Senior Russian, Chinese Officials Discuss Afghanistan & Regional Security Cooperation

Zabihullah Mujahid, the Taliban’s spokesperson, declared on Friday that the agreement served a specific purpose at a particular time and no longer holds significance for the group.

Speaking on Taliban-controlled Radio Television Afghanistan (RTA), Mujahid stressed that the Taliban now governs Afghanistan independently, adhering to its own principles rather than the terms outlined in the Doha Agreement.

Signed on 29 February 2020 after 18 months of negotiations in Doha, Qatar, the agreement facilitated the withdrawal of U.S.-led international forces from Afghanistan, ending two decades of conflict. Following the U.S. exit, the Afghan government collapsed, enabling the Taliban to seize power through military conquest.

In his Friday interview, Mujahid stated: “The Doha Agreement was for a particular phase, and afterwards, the Islamic Emirate assumed control. We no longer operate under this agreement; instead, we follow our own governance principles. The deal was with the Americans and concluded at that point.”

He highlighted that the withdrawal of U.S. forces and the Taliban’s pledge to prevent Afghan soil from being used against the U.S. were the agreement’s core elements.

“U.S. Failed to Fulfil Commitments”

Mujahid asserted that the Taliban has upheld its obligations, including the withdrawal of foreign forces and ensuring Afghanistan does not threaten U.S. security. However, he accused the U.S. of failing to meet its commitments, pointing to ongoing sanctions on Taliban leaders and a lack of diplomatic engagement. He urged the U.S. to honour its side of the bargain.

Late in 2024, the U.S. alleged that the Taliban had breached critical aspects of the Doha Agreement. Negotiated over 18 months, the agreement was formalised by Mullah Baradar for the Taliban and Zalmay Khalilzad for the U.S. It encompassed four key points: the withdrawal of U.S. forces, the Taliban’s commitment to cut ties with terrorist groups, the launch of intra-Afghan negotiations, and the establishment of a ceasefire.

On 12 December 2024, the U.S. State Department’s annual terrorism report claimed that the Taliban continues to shelter al-Qaeda in Afghanistan and permits the Pakistani Taliban to operate within its borders. Both groups are designated as terrorist organisations by the United States, and under the Doha Agreement, the Taliban was obliged to sever ties with them—a commitment the U.S. contends has not been fulfilled.

After signing the agreement, the Taliban refused to engage in talks with the former Afghan government and pursued a military campaign to capture cities.

While Mujahid insists the Doha Agreement is obsolete for the Taliban, he has called on the U.S. to lift sanctions on Taliban leaders.

According to a United Nations sanctions monitoring report dated 8 July 2024, 61 Taliban officials remain under international sanctions, including 35 cabinet members and senior figures. Notable sanctioned individuals include Prime Minister Mullah Hassan, Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs Abdul Ghani Baradar, Deputy Prime Minister for Administrative Affairs Abdul Salam Hanafi, and Minister of Refugees Abdul Kabir. Key cabinet members such as Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani, intelligence chief Abdul Haq Wasiq, and others—including Ministers of Hajj, Information and Culture, Borders and Tribal Affairs, Civil Aviation, Economy, Public Works, Telecommunications, Urban Development, Energy and Water, Mines and Petroleum, and the head of the Taliban’s central bank, Noor Ahmad Agha—are also listed.

These individuals face travel bans outside Afghanistan without UN Security Council approval, and their overseas assets are frozen.

In December 2024, the UN Security Council unanimously extended the mandate of its sanctions monitoring team for another year, a decision supported by all 15 permanent and rotating members.

On Friday, the AFF announced that the attack took place on Thursday evening in the Golayi Bandar Khanabad area of Kunduz, killing four Taliban fighters and injuring two others.

Local sources told Afghanistan International that a powerful explosion occurred at around 9:30 PM local time in the provincial capital. According to these sources, the target of the attack was a Taliban military vehicle.

In a statement, the AFF said its forces ambushed the Taliban convoy as it was heading towards the village of Rustaq Abad on the outskirts of Kunduz city for a house-to-house search operation.

Taliban officials have yet to comment on the incident.

The AFF was established on 28 February 2022, shortly after the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan.

On the third anniversary of its founding, the group claimed it had conducted 87 targeted attacks against the Taliban in the past year alone. According to its statement, these operations resulted in the deaths of 229 Taliban fighters and commanders, with 166 others wounded.

Since its formation, the AFF claims to have killed 821 Taliban fighters and injured 868 others across Afghanistan.

On Friday, Wright posted photographs from Kabul and Herat on her social media accounts, showcasing various scenes from these cities. The images feature Ariana Airlines, a tiled rooftop in Herat, a shopfront, and several vehicles, though Wright herself does not appear in any of the pictures.

Afghanistan International reached out to Wright to enquire about the precise timing and purpose of her visit but has yet to receive a reply.

The Taliban, likewise, has remained silent on the matter.

Despite the Taliban's restrictive policies towards Afghan women, the group has extended numerous accommodations to foreign male and female tourists, seemingly to promote a "positive image" of their regime globally.

Notably, earlier reports highlighted intimate photographs of Taliban members alongside Chinese female tourists, which had previously captured public attention.

The blast occurred on Friday during Friday prayers at the Haqqania Madrassa, killing at least five people and injuring several others. Hamidul Haq Haqqani, son of the late Maulana Samiul Haq Haqqani, was the primary target of the attack.

As of now, no group has claimed responsibility for the bombing.

Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif strongly condemned the attack, offering condolences to the victims’ families and calling for swift action to identify and punish the perpetrators.

Situated about 60 miles from the Afghanistan border, the Haqqania Madrassa has long been associated with the Taliban. The madrassa has trained numerous Taliban leaders, and its officials have previously expressed pride in the group’s control over Afghanistan.

Hamidul Haq Haqqani, often referred to as the “spiritual father of the Taliban,” had openly urged the former Afghan government to surrender so the Taliban could implement Sharia law. The previous Afghan administration had called on Pakistan to shut down the madrassa due to its promotion of extremist ideologies.

Following the Taliban’s return to power in 2021, senior Taliban officials visited the Haqqania Madrassa and met with its religious leaders.

In early 2024, Hamidul Haq Haqqani led a delegation of Pakistani clerics to Kabul, where they met with Taliban officials, including Maulawi Abdul Kabir, then the Taliban’s Deputy Prime Minister for Political Affairs. Reliable sources confirmed that Abdul Kabir pledged financial support to the madrassa. A memorandum from his office instructed the Taliban’s Ministry of Finance to transfer seven million Afghanis to the madrassa’s account.

Reacting to Hamidul Haq Haqqani’s death, Rahmatullah Nabil, former head of Afghanistan’s intelligence agency, described him as “a human being in the guise of the devil,” adding, “He and his father were both merchants of death!”

According to the statement, the individuals received between 29 and 39 lashes, though no details were provided regarding their alleged offences. The punishment was carried out in the presence of local Taliban officials, court attendees, and the public.

Within the past week, the Taliban’s Supreme Court has publicly punished at least 39 people, including eight women, across Afghanistan.

Human rights organisations have repeatedly condemned such corporal punishments, describing them as a violation of fundamental rights. Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have classified these acts as torture and inhumane treatment, arguing that they contravene Afghanistan’s international obligations.

Rights groups and the United Nations have urged the Taliban to uphold fair trial standards and abolish punishments that violate human dignity. The UN has also expressed growing concern over the Taliban’s increasing use of corporal punishment.