Taliban defense minister warns neighbors against ‘ill intentions’ toward Afghanistan

Taliban Defense Minister Mohammad Yaqoob Mujahid on Tuesday urged regional and global powers not to pursue “ill intentions” toward Afghanistan, saying the Taliban “government” seeks good relations based on Islamic principles.

Speaking at a ceremony marking Afghanistan’s Independence Day, Yaqoob said the Taliban do not want Afghanistan to become an arena for confrontation between major powers such as the United States, Russia and China.

“Our message to neighboring countries, regional powers and the world is this: if anyone has ill intentions toward Afghanistan, abandon them. Afghanistan has no ill will against you. We want good relations with all on the basis of Islamic Sharia,” he said.

Regional states, including Russia and Pakistan, have repeatedly voiced concern over the presence of militant groups in Afghanistan and urged the Taliban to take stronger action against them.

“Neither the Russians nor the Chinese believe that Afghanistan will act against them at the direction of America or allow its soil to be used against them. And the Americans do not believe that Russia or China will come and use this soil against them. Let us trade. Let us compete with each other by building dams, roads, factories, investments and electricity projects — not through confrontation,” he said.

Yaqoob Mujahid also said Afghans have repeatedly failed to preserve their independence but described the Taliban’s return to power in August 2021 as a new form of independence. He urged unity to prevent “plots and divisions” between Afghans and warned against efforts to sow mistrust between citizens and the Taliban rule.

“At the very least, this third time we must learn a lesson. Anyone who tries to spread division, whether between the government and the people or among the people themselves, must be identified. Only then can we protect ourselves against the plots of foreign enemies or some foolish elements inside the country,” he said.

Meanwhile, Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi said Afghanistan’s independence had not been preserved over the past century, noting that neither King Amanullah Khan after independence from Britain nor the mujahedeen leaders following the Soviet withdrawal were able to maintain unity.

He warned regional states against hosting meetings that, in his words, seek to undermine Afghanistan—remarks widely seen as a reference to an upcoming conference in Islamabad.

Taliban intelligence chief Abdul Haq Wasiq also spoke at the event, claiming there is no serious opposition to the Taliban government. He described the Daesh’s local affiliate as a “foreign-imposed phenomenon” with no lasting presence in Afghanistan.

The remarks come as Russia and Pakistan among other countries in the region have expressed grave concerns over the presence of Daesh and other militant groups in Afghanistan. The countries have asked the Taliban to take action against such groups.

A recent report by the UN monitoring group says that Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has almost 6,000 fighters in Afghanistan. The report also says that the Taliban have provided permissive environment for activities of militant groups.

Yaqoob Mujahid’s remarks also come at time that Pakistan is preparing to host a meeting on Afghanistan next week, where dozens of activists and political figures have been invited. The meeting is being held in an informal level and the Pakistani government has not commented on the event so far.