Former Foreign Minister Atmar Urges Taliban Elders, Opponents to Unite via Emergency Loya Jirga
KABUL (Afghan Verified) -- Former Afghan Foreign Minister Mohammad Haneef Atmar called on Taliban elders and their political opponents to immediately resolve differences through an emergency Loya Jirga to achieve national reconciliation and mount a unified defense of Afghanistan.
Atmar made the remarks in response to a Pakistani airstrike on March 16, 2026, that targeted a drug addicts' treatment center in Kabul. The United Nations reported 143 people killed in the attack. Human Rights Watch described the strike as "illegal" and a "potential war crime," urging Pakistani officials to conduct an impartial investigation.
Atmar condemned the civilian deaths as a "clear disregard for international humanitarian law and fundamental principles of Islam" that protect non-combatants.
He also accused the international community and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation of maintaining a "shameful silence" on Pakistan's attacks, calling on them to hold Islamabad accountable and resume efforts for peace in Afghanistan.
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