(MENAFN- Live Mint) Pakistani authorities closed key roads leading to Islamabad and suspended mobile internet services to prevent a protest march by the far-right religious group Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP).

The TLP, a far-right extremist group, had planned a march in the capital to protest the killings in Gaza, despite a ceasefire being in place in the region. In response, the Ministry of Interior deployed shipping containers to block key routes and instructed the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) to shut down mobile internet services in Islamabad and Rawalpindi.

According to the letter sent to the PTA, which was approved by Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, mobile internet service in the twin cities will remain suspended for an indefinite period from 12 am last night, PTI reported.

The official release states internet suspension in Islamabad, Pakistan. (Photo: X)

Six security personnel and six militants were killed in a deadly assault on a paramilitary base in northwest Pakistan on Tuesday. The attack began when a suicide bomber drove an explosives-laden vehicle into the compound's boundary wall in the town of Bannu, according to a report by The Associated Press.

Meanwhile, Taliban officials are investigating an explosion that occurred late Thursday in Kabul, according to the government's chief spokesperson. The blast took place just before 10 p.m. local time near Abdul Haq Square, an area close to several government ministries and the national intelligence agency. Security forces quickly cordoned off the scene.

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Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid stated that, so far, there have been no reports of casualties or property damage.“An explosion was heard in Kabul city,” he posted on X.“But don't worry, it's all good and well. The accident is under investigation, and no injuries have been reported yet. So far, there is no report of any harm done.”

This comes at a time when Afghanistan's acting Foreign Minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi, is in New Delhi for a week-long visit to India .

TTP leader Noor Wali Mehsud dead?

CNN-News18 reported to have a voice message from Noor Wali Mehsud confirming he is alive and currently in Pakistan, although his son was killed in the recent attack. Given that Mehsud is a high-value Pakistani terrorist, the strike appears to have been a covert, cross-border operation.

The operation may have been carried out by Pakistan itself or by a third party, likely with key intelligence support and possible on-the-ground assistance from Islamabad, the report said.

Muttaqi's India visit highlights the Taliban administration's efforts to seek international recognition and underscores India's strategic move to counter its regional rivals, Pakistan and China, who are deeply involved in Afghanistan.

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Randhir Jaiswal, MEA spokesman, extended a welcome to Muttaqi in a post on X on Thursday and said:“We look forward to engaging discussions with him on bilateral relations and regional issues.”

India's Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri met Muttaqi in Dubai in January. It was followed by telephone conversations between Muttaqi and Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, India's foreign minister. India's special envoy to Afghanistan visited Kabul in April to discuss political and trade relations.

Who is Noor Wali Mahsud?

Born on June 26, 1978, in Machikhel Zafarkhel, a sub-clan of the Mehsud tribe, Wali hails from the Sararogha subdistrict in South Waziristan Agency (SWA). He received his religious education in Faisalabad and Karachi.

Following the 9/11 attacks and the US intervention in Afghanistan, Wali returned to the country as part of Maulana Mirajuddin's group of Islamist fighters opposing the American invasion by joining the TTP in 2003, according to the Pak Institute for Peace Studies (PIPS).

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In 2017, Wali authored a 690-page book titled 'Inqilab-e-Mehsud, South Waziristan: Firangi Raj se Amreeki Samraj Tak' ('Mehsud Revolution, South Waziristan: From British Raj to American Imperialism').

Wali viewed the US war in Afghanistan and the fall of the Islamic Emirate as part of a broader, intentional strategy to impose a“New World Order” in the region. He described it as a“crusade” and argued that this agenda had begun with the French Revolution in 1789.

In his book, he also claimed responsibility for the 2007 targeted assassination of former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto. The book noted,“She (Benazir) allegedly planned to collaborate with the US against the mujahedin if she returned to power.”

In 2022, the United States imposed sanctions on Noor Wali Mehsud, the leader of the banned TTP, officially designating him as a global terrorist.

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“Noor Wali, also known as Mufti Noor Wali Mehsud, was named the leader of TTP in June 2018 following the death of former TTP leader Mullah Fazlullah,” according to a US State Department statement.

He is one of 12 individuals labelled as Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGTs), representing leadership roles in previously sanctioned groups such as the TTP, Hezbollah, Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, ISIS, ISIS-Philippines, ISIS-West Africa, and an al-Qaeda-linked faction operating in Syria.

India-Afghanistan: Will New Delhi recognise 'Taliban govt'?

When the Taliban seized control of Kabul four years ago, Indian security experts were concerned that the shift would strengthen Pakistan, India's arch-rival.

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Despite its concerns, New Delhi maintained consistent contact with the Taliban, establishing a technical mission in Kabul in 2022, a year after the group regained power, to focus on humanitarian aid and development efforts. India also pursued backchannel diplomacy and participated in regional forums, which helped strengthen ties between the two sides this year.

In this image posted on Sept. 1, 2025, trucks carrying Indian aid to earthquake-hit Afghanistan. (@DrSJaishankar/X via PTI Photo)

India has long been home to tens of thousands of Afghans, including students and entrepreneurs, many of whom fled after the Taliban takeover. Although Afghanistan's embassy in New Delhi closed permanently in November 2023, its consulates in Mumbai and Hyderabad remain open, offering limited services.

Gautam Mukhopadhaya, who was India's ambassador in Kabul between 2010 to 2013, told The Associated Press that the engagement between India and Afghanistan“may or may not lead to formal de jure recognition (of the Taliban government), although protocol gestures for the visit suggest the former.”

Mukhopadhaya said India should not take“that additional step to legitimise oppressive and unpopular Taliban rule internally” and“should preserve some levers to enable positive change internally for the benefit of all Afghans.”

Now, with Afghanistan's relationship with Pakistan under strain due to issues like refugee expulsions and border disputes, India's renewed engagement is being viewed as a strategic move to counterbalance Pakistani influence.

At the same time, India also seeks to curb China's growing footprint in Afghanistan by expanding its own diplomatic and infrastructure presence.

We should preserve some levers to enable positive change internally for the benefit of all Afghans.

The Taliban has engaged in high-level talks with many nations and established some diplomatic ties with countries, including China and the United Arab Emirates. In July, Russia became the first country to recognise the Taliban's government after removing the group from its list of outlawed organisations.

(With inputs from agencies)

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