situation. This year, the report received financial support from UNDP and the Norwegian Embassy in Afghanistan.

Afghanistan Faces Sharp Decline in Forests and Water Resources: Report
read more

Russia Is Building ‘Pragmatic’ Partnership With Taliban Government, Shoigu Says

May 15, 2026
The Moscow Times
14 May 2026
A Taliban delegation at a Russian Foreign Ministry meeting in Moscow.TASS

Moscow is building “pragmatic” and “full-fledged” relations with the Taliban government in Afghanistan, Russian Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu said Thursday at a regional security gathering.

The Taliban swept back to power in 2021 after overthrowing the U.S.-backed government and imposing an austere version of Islamic law. 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.

Speaking at the Russia and China-led Shanghai Cooperation Organization meeting in Kyrgyzstan, Shoigu underscored that Moscow had established a “pragmatic dialogue” with the Taliban to “meet the goals of regional security and economic development.”

“We’re consistently building a full-fledged partnership ranging from political and security contacts to trade, economic and cultural and humanitarian cooperation,” Shoigu was quoted as saying by the state-run TASS news agency.

He claimed up to 23,000 members of more than 20 militant groups remained active in Afghanistan and credited Kabul for its “fierce armed struggle” against the Islamic State.

Shoigu, who had served as Russia’s defense minister between 2012 and 2024, called on the United States to take “full responsibility” for its 20-year presence in Afghanistan and “assume the main burden” of post-conflict reconstruction.

He also voiced opposition to what he described as attempts by other countries to establish a military presence in Afghanistan. Russia previously said it did not harbor intentions for military deployment in the country.

Russia Is Building ‘Pragmatic’ Partnership With Taliban Government, Shoigu Says
read more

Taliban detains three journalists in Afghanistan, UN says

May 15, 2026

By

Reuters

KABUL, May 14 (Reuters) – Afghanistan’s Taliban government has detained at least three journalists on unspecified charges, the United ​Nations mission there said on Thursday in a ‌statement that called for the protection of reporters.
The three were the head of the Kabul-based Paigard News Agency, and two staff from Afghanistan’s ​first 24-hour news channel, TOLOnews, media and rights groups ​said.

The Reuters Iran Briefing newsletter keeps you informed with the latest developments and analysis of the Iran war. Sign up here.

The UN mission UNAMA said it urged “the de ⁠facto authorities to uphold their obligations under international human rights ​law and ensure that journalists can do their work without ​fear of intimidation, harassment, or reprisal”.
More than 40% of Afghanistan’s media outlets closed within three months of the Taliban returning to power in ​August 2021, according to Reporters Without Borders, and women ​have been barred from most journalism roles.
Afghanistan ranks among the world’s most ‌dangerous ⁠countries for journalists, the campaign group says.
The Taliban’s Ministry of Information and Culture confirmed the detention of the two TOLOnews journalists, saying their cases were under investigation, without specifying ​charges.
TOLOnews named them ​as Imran ⁠Danish and Mansoor Niazi and said security officials had said there would be more information ​on the cases against them when legal ​procedures had ⁠been completed.

Reporting by Mohammad Yunus ​Yawar in Kabul; Editing by Ariba Shahid and Andrew Heavens

Taliban detains three journalists in Afghanistan, UN says
read more

Recent Posts