Afghanistan | Pakistan

An Australian court granted bail on Friday to former soldier Ben Roberts-Smith, charged with murdering unarmed prisoners captured in Afghanistan following a sweeping war crimes probe. The towering soldier became a household name across Australia when he was awarded the Victoria Cross in 2011, a medal reserved for only the most courageous wartime exploits. But a landmark military report in 2020 revealed grave allegations against Australian troops sent to fight Taliban forces, accusing elite units of torture, summary executions and “body count” competitions. This month Roberts-Smith was charged with five counts of “war crime — murder”, with police alleging he was complicit in a string of unlawful killings between 2009 and 2012. After ten days behind bars he was granted bail, with Judge Greg Grogin telling a Sydney court that the former soldier faced the prospect of “years and years” in jail before his case went to trial. In court via video link, Roberts-Smith appeared impassive as he was shown on screen in a gr...

Pakistan and Afghanistan have agreed to avoid any escalation in their armed conflict, during talks hosted by China in recent days, Beijing said on Wednesday. “Representatives from China, Afghanistan and Pakistan held a week of informal meetings in Urumqi, Xinjiang, from April 1 to 7,” Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said. The three delegations “engaged in frank and pragmatic discussions in a positive atmosphere”, she said at a regular news conference in Beijing. According to the spokeswoman, Afghanistan and Pakistan stated “their commitment to resolving their differences as soon as possible and realising a return to normalcy in bilateral relations, agreeing not to take any actions that would escalate or complicate the situation”. The Foreign Office (FO) has not issued any official statement on the matter yet and declined to comment on the development when approached by Dawn. Since Pakistan launched Operation Ghazab lil-Haq against terrorist hideouts in Afghanistan in late February, diplomatic co...

Negotiations between Afghanistan and Pakistan are advancing steadily, China said on Friday, following reports that the South Asian neighbours were meeting there to try to end their worst conflict since the Taliban returned to power in 2021.

Pakistan is holding talks with Afghanistan to end the current conflict between the two countries, but Kabul must “demonstrate visible and verifiable actions”, said Foreign Office Spokesperson Tahir Andrabi on Thursday. Since Pakistan launched Operation Ghazab lil-Haq against terrorist hideouts in Afghanistan on February 26, diplomatic contact between the two sides had largely ceased. The talks in the northwestern Chinese city of Urumqi were being held between senior officials of the two countries, the spokesperson said in his weekly press briefing. The meeting was focused on sharing perspectives on the latest escalation. No major outcomes were expected, though it was believed that China was pushing for confidence-building measures, such as reopening trade routes. The spokesperson recounted the visit of Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar to Beijing earlier this week at the invitation of Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, saying that it “provided an opportunity for both sides to hold in-depth d...

Officials from Pakistan, Afghanistan and China met on Wednesday in the Chinese city of Urumqi under the trilateral mechanism. Since Pakistan launched Operation Ghazab lil-Haq against terrorist hideouts in Afghanistan on February 26, diplomatic contact between the two sides had largely ceased. A senior official from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA), who asked not to be named due to the sensitive nature of negotiations, told Dawn that the meeting was not a “mediation effort per se”. The meeting was focused on sharing perspectives on the latest escalation. No major outcomes were expected, though it was believed that China was pushing for confidence-building measures, such as reopening trade routes. Evolving regional situation and balancing security concerns with economic priorities were also a part of the discussion. Diplomatic sources said Pakistan’s agenda included reiterating its concerns over the presence of Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) sanctuaries inside Afghanistan. Afghan Taliban representatives...

ISLAMABAD: A group of clerics from Pakistan and Afghanistan on Tuesday appealed to the authorities on both sides to extend the pause in hostilities — which was announced for Eidul Fitr — to Eidul Azha. In Pakistan, the announcement was made by Information Minister Attaullah Tarar on March 18, three days before Eidul Fitr. “In view of the upcoming Islamic festival of Eidul Fitr, upon its own initiative as well as on the request from the brotherly Islamic countries of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the State of Qatar and the Republic of Turkiye, the government of Pakistan has decided to announce a temporary pause amidst ongoing Operation Ghazab lil-Haq against terrorists and their support infrastructure in Afghanistan,” Tarar had posted on X. The minister said the pause would be applicable from midnight March 18-19 to midnight March 23-24. Pakistan had launched Operation Ghazab lil-Haq on the night of Feb 26 following cross-border firing by the Afghan Taliban. Eleven Pakistani and as many Afghan clerics signed a ...

The Afghan Taliban announced on Tuesday that it was freeing a US national who had been detained for more than a year. The foreign ministry said the family of linguist and researcher Dennis Coyle had written to the supreme leader of Afghanistan, requesting his release for Eid. “The Supreme Court of the Islamic Emirate deemed his period of detention sufficient and decided on his release,” a statement read. The announcement came after a meeting of Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, US former special envoy to Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad, United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) ambassador to Kabul Saif Mohammed Al-Ketbi, and a member of Coyle’s family. The UAE facilitated the release, the ministry said, adding that Coyle had been reunited with his family in Kabul on Tuesday. Coyle, 64, was arrested by the Afghan authorities in January 2025, according to the Foley Foundation, which advocates for the release of Americans taken hostage or arbitrarily detained abroad. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio also welcomed Coyle’s rele...

Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) and Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Asim Munir on Saturday asserted that terrorists operating from Afghanistan would not be allowed to undermine Pakistan’s security, according to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR). He made the remarks while visiting Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Kurram, where he offered Eid prayers with the troops and officers there, and prayed for the country’s enduring stability and prosperity. “He (Field Marshal Munir) emphasised that terrorists operating from sanctuaries across the border in Afghanistan will not be allowed to undermine Pakistan’s security,” the military’s media wing said in a statement. Reaffirming Pakistan’s commitment to regional peace and stability, COAS Munir reiterated that “Afghan soil must not be used by hostile elements for activities against Pakistan”. The ISPR statement said: “Appreciating the valour and spirit of the soldiers, the field marshal lauded their achievements during Operation Ghazab lil-Haq, aimed at dismantl...

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday acknowledged Turkiye’s constructive role in promoting peace efforts between Pakistan and Afghanistan. The development comes a day after Pakistan decided on a “temporary pause” in the ongoing Operation Ghazab lil-Haq against the Afghan Taliban in view of Eidul Fitr and “at the request of brotherly Islamic countries”, including Turkiye. According to a statement by the PM Office, the prime minister held a telephone call with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, during which they exchanged views on Afghanistan. “The prime minister acknowledged Turkiye’s constructive role in promoting peace efforts between Pakistan and Afghanistan, especially in the recently announced temporary ceasefire, over the Eid days,” the statement said. During the exchange, the prime minister reiterated his strong condemnation of the ongoing escalation in the region, particularly the missile attacks on Turkiye, the statement said. “The entire Pakistani nation stood in solidarity with their Turki...

• Decision taken on requests from S. Arabia, Qatar, Turkiye • Tarar warns action to resume promptly if attacks occur • DG ISPR insists Afghan soil being used for attacks against Pakistan • FO rejects Indian statement ISLAMABAD: Information Minister Attaullah Tarar on Wednesday announced that Pakistan had decided on a “temporary pause” in the ongoing Operation Ghazab lil-Haq against the Afghan Taliban in view of Eidul Fitr and “at the request of brotherly Islamic countries”. In his post on X, Mr Tarar said: “In view of the upcoming Islamic festival of Eidul Fitr, upon its own initiative as well as on the request from the brotherly Islamic countries of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the State of Qatar and the Republic of Turkiye, the government of Pakistan has decided to announce a temporary pause amidst ongoing Operation Ghazab lil-Haq against terrorists and their support infrastructure in Afghanistan.” Operation Ghazab lil-Haq was launched on the night of Feb 26 following cross-border firing by the Afghan Talib...

The Foreign Office (FO) on Wednesday rejected the “baseless, misleading, and unwarranted statement” issued by India’s Ministry of External Affairs on action against terrorist infrastructure in Afghanistan. The development comes after targeted overnight airstrikes were carried out in Kabul and Nangarhar amid Operation Ghazab lil-Haq. A day earlier, Pakistan maintained that it had targeted ‘Camp Phoenix’ — a former US military base currently being used by Afghan Taliban forces — even as Afghanistan claimed a drug rehabilitation centre had been bombed instead. Subsequently, India’s Ministry of External Affairs had condemned Pakistan’s actions, calling it a “direct threat” to regional peace and stability. In a statement issued on Wednesday, FO spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said, “Pakistan rejects the baseless, misleading, and unwarranted statement issued by the Indian Ministry of External Affairs on Pakistan’s ongoing action against terrorist infrastructure in Afghanistan.” “Against the backdrop of India’s active sp...

KARACHI/ BAJAUR: The Pakistan military carried out overnight strikes in Afghanistan’s Kandahar province, targeting “terrorist hideouts and military infrastructure,” as the military continues its operation against the Afghan Taliban, state-run Pakistan TV reported on Sunday, citing security sources. Operation Ghazab lil-Haq was launched in late February following unprovoked firing by the Afghan Taliban from across the border. According to Pakistan TV, the strikes “targeted facilities used by the Afghan Taliban and affiliated terrorist groups to support attacks against Pakistani civilians”. “Pakistan armed forces have successfully targeted military installations, including terrorist hideouts of Afghan Taliban and Fitna al-Khawarij,” Pakistan TV quoted the security sources as saying. Fitna al-Khawarij is a term the state uses to refer to the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). The outlet said that the armed forces destroyed “technical support infrastructure and an equipment storage facility in Kandahar”, wh...

The Foreign Office (FO) on Sunday rejected a statement made by the Indian Ministry of External Affairs criticising Pakistan’s cross-border action in Afghanistan, stating that the statement was “absurd, unwarranted” and “shamefully hypocritical”. The development comes as Pakistan continues with Operation Ghazab lil-Haq, which was launched in late February following unprovoked firing by the Afghan Taliban from across the border. A day earlier, the Indian MEA’s spokesperson Shri Randhir Jaisal claimed that Pakistan’s strikes in Afghanistan had led to “death of several civilians”, terming it an “act of aggression”. In response, the FO spokesperson Tahir Andrabi rejected the claim, stating that the remarks against Pakistan’s “legitimate, targeted and precise actions against terrorist hideouts and support bases inside Afghanistan are not only absurd and unwarranted but also shamefully hypocritical”. The spokesperson maintained that India’s “active support and sponsorship” for terrorist groups operating from Afghan ...

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told his Afghan counterpart Amir ​Khan Muttaqi in a phone call ‌that disputes between Afghanistan and Pakistan should be resolved through dialogue and consultation, not ​force, the foreign ministry said in ​a statement published on Friday.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told his Afghan counterpart Amir Khan Muttaqi in a phone call that disputes between Afghanistan and Pakistan should be resolved through dialogue and consultation, not force, the foreign ministry said in a statement published on Friday. Wang urged both sides to remain calm and exercise restraint, hold face-to-face talks as soon as possible, seek an immediate ceasefire and address differences through dialogue, according to the statement. The further use of force would only complicate the situation and intensify tensions, Wang said. “China is willing to continue to make active efforts to help achieve reconciliation and detente between Afghanistan and Pakistan,” said Chinese Ambassador to India Xu Feihong on X, sharing the call’s details. The ministry’s statement came after Pakistan on Friday targeted terror camps and associated infrastructure in Afghanistan. Wang and Muttaqi also exchanged views on the situation in Iran, the statement said. Wang told Muttaqi, according to the sta...

Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said on Friday that Pakistan successfully targeted terrorist affiliated locations in Afghanistan overnight. In a post on X, he said, “It is pertinent to mention that on the night of 12/13 March 2026, Pakistan successfully targeted terrorists’ affiliated installations in Afghanistan.“ He said that terrorists and their support infrastructure, including logistic bases, and camps, were targeted. His post also showed the strikes, with the minister saying that Pakistan “precisely targeted only those installations which directly/indirectly support terrorism from inside Afghanistan and terrorist camps”. “No civilian population or civilian infrastructures were targeted as falsely propagated by Afghan regime officials and media,” he asserted. The statement by the minister came hours after security sources said that in overnight strikes against terrorists and Afghan Taliban targets, the armed forces destroyed training camps and support infrastructure in Afghanistan. “Pakistan’s Armed...

The Pakistan Army carried out airstrikes against militant hideouts in Afghanistan under the ongoing Operation Ghazab-ul-Haq, targeting multiple locations late Thursday night, security sources said.

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan yesterday rebuked India for consistently playing the role of a spoiler in Afghanistan and urged it to cease its policy of supporting terrorism from Afghan soil.

WASHINGTON: During a heated debate on Afghanistan at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on Monday, Pakistan lambasted India’s criticism of cross-border strikes, accusing Delhi of complicity in the terror threat at the western border. Pakistan’s Permanent Representative Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad exchanged strong words with his Indian and Afghan counterparts after the former accused Islamabad of “flagrant violations of international law” during the Pak-Afghan conflict. During the session, India’s Permanent Representative Parvathaneni Harish said his country “reiterates UNSG’s deep concern at civilian casualties caused by cross-border violence and strongly condemns airstrikes which are flagrant violations of international law, UN Charter and state sovereignty”. India also expressed “grave concern on ‘trade and transit terrorism’” and said “these vulnerabilities of Land-Locked Developing Countries should not be weaponised”. India a ‘spoiler’ in Afghanistan: Pak envoy Ambassador Ahmad, following the r...

WASHINGTON: The United States on Monday designated Afghanistan as a ‘State Sponsor of Wrongful Detention’, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio accusing the Taliban of using hostage-taking as leverage against Washington. Earlier, in February, Iran was also designated a ‘State Sponsor of Wrongful Detention’. The announcement came as Washington sharpened its criticism of Taliban policies at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), where US Ambassador Mike Waltz questioned continued international engagement and funding provided to Afghanistan. Rubio, in a statement issued on Monday evening, said: “Today, I am designating Afghanistan as a State Sponsor of Wrongful Detention.” He warned Americans against travel to Afghanistan, saying: “It is not safe for Americans to travel to Afghanistan because the Taliban continues to unjustly detain our fellow Americans and other foreign nationals.” He alleged that the Taliban “continue to use terrorist tactics, kidnapping individuals for ransom or to seek policy concessions...