Mohammad Mohaqiq, a veteran jihadi leader, has criticized former U.S. envoy Zalmay Khalilzad for denouncing Pakistan’s decision to host an opposition conference, calling Pakistan a “friendly and brotherly country.” Mohaqiq stressed that Khalilzad has no right to question “civil gatherings of the people of Afghanistan.”
The upcoming “Toward Unity and Trust” conference, scheduled for September 3–4 in Islamabad, is being organized by Women for Afghan Women in partnership with the South Asia Strategic Stability Institute. Organizers describe it as a civic platform to discuss Afghanistan’s future, but Khalilzad labeled the event “provocative” and faulted Pakistan for hosting it.
Responding to this criticism, Mohaqiq said: “Who are you, and on behalf of which country do you make such irresponsible statements? If Afghan women organize a political dialogue, you accuse them of violence. Then who, in your view, is entitled to hold such meetings—ISIS-K or the Taliban’s Ministry of Vice and Virtue?”
He further asked: “Did the Taliban come to power through democracy and the vote of the people, or through America’s force and their own violence? Why was force legitimate for the Taliban, but forbidden for others?”
Mohaqiq’s remarks have stirred reactions, with many questioning how he can still refer to Pakistan as a “friendly and brotherly country” given its longstanding role as the Taliban’s main backer in seizing power, fueling war in Afghanistan, and shaping decades of instability. Critics argue that such rhetoric risks downplaying Islamabad’s responsibility for the ongoing crisis.
Beyond these debates, some analysts note that the Islamabad conference could nonetheless signal a partial shift in Pakistan’s policy and provide an opening for political dialogue. If sustained, they argue, it could help move Afghanistan’s future beyond Taliban exclusivity.
