Taliban government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said claims made by Pakistani officials linking Afghanistan to the attack on a police station in Bannu were unfounded.

“The Afghan government considers the recent statements by Pakistani officials, which claimed that the attack on the police station in Bannu was planned in Afghanistan, baseless,” Mujahid said in a statement posted on X.

The response came after Pakistani authorities blamed Afghanistan-based militants for the suicide bombing and subsequent assault on a police checkpoint in Bannu, an area near Pakistan’s border with Afghanistan that has seen a resurgence of militant violence.

The attack, one of the deadliest against Pakistani security forces this year, intensified tensions between Islamabad and Kabul, which have repeatedly traded accusations over cross-border militancy.

Pakistan has accused militant groups operating from Afghan territory of orchestrating attacks inside Pakistan since the Taliban returned to power in Kabul in 2021.

The Taliban administration has consistently denied harboring militants targeting neighboring countries and has argued that Pakistan’s security challenges are an internal matter.

Relations between the two countries have deteriorated sharply in recent months, including military confrontations earlier this year after Pakistan launched airstrikes inside Afghanistan targeting what it described as militant hideouts.

The Taliban condemned those strikes as violations of Afghan sovereignty.

The blast struck Naurang Bazar in the Sarai Nawrang area near Bannu District, close to the Afghan border, according to emergency officials and local authorities.Witnesses described scenes of panic after the explosion tore through the busy marketplace, damaging storefronts and vehicles as residents and rescue workers rushed to evacuate the wounded.

Rescue 1122 said nine people were killed and around 30 others wounded in the attack, adding that critically injured victims had been transferred to hospitals in Bannu for treatment.Dr. Mohammad Ishaq said the hospital had received at least 37 injured patients, several of whom remained in critical condition.

No group immediately claimed responsibility for the bombing.The attack came days after a coordinated assault involving a car bomb and armed ambush on a police checkpoint in Bannu district killed 15 police officers. Pakistani authorities blamed militants operating from Afghan territory for the weekend attack and lodged a formal protest with the Taliban-led government in Kabul.

The Taliban administration said on Monday it had no immediate response to Pakistan’s allegations.Relations between the two countries have deteriorated sharply in recent months amid escalating accusations over cross-border militancy. In February, Pakistan launched airstrikes inside Afghanistan targeting what it described as militant safe havens linked to attacks on Pakistani security forces.

The Taliban government has repeatedly denied providing sanctuary to militants and maintains that Pakistan’s security crisis is an internal matter.

Northwestern Pakistan has witnessed a resurgence in militant violence since the collapse of a ceasefire between Islamabad and armed insurgent groups, with attacks increasingly targeting police, military personnel and civilian areas near the Afghan frontier.

An EU spokesperson said the proposed meeting was being organized at the request of several member states seeking cooperation on deportation procedures for Afghan migrants whose asylum claims have been rejected or who are considered security risks under European law.

No date has been finalized for the talks, the spokesperson said, stressing that the meeting would not constitute formal diplomatic recognition of the Taliban government.

Western governments have largely avoided official engagement with the Taliban since the Islamist movement seized control of Afghanistan in 2021 following the withdrawal of U.S. and NATO forces and the collapse of the Western-backed Afghan administration.

Despite the lack of formal recognition, European officials have gradually expanded technical contacts with Taliban authorities on issues including migration, humanitarian assistance and airport operations.

The EU spokesperson said officials from the bloc had already traveled to Kabul in January for preliminary discussions and were now considering a follow-up technical meeting in Brussels with what the EU described as Afghanistan’s “de facto authorities.”

Hundreds of thousands of Afghans have sought asylum across Europe since the Taliban takeover, creating political pressure on European governments facing rising anti-immigration sentiment and strained asylum systems.

European countries have struggled to deport Afghan nationals because diplomatic relations with Kabul remain limited and there are few formal mechanisms for coordinating returns.

The spokesperson said Sweden was assisting in coordinating the planned discussions. Swedish authorities did not immediately comment on the initiative.

The move highlights the increasingly pragmatic approach adopted by some European governments toward the Taliban administration, despite continuing concerns over human rights restrictions, particularly those affecting women and girls in Afghanistan.

Pakistan’s foreign ministry said evidence gathered through a detailed investigation and technical intelligence indicated that the attack was “masterminded by terrorists residing in Afghanistan,” following a coordinated assault on Saturday involving a car bombing and a subsequent ambush targeting responding security forces.

The attack occurred in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province near the Afghan border, an area that has witnessed repeated militant violence in recent years. Images released after the incident showed the police post reduced to rubble.

In a statement, the foreign ministry said a senior Afghan diplomat had been summoned and formally presented with a strong demarche over the attack. Islamabad warned that it would not compromise on national security if militant groups continued to find sanctuary across the border.

“The Afghan Taliban regime has also been categorically informed that, if it continues to harbor these terrorist organizations, Pakistan will not compromise on its national security or on the safety and protection of its citizens,” the ministry said.

Deputy Taliban spokesperson Hamdullah Fitrat told Reuters the Afghan government had no immediate comment on Pakistan’s allegations.

Islamabad has repeatedly accused the Taliban-led administration in Kabul of allowing militants to use Afghan territory to plan and launch attacks inside Pakistan, a charge the Taliban denies. Afghan authorities maintain that Pakistan’s militancy problem is an internal matter.

The latest accusations threaten to further strain relations between the two neighbors after months of heightened border tensions. In February, some of the heaviest fighting in years erupted between Pakistani and Afghan forces following Pakistani airstrikes inside Afghanistan that Islamabad said targeted militant strongholds.

Security analysts say continued militant violence along the frontier risks destabilizing already fragile relations between the two countries and complicating efforts to coordinate border security and counterterrorism operations.

The violence on Monday killed seven civilians and wounded 85 others, according to a provincial health official, marking the latest escalation in tensions between the two countries after months of cross-border fighting.The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said it had documented “tens of civilians killed or injured” in strikes that hit Asadabad, including a university and surrounding areas of the city.

Afghanistan’s foreign ministry condemned the attacks as “a clear breach of the country’s territorial integrity” and summoned Pakistan’s charge d’affaires in Kabul in protest.Pakistan’s information ministry denied carrying out strikes on residential neighborhoods or the university, calling such allegations a “blatant lie.”

At the university campus in Asadabad, an AFP journalist reported broken windows and damaged solar panels following the attack.Irfanullah, a 20-year-old psychology student, said students dropped to the floor after hearing a loud explosion during class.“Each student tried to get to a safe place, but the windows were broken and some of the students were wounded,” he said.

Another student, Ibadullah, 23, said panic spread immediately after the strike.“Students ran, shoes and books were left on the ground,” he said.Both students declined to provide their surnames for security reasons.Relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan have remained strained since the Taliban returned to power in Kabul in 2021.

The latest violence follows heavy fighting along the frontier earlier this year, as well as Pakistani airstrikes on Afghan cities including Kabul, an escalation that marked one of the most serious military confrontations between the neighbors in years.A temporary ceasefire was agreed in March, and mediator China later said both sides had committed to avoiding further escalation.

Islamabad has repeatedly accused Afghanistan’s Taliban authorities of sheltering militants responsible for attacks inside Pakistan, an allegation Kabul denies.

The border between the two countries has remained largely closed since deadly violence in October, severely disrupting trade and cross-border movement.

The Afghans, housed at Camp As Sayliyah on the outskirts of Doha, say returning to Taliban-ruled Afghanistan would expose them to reprisals because of their past work with U.S. and allied forces, while resettlement options remain limited after President Donald Trump’s administration suspended Afghan immigration cases and paused refugee admissions.

“We are all living in extreme anxiety. We feel that we are in limbo,” said Rasouly, a former interpreter for U.S. forces who has spent 19 months at the camp with his family.Camp As Sayliyah, once used by the U.S. military, has served as a transit and processing center for Afghan evacuees since the chaotic U.S. withdrawal in August 2021.

Many of those still there had expected eventual resettlement in the United States under refugee or special immigration pathways.That process stalled after Trump paused refugee admissions in January 2025 and later suspended Afghan immigration cases in November, leaving hundreds of families in prolonged legal and humanitarian uncertainty.

Advocacy group AfghanEvac said the U.S. administration is considering requiring residents to choose between returning to Afghanistan or relocating to countries such as the Democratic Republic of Congo, a proposal first reported by U.S. media and later confirmed by campaigners as under review.In an open letter shared by AfghanEvac, camp residents rejected the possibility of relocation to Congo, citing both security concerns and trauma from years of conflict.

“We have been in enough war. We cannot take our children into another one,” the letter said. “We also cannot return to Afghanistan. The Taliban will kill many of us for what we did for the United States.”The U.S. State Department has not confirmed Congo as a destination but said relocation to a third country could provide safety and an opportunity to rebuild lives. Officials in the Democratic Republic of Congo have not commented publicly on the reports.

Afghanistan’s foreign ministry, responding to the reports, said Afghan nationals abroad could return in “confidence and peace of mind,” rejecting concerns over retaliation.However, the United Nations has documented arbitrary arrests, detentions and cases of torture involving former Afghan officials and security personnel who returned to Afghanistan, raising concerns among rights groups over the safety of returnees.

Residents at the camp said they have received little formal communication and rely largely on rumors about resettlement plans or possible camp closure.“Different rumors have circulated,” said Mahmoud, 38, who worked with U.S. and international forces and has lived at the camp for more than a year. “Rumours such as sending people to the Democratic Republic of the Congo are being spread to increase psychological pressure.

”Many families live in cramped, windowless containers and are generally unable to leave except for serious medical emergencies, residents said.The insecurity deepened during Iranian missile attacks targeting U.S. bases in the Gulf earlier this year, when explosions and interceptions were visible from the camp despite the base no longer being operational.

“It reminded us of Afghanistan,” said Shabnam, who arrived at the camp in January 2025 with her young son after her father’s work with U.S. and allied forces in western Afghanistan. “Many of us came here to escape conflict. It felt like we were reliving those same fears.”The State Department confirmed in February that Washington had offered financial assistance for voluntary return to Afghanistan.

AfghanEvac and camp residents said the package included $4,500 for each main applicant and $1,200 per dependent.Around 150 people have accepted the payments and returned, according to U.S. officials.For others, the offer does little to ease fears.“Security is not something that can be negotiated,” Rasouly said. “If they pay me $50,000 for me and my family, I cannot go to Afghanistan because my life is in danger.”

The statement came after reports that the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump was discussing the possible relocation of around 1,100 Afghans, including former U.S. war helpers and relatives of American service members, to the Democratic Republic of Congo as part of efforts to resolve their prolonged displacement.

Foreign ministry spokesperson Abdul Qahar Balkhi said Afghanistan remained the “shared homeland of all Afghans” and invited those concerned to return with “full confidence and peace of mind,” rejecting concerns that they faced security threats under Taliban rule.

He said those wishing to migrate to other countries could do so later through “legal and dignified channels” and added that Kabul was ready to engage with all countries on the matter.

The remarks followed disclosures by advocacy group #AfghanEvac, which supports Afghan resettlement efforts, that U.S. officials had informed the group of talks between Washington and Congo regarding refugees housed at Camp As-Sayliyah, a U.S. base in Doha, where many have remained in limbo for more than a year.

The U.S. State Department said it was working to identify options for “voluntary” resettlement in a third country, but did not confirm which countries were under discussion.

For many of the Afghans at the camp, returning to Afghanistan is not considered safe. Many had worked directly with U.S. military forces, diplomatic missions, or affiliated programs during the war and fear retaliation from the Taliban, who returned to power in 2021 following the withdrawal of U.S.-led forces.

In a joint statement shared by #AfghanEvac, refugees at the camp said they had not been formally informed by U.S. officials about the possible transfer to Congo and learned of the discussions through media reports.

They said the prolonged uncertainty had severely affected their mental health.“Many of us are not well. The uncertainty has been more than some of us can carry. There is deep depression,” the group said, describing worsening psychological distress among families who have spent months waiting for relocation.

The refugees also firmly rejected the idea of being moved to Congo, citing ongoing violence there.“We do not want to go to the Democratic Republic of Congo,” the statement said. “It is a country in its own war. We have been in enough war.

We cannot take our children into another one.”The Democratic Republic of Congo has faced decades of instability, particularly in its eastern region, where fighting between government forces and Rwanda-backed rebel groups has intensified.

Camp residents also said returning to Afghanistan was not an option.“The Taliban will kill many of us for what we did for the United States,” the statement said. “This is not a fear. This is a fact.”The relocation discussions come more than a year after President Trump suspended his predecessor’s Afghan refugee resettlement program as part of broader immigration restrictions, leaving thousands of vetted Afghan applicants stranded in transit hubs across the world, including Qatar.

Many had already completed years of security screening and documentation for U.S. resettlement before the process was halted.

The uncertainty over their future continues to underscore the unresolved humanitarian fallout of America’s withdrawal from Afghanistan and the fate of those who supported its mission there.

A United Nations human rights report has warned that conditions in Afghanistan continue to deteriorate sharply under the country’s de facto Taliban authorities, with women and girls facing the most severe restrictions and millions struggling amid a deepening humanitarian crisis.

The assessment, presented by UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk at the latest session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva, covers developments between August 2025 and January 2026. It highlights a convergence of economic decline, reduced international aid, environmental stress, and governance policies that have significantly constrained civil liberties.

According to the report, approximately 21.9 million people around 45 percent of Afghanistan’s population—are expected to require humanitarian assistance in 2026. The situation has been exacerbated by a reduction in external funding, the return of nearly three million Afghans from neighboring countries during 2025, and persistent drought conditions affecting livelihoods and food security.

Türk said a series of directives issued since the Taliban’s return to power in August 2021 has had a “crushing impact” on the population, particularly women and girls. These measures, the report states, have effectively excluded women from most areas of public and professional life.

Since September 2025, Taliban security forces have barred Afghan women, including United Nations staff and contractors, from entering UN premises across the country. The restriction remained in place as of late January 2026, significantly limiting the organization’s operational capacity and its ability to deliver humanitarian assistance.The report also details the formal dismissal of women civil servants.

After being instructed to remain at home following the Taliban takeover while receiving a reduced monthly salary of 5,000 Afghanis, women were informed in January 2026 that their employment had been terminated without due process or compensation. The UN noted the absence of transparency and mitigation measures in this decision.

Educational restrictions remain in place, with girls excluded from schooling beyond the sixth grade and barred from higher education since December 2022. The report notes that medical graduation examinations were conducted in November 2025 without female candidates for a second consecutive year, following a ban on women attending medical institutes imposed in December 2024.

Additional measures have further limited women’s participation in public life. Authorities have enforced dress codes under the “Law on the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice,” and although the requirement for full-body covering appears to have been relaxed in some areas, women not adhering to prescribed attire continue to face denial of access to public transport, markets, and services.

The closure of beauty salons and the removal of books authored by women from libraries and bookstores, regardless of subject matter, have further restricted cultural and intellectual expression.“The de facto authorities have, in effect, criminalized the presence of women and girls in public life,” Türk said, adding that these policies affect access to healthcare, civic participation, and freedom of movement and expression.

The report also identifies broader human rights concerns, including the use of public executions and corporal punishment. Since 2021, authorities have carried out 12 public executions, including two during the reporting period, often in sports stadiums. Public floggings are reported to occur on a weekly basis.In late September 2025, Afghanistan experienced a nationwide shutdown of its fibre optic network, resulting in a 48-hour blackout of internet and mobile services.

The disruption affected healthcare delivery, emergency response systems, aviation operations, and financial services, according to the report, which noted that no official explanation was provided.Media freedom has also come under increased pressure. Journalists face arbitrary detention and restrictions on content, while live political talk shows have been banned since February 2025.

Broadcasting of music and drama has also been prohibited. Women journalists who remain active in the profession encounter additional barriers, including reported incidents of being silenced during official briefings.Türk described the overall situation as severe, citing widespread poverty and limited access to essential services.

“Millions of Afghans live in utter poverty, deprived of their right to adequate food, clean water, and access to education, healthcare and employment,” he said. He added that natural disasters, including two earthquakes in late 2025, have compounded existing challenges, while funding cuts have weakened humanitarian response efforts.

Security conditions along Afghanistan’s borders have also contributed to instability. The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan documented 70 civilian deaths and 478 injuries attributed to Pakistani military actions during cross-border incidents in the final quarter of 2025.

The report notes that these figures exceed annual civilian casualty levels recorded in previous years, with the most intense period occurring between October 10 and 17, when more than 500 civilians were affected.In response to these developments, the UN has called on Afghanistan’s de facto authorities to reverse policies that restrict fundamental rights.

Recommendations include restoring women’s access to education and employment, halting executions with a view to abolishing the death penalty, ending arbitrary detentions, and ensuring fair trial standards. The report also calls for respect for freedom of expression and unimpeded humanitarian access.

The UN has urged member states to suspend forced returns of Afghan nationals, warning that deportees face credible risks of persecution, torture, and other serious harm. It has also emphasized the importance of supporting a newly established Independent Investigative Mechanism mandated to collect evidence of potential international crimes.

Türk noted that accountability efforts have gained some traction, referencing arrest warrants issued by the International Criminal Court in July 2025. He called on states to cooperate with ongoing investigations and provide financial support for accountability mechanisms.

Separately, a civil society-led People’s Tribunal for Women of Afghanistan delivered a symbolic judgment in December 2025, finding the Taliban and associated authorities responsible for crimes against humanity, including gender-based persecution and arbitrary detention.

The tribunal also called for the recognition of “gender apartheid” as a distinct international crime.Türk endorsed efforts to formalize this concept in international law, stating that defining gender apartheid would be a critical step toward addressing systemic discrimination. He urged Afghan authorities to reconsider policies excluding women from public life, emphasizing their central role in the country’s future.

“Women and girls are the present and the future, and the country cannot thrive without them.”

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said the two sides, along with China, committed to continued dialogue after seven days of negotiations in the western Chinese city.

The parties agreed to address key issues in bilateral relations, with terrorism identified as the central concern affecting ties.

“The three parties agreed to explore a comprehensive solution to the issues in the relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan, and clarified the core and priority issues that need to be addressed,” Mao said at a regular press briefing in Beijing.Both Afghanistan and Pakistan pledged they would not take actions that could “escalate or complicate the situation,” according to the Chinese readout.

Afghanistan’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Abdul Qahar Balkhi said the talks concluded in a “constructive atmosphere,” focusing on security, bilateral relations and regional stability.

Writing on X, he thanked Beijing for facilitating the discussions and expressed hope the process would build trust and enhance cooperation.There was no immediate comment from Pakistan on the outcome of the talks.

The discussions were convened after fighting that began in February escalated into what Pakistan described as “open war,” including airstrikes inside Afghanistan, among them in the capital Kabul.

According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the conflict has displaced about 94,000 people, while roughly 100,000 residents in two Afghan border districts have been cut off from assistance since the violence began.

Despite the talks, Afghan officials have continued to accuse Pakistan of cross-border shelling, while Islamabad has long alleged that Afghanistan provides safe haven to militants, including the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, an insurgent group allied with the Afghan Taliban.

Kabul denies the operations.

Senior officials from both countries are participating in the discussions, which are being facilitated by China as part of efforts to broker a negotiated settlement between the neighbours, long linked by security ties but increasingly at odds over militancy and cross-border attacks.

The talks are expected to focus on securing a ceasefire and reopening key border crossings to restore trade and travel flows, according to sources cited in earlier reports, signalling an attempt to stabilise economic and civilian movement disrupted by months of hostilities.

“Our efforts for talks will continue despite the problems that will keep coming,” a Pakistani Foreign Ministry spokesperson said during a regular media briefing, underscoring Islamabad’s position that dialogue remains the primary channel for de-escalation.

Pakistan has also acknowledged China’s role in facilitating the engagement, describing Beijing as an important global actor whose diplomatic efforts are complementary to regional stability initiatives.

Tensions between the two countries have escalated sharply since late 2025, with Islamabad accusing the Afghan Taliban authorities of harbouring militants from Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, an insurgent group it says is responsible for attacks inside Pakistan.

The Afghan Taliban has rejected those allegations, maintaining that militancy within Pakistan is an internal issue and denying any official support or sanctuary for the group.

The two countries share a 2,600-kilometre border that has historically been porous and contested, and recent fighting has marked a significant deterioration in ties that had initially shown signs of alignment following the Taliban’s return to power in Kabul in 2021.