Australia Appoints New Special Representative For Afghanistan

He also urged the Taliban to take measures to prevent terrorist attacks from Afghanistan on other countries.

Although he did not elaborate, Pakistan has consistently claimed that the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has safe havens in Afghanistan under Taliban control.

Moreover, member countries of the SCO have continually warned of the influence of terrorist groups from Afghanistan on Central Asia.

According to the Dawn newspaper of Pakistan, Sharif stated at the SCO summit held in Astana, Kazakhstan, that terrorism in all its forms and manifestations must be condemned.

He added that the region's stability and economic development are also dependent on peace in Afghanistan.

The SCO summit began on Wednesday for two days with the theme "Strengthening Multilateral Dialogue – Striving for Sustainable Peace and Development".

Leaders and representatives from Russia, Kazakhstan, India, Iran, China, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Belarus, Mongolia, Azerbaijan, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, and Turkmenistan are attending the summit.

Although some of these countries have economic and diplomatic relations with the Taliban, none recognise the Taliban officially.

Since the Taliban came to power, no one has been allowed to represent Afghanistan at SCO meetings.

The court stated that one person in Ghazni was given 39 lashes for theft and sentenced to one year and six months of imprisonment.

On Thursday, the court issued a statement saying that the defendants in Kandahar were punished in public based on the decision of the court in Maiwand district.

Public corporal punishment has faced widespread criticism from human rights organisations.

On Tuesday, the Taliban publicly flogged 21 people in Panjshir, Badghis, and Uruzgan provinces.

They asserted that establishing an inclusive government with broad participation from all ethnic and political groups is the only way to achieve lasting peace in the country.

In a joint statement, the leaders declared their readiness to support efforts aimed at normalising the situation in Afghanistan.

According to the Russian news agency TASS, the statement reads that the member states express their readiness to support the international community's efforts to ensure peace and development in this country.

The SCO summit commenced on Wednesday for a two-day session and was attended by leaders and representatives from Russia, Kazakhstan, India, Iran, China, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Belarus, Mongolia, Azerbaijan, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, and Turkmenistan.

Although some of these countries maintain economic and diplomatic relations with the Taliban, none have recognised the Taliban as the legitimate government of Afghanistan. Since the Taliban came to power, no Afghan representative has been allowed to attend SCO meetings.

Speaking at the SCO summit in Astana, Rahmon expressed his support for continued efforts to assist the Afghan people.

In his address, he highlighted regional security concerns and stressed on the necessity for SCO member countries to continue working together to combat terrorism and extremism, as well as transnational organised crime, including drug trafficking.

Rahmon emphasised that the shared interests of SCO member countries lie in ensuring peace, stability, and security in Afghanistan.

The leaders emphasised that peace and stability in Afghanistan are essential for the region.

In a joint statement released by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan on Wednesday, the leaders stated that having an inclusive government in Afghanistan is important.

The leaders of Afghanistan's eastern and northern neighbours expressed concerns about increasing security threats and stressed on the importance of collaboration between Dushanbe and Islamabad in combating terrorism.

Although the statement did not specify the exact security and terrorism threats faced by the two countries, Pakistan has consistently criticised attacks by Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan originating from Afghan soil, and Tajikistan has voiced concerns about the infiltration of terrorist groups, including ISIS and the Eastern Turkestan Islamic Movement, from Afghanistan into its territory.

Sharif began his two-day visit to Tajikistan on Monday, during which he signed a strategic cooperation agreement with the Tajik president.