A senior Pakistani official has rejected claims that his country is partly responsible for the collapse of the Afghan government, and urged Western nations not to abandon Afghanistan after their troops leave Kabul this month.
National Security Adviser Moeed Yusuf said Islamabad’s support for the US-led war on terror had led to severe economic and humanitarian consequences as militant groups have targeted Pakistan.
Pakistan, and in particular its powerful Inter-Services Intelligence agency, has often faced accusations that it continues to support the Taliban, which has captured almost all of Afghanistan after a shockingly rapid advance across the country.
Senior Taliban leaders have previously found refuge in Pakistan.
On allegations that Taliban fighters were crossing easily from Pakistan into neighbouring Afghanistan, Mr Yusuf said it was impossible to keep track of every single Afghan refugee, with hundreds of thousands of them in Pakistan.
He said the Afghan authorities in the last two decades had shown little interest in securing the porous border between the two countries, despite Pakistan's warnings.
Mr Yusuf told a webinar organised by the London-based Policy Exchange: “What were we saying? Only a political settlement is possible, do not try and manufacture a military solution in a context of Afghanistan, nobody has been able to do it, it will not work.
“The international forces wanted to go for total victory. We kept saying the government, its legitimacy is challenged, Afghans don't take it as legitimate. They live in a bubble … they are corrupt. We were told no, this is what we have invested in, it is all good.”
He said there was a misconception that Pakistan was somehow involved in the peace deal between the US and the Taliban, and American troop withdrawals.
Mr Yusuf cited a meeting he was present at in Uzbekistan last month, where Afghan President Ashraf Ghani told Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan that Afghanistan’s forces would fight to the last man.
“What is the result? An embarrassment for everybody, a capitulation of the Afghan army, President Ghani fleeing away. Why did no Afghan stand up?
“This wasn't because of Pakistan. Pakistan did not tell the Afghan army not to fight, Pakistan did not tell President Ghani to leave.”
Mr Yusuf said that collective lessons must be learnt and a humanitarian crisis prevented. He urged the international community not to turn its back on Afghanistan, as it had done in the 1990s, and said Pakistan’s foreign minister was touring Afghanistan's neighbours to find a consensus.
“We hope that the Western world will get included in that consensus on how to keep the government inclusive, how to ensure moderation and human rights, and then how to assist to ensure that a country runs and the average Afghan does not suffer”, he said.
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Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet