According to reports, Bansri Lal Arendeh was kidnapped at gunpoint on Tuesday in the Afghan capital city. Arendeh's family lives in Faridabad, and he has been engaged in business in Kabul for the last two decades.
Blinken said that although the Taliban has committed to not allow anyone to threaten any country, including the United States, from Afghanistan's territory, the US will not rely on that commitment.
On Monday, Taliban was forced to deny that Baradar was dead after rumours emerged that he was killed during a gunfight with his political rivals.
Fasihuddin, in his address to a gathering in Kabul, said the members of the proposed army would be well-trained and disciplined to defend and protect Afghanistan, according to the radio service.
Asked about the rumours, Baradar said, "No, this is not true at all. Praise be to God I am fit and well. And with regards to media claiming that we have an internal disagreement that is not true either.
"The Taliban hold all of Afghanistan and if they can sort of now work towards an inclusive govt, get all the factions together, Afghanistan could have peace after 40 yrs. But if it goes wrong and which is what we are really worried about, it could go to chaos. The biggest humanitarian crisis, a huge refugee problem," Khan said.
The move to bring the 32 footballers to Pakistan was initiated by British-based NGO Football for Peace in cooperation with the government and the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF).
Last week, the Taliban formed the interim "Islamic Emirate", appointing in its new government hardliners who oversaw the fight against the US-led military coalition. The cabinet members consist of many Taliban figures that are on the UN Sanctions List.
US President Joe Biden would host the first in-person Quad summit on Sep 24 in Washington which will be attended by PM Modi, PM of Australia Scott Morrison and Japanese premier Yoshihide Suga.
Recently, the European Union said that it will continue to coordinate with the UN and its agencies on the stabilisation of Afghanistan, ensure that humanitarian aid reaches vulnerable populations and for this purpose, will also step up financial support.
Blinken had mixed results in attempting to face down 2nd day of tough congressional questioning, this time from Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
The foreign minister in Afghanistan’s new Taliban-run Cabinet on Tuesday said the government remains committed to its promises not to allow militants to use its territory to attack others.
Panjshir has long been a focal point for resistance in Afghanistan. Under the late opposition commander Ahmad Shah Massoud, the region repelled both the Soviet forces and the Taliban.
A string of official reports - many deleted last week from US government sites apparently due to the 'ongoing security concerns' - showed how a 'corrupt elite' in Afghanistan ran the government for personal gain while committing crimes with impunity, alienating ordinary people and driving many into the arms of insurgency, the Daily Mail had reported earlier.
External Affairs Minister Jaishankar further added that India will continue to stand by the war-torn country during the crisis, just like it did in the past.
Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, Taliban co-founder and Afghanistan's deputy Prime Minister, has released an audio message to dismiss reports of his death. The audio was tweeted by Taliban spokesperson Mohammad Naeem after reports of Baradar's death went viral.
The United Nations is hosting a high-level donors conference on Monday to drum up emergency funds for Afghanistan after last month’s Taliban takeover of the country that stunned the world.
The Pakistan International Airline (PIA) flight - PK 6429 - took foreign journalists to Kabul and returned with a team of World Bank and international media organisations, Radio Pakistan reported.
Zabiullah Mujahid, who operated in the shadows for years, also admitted that he studied at the Haqqania seminary in Nowshera in northwest Pakistan, which has also been dubbed the Taliban University or the 'University of Jihad' internationally.
While the Taliban who have taken over Afghanistan may be donning a friendly face for Western audiences, their intrinsic bonds with Al-Qaeda persists.
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