US & Pakistani Officials Discuss Regional Security

The organisation condemned the attack on the Imam Zaman Mosque in the Mohammadi town of Guzara district in Herat, stating, "Different ethnicities and religions have always coexisted peacefully in Afghanistan."

Expressing concern over these attacks, the Western Region Political Convergence Council has said in a statement that Afghanistan should not fall into sectarian conflict like Pakistan.

The council said, "The rulers, who claim to provide security, should be most concerned about the security of ethnic and religious minorities. Otherwise, Afghanistan may face similar sectarian conflicts like Pakistan due to continued attacks."

On Monday, in an armed attack claimed by ISIS, six worshippers had been killed in the Imam Zaman Mosque. Among the victims were a child and a woman.

Ratwatte has also assessed the situation of refugees at Torkham border crossing.

According to the Taliban's statement, Saeed Ahmad Banawri, the Taliban’s deputy governor of Nangarhar province, held discussions with Ratwatte on Tuesday.

Assisting families returning from Pakistan, providing shelter, employment, humanitarian aid, education, and health services were among the topics discussed by Banawri and Ratwatte.

The deputy governor of the Taliban in Nangarhar province has sought increased UN assistance for refugees during this meeting.

The expulsion of Afghan refugees from Pakistan has drawn significant criticism both within and outside Afghanistan. Recently, Islamabad initiated the second phase of expelling Afghan refugees.

He stated that engagement with the Taliban is not only the best way to protect US interests, but also a way to support the people of Afghanistan.

On Tuesday, during a press conference, Patel said that engaging with the Taliban provides an opportunity for direct dialogue with the group.

According to him, this engagement is an opportunity to continue pressure on the Taliban for the immediate and unconditional release of US citizens, including those "wrongfully" detained.

“We’ll also use those opportunities to directly talk about the Taliban’s commitments to counterterrorism, and of course, as always, human rights is also on the agenda,” he said.

While US officials and the United Nations have repeatedly emphasised on engagement with the Taliban, this approach has faced significant criticism from Afghan activists and politicians.

The Taliban has widely violated the rights of the Afghan people, especially women.

The Taliban's Ministry of Interior stated that in the Monday night attack at this mosque, six worshippers, including a woman and a child, had been killed.

Abdul Mateen Qani, spokesperson for the Taliban's Ministry of Interior, said, "An unidentified armed individual open fired on worshippers with an AK-47."

Eyewitnesses reported that in this incident, several people, including women and children, were injured.

Mohammadi village in Guzara district is primarily inhabited by Hazaras, an ethnic and religious group that has been repeatedly attacked by ISIS.

The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) had condemned the recent attack on the Shia mosque in Guzara district, and called for an immediate investigation into the perpetrators of this incident.

UNAMA also urged the Taliban to take immediate action to protect the Shia community in Afghanistan.

The Afghanistan Freedom Front also condemned the attack and called it a "genocide and a crime against humanity”. It said that such acts aim to fuel sectarian disputes among Hazaras, Shias, and other ethnic groups in Afghanistan.

The National Resistance Council for the Salvation of Afghanistan and the National Resistance Front, condemning the attack stated that such attacks are carried out by allied groups supported by the Taliban.

The court stated that all three individuals had been punished with 39 lashes each in the presence of local Taliban officials.

A statement from the court indicated that one of these individuals was sentenced to two years in prison, while the other two received six-month sentences.

The Taliban's Supreme Court said that these punishments had been implemented based on the decision of the Public Security Department of Khost City's primary court.

A week ago, the court also punished five individuals in Khost with 39 lashes each for theft and "moral corruption”.

The United Nations Human Rights Council recently reviewed Afghanistan's human rights record and expressed concern over the Taliban's use of corporal punishment.

In the session, many representatives of the international community urged the Taliban to halt corporal punishment and executions in Afghanistan.

However, the Taliban have repeatedly emphasised that they punish individuals based on "Sharia rulings”.