Afghanistan has changed regional politics, says Sheikh Rasheed

• ”May be a new bloc will emerge in the world,” says Sheikh Rasheed.
• Afghan soil will not be used against Pakistan, hopes Sheikh Rasheed.
• Interior minister says region will come out of external pressure after change in Afghanistan.

TORKHAM: Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed on Sunday said that Afghanistan has changed the region's politics, commenting on the swift takeover of the country by the Taliban and its impact in South Asia.

Addressing a press conference at the Torkham border, Rasheed hinted at major changes taking place in the region in view of the evolving situation in Afghanistan.

The region will come out of external pressure, he said, adding, "A new bloc will emerge in the world. The region will herald great importance in the world soon."

"Afghanistan's development is our development," Sheikh Rasheed added.

Urging the world to remain engaged with Afghanistan, the interior minister said that the international community should understand the problems of the country.

Pakistan's officials have talked with the Afghan Taliban about the TTP issue, he said and hoped that the Afghan soil will not be used against Pakistan.

The minister slammed India, saying that it had suffered humiliation all over the world after the Taliban took control of Afghanistan. Rasheed said New Delhi had established 60 training camps in Afghanistan to carry out its subversive activities against Pakistan.

He said India trained Afghanistan’s intelligence agency National Directorate of Security (NDS) to carry out subversive activities. 

No one was expecting that the Taliban to take control of Afghanistan as soon, added the interior minister.

Rasheed said 92 % of the Pak-Afghan border has been fenced while 48% of the Pakistan-Iran border has also been fenced.

DG ISI arrives in Kabul to hold talks with Taliban 

Earlier on Saturday, Lt Gen Faiz Hameed, the director general of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), had arrived in Kabul to meet the Taliban representatives and discuss matters related to the safe evacuation of foreign nationals, border management and security in the region, sources had said.

The intelligence chief spent a day in the Afghan capital, sources had said, adding he was meeting and working with Pakistan’s Ambassador Mansoor Ahmed Khan and his team on issues of repatriation and transit through Pakistan and the situation on the border.

Since the Taliban came into power last month, thousands of foreign nationals have been evacuated from the war-ravaged country with Pakistan’s help. The Pakistani embassy in Kabul had been working 24/7 to assist in the evacuation efforts.