Pakistan accuses Afghan Taliban governor of hosting militant talks

The Pakistan Army has accused the Taliban governor of Kandahar, Mullah Shireen, of hosting a meeting on August 26 involving senior figures from various militant groups. According to Army spokesman Lt. Gen. Ahmad Sharif, the gathering included members of the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS), and the Hafiz Gul Bahadur group to discuss escalating attacks within Pakistan. Sharif accused the Afghan Taliban government of “abetting and sponsoring terrorism,” though he did not provide evidence for the claims.

The governor of Kandahar, Mohammad Shirin Akhund, has dismissed the allegations as “propaganda,” stating that the claims are an attempt to justify civilian killings in Afghanistan. Afghan government spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid also rejected the reports, calling them a smear campaign.

These tensions follow Pakistani airstrikes in the Afghan provinces of Helmand and Kunar. The United Nations and Afghan officials report that these strikes killed at least 10 civilians, many of whom were children. Richard Bennett, the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Afghanistan, stated that the strikes appeared to violate international human rights and humanitarian law.