NEW YORK: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Thursday he believed the world was united on pressing the Taliban after speaking with Pakistan, China and Russia, key players with Afghanistan’s new rulers.
Blinken met on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly with his counterpart from Pakistan, the chief ally of the Taliban regime that was toppled by US troops in 2001, and held talks with ministers of the four other veto-wielding Security Council members including China and Russia on Wednesday evening.
“I think there is very strong unity of approach and unity of purpose,” Blinken told reporters.
“The Taliban says that it seeks legitimacy, that it seeks support, from the international community. The relationship that it has with the international community is going to be defined by the actions it takes.”
Blinken reiterated US priorities for the Taliban including allowing Afghans and foreigners to leave, respecting the rights of women, girls and minorities, and not letting Afghanistan be used again by extremists such as Al-Qaeda.
The State Department said Blinken highlighted “the importance of coordinating our diplomatic engagement” in talks with Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi.
Pakistan has called for engagement with the Taliban and the unfreezing of Afghan assets but Qureshi said earlier in the week that there was no rush to recognize a new Taliban government, a step opposed by Western nations.
Qureshi, opening his meeting with Blinken, said, “We have to find a way of collectively working to achieve our common objective, which is peace and stability.”
China and Russia have both moved to engage with the Taliban but have also stopped short of recognition and have longstanding concerns about Islamic extremism.
The Taliban swept through Afghanistan last month after President Joe Biden withdrew US troops, saying there was no point in extending America’s longest war beyond 20 years.
Blinken sees unity on Taliban after talks with Pakistan, China
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Blinken sees unity on Taliban after talks with Pakistan, China
- US state secretary reiterates priorities including women’s rights, not letting Afghanistan used by extremists
- Islamabad has called for engagement with Taliban and unfreezing of Afghan assets
Pakistan top court appoints senior lawyer to inspect Imran Khan’s jail conditions
- Top court names ‘friend of the court’ amid renewed concerns over ex-PM’s health
- Move follows dispute over jail access to Khan, questions over his treatment in custody
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Supreme Court on Tuesday appointed a senior lawyer as a “friend of the court” to visit jailed former prime minister Imran Khan and submit a report on his current living conditions, following renewed concerns raised by his family and party about his health and treatment in prison.
The decision came a day after the court declined a request by Latif Khosa, a lawyer affiliated with Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, to meet the former premier without prior notice to the government. The court later issued a notice to the government and resumed hearings on the matter on Tuesday.
According to a copy of the court order seen by Arab News, the Supreme Court appointed Barrister Salman Safdar, Advocate Supreme Court, to carry out the inspection.
“Barrister Salman Safdar, ASC, is appointed as a friend of the Court to visit the petitioner at the Central Prison, Rawalpindi today and submit a written report regarding the ‘living conditions of the petitioner in jail,’” the order said.
The court noted that a report on Khan’s prison conditions had already been submitted in response to an earlier order, but that it related to his detention in 2023 at Attock jail and did not reflect his current incarceration.
“In this regard, a report regarding the present living conditions of the petitioner shall be submitted,” the order said.
The attorney general assured the court that Safdar would be granted full access to meet Khan and inspect his detention conditions.
“Barrister Salman Safdar, ASC, shall be provided full access to meet the petitioner and inspect his living conditions,” the order added, directing that the report be submitted by Wednesday.
Speaking to reporters after the hearing, Safdar, who has represented Khan in the past, said the court had entrusted him with an independent responsibility.
“The court has assigned me a duty as a friend of the court, which we refer to as amicus, in which the court places its trust and confidence in you,” he said.
He added that he would visit Khan at 2pm on Tuesday at Rawalpindi’s Adiala Prison.
Khan, who was removed from office through a parliamentary vote of no confidence in April 2022, has been in custody since August 2023 in a series of cases that he and his party say are politically motivated, an allegation the government denies.
Concerns over Khan’s health resurfaced last month after the government confirmed that he had been briefly taken from prison to a hospital in Islamabad for an eye procedure. Authorities said his condition was stable, while PTI leaders said they were not informed in advance and demanded greater transparency.
Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, have been convicted in multiple corruption cases. In January 2025, an accountability court sentenced Khan to 14 years in prison in the Al-Qadir Trust land corruption case. In December 2025, a special court handed Khan and Bibi 17-year sentences each in the Toshakhana-2 case involving alleged misuse of state gifts. Appeals in both cases are ongoing.
Khan insists all cases are political motivated and aimed at keeping him and his party out of power. The government rejects the allegation.
