Amid Rising Tensions with Taliban, Pakistan’s ISI Chief Meets Tajik President

Emomali Rahmon, the President of Tajikistan, met with General Asim Munir, the Director-General of Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), in Dushanbe.

The Tajik Presidential Office announced on Monday that their discussions centred on “ensuring peace, stability, and regional security.”

In the statement, President Rahmon expressed satisfaction with the bilateral relations between the two countries, highlighting that, alongside security cooperation, ongoing engagement between Tajik and Pakistani officials is mutually beneficial.

The two leaders emphasised the importance of strengthening collaboration in combating terrorism, extremism, and drug trafficking.

This meeting comes amidst escalating tensions between Pakistan and the Taliban in Afghanistan. In recent days, armed clashes along the shared border have resulted in casualties on both sides.

Tajikistan serves as a host to leaders of the Afghan National Resistance Front and remains one of the few regional countries without formal diplomatic ties with the Taliban. Over the past three years since the Taliban’s return to power, Tajikistan has consistently raised concerns about the presence of terrorist groups in Afghanistan and has been a staunch supporter of the National Resistance Front against the Taliban.

It is not yet clear whether the ISI chief met with the leaders of the National Resistance Front during his visit. Previously, some Pakistani diplomats had warned that if the Taliban failed to curb attacks by the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Pakistan might consider forging ties with groups opposed to the Taliban.

General Asim Munir was recently appointed as the head of Pakistan’s ISI.