Mohammad Mohaqiq, a senior member of the National Resistance Council for the Salvation of Afghanistan, defended an upcoming meeting in Pakistan and dismissed criticism from former US envoy Zalmay Khalilzad.
Mohaqiq said the gathering, scheduled for Aug. 25–26, is a political and civic event largely organized by Afghan women activists. He argued that Khalilzad “has no right to object or criticize it.”
In a post on X, Mohaqiq asked Khalilzad: “Who are you, and on behalf of which country are you making such irresponsible statements?”
He accused Khalilzad and his wife, Cheryl Benard, of lobbying for the Taliban and said Khalilzad was “the main cause of the current situation in the country and responsible for targeted killings and instability in recent years.”
Addressing Khalilzad directly, Mohaqiq wrote: “If Afghan women organize a dialogue, you label them as using force. So who do you think has the right to hold meetings — ISIS-K or the Taliban’s Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice?”
He added: “Did the Taliban come to power through democracy and the people’s vote, or through U.S. power and their own use of violence? Why was violence permissible for the Taliban but not for others?”
Khalilzad said Saturday that Pakistan will host a meeting of Afghan exiles and opposition politicians, some of whom support the violent overthrow of the Taliban. In a post on X, he warned that Pakistan’s hosting of the event was “hugely unwise and a provocation,” adding it could worsen already strained ties between Afghanistan and Pakistan. He called the move “immature, irresponsible, and unfortunate.”
Sources told Amu TV the Pakistan meeting will focus on human rights, the situation of women and girls, and Afghanistan’s political future. About 25 to 30 participants — including political figures, civil society activists, women’s rights defenders, and representatives of protest movements — are expected to attend, along with senior Pakistani officials.
The meeting is expected to be held informally.
