A senior Taliban official has ridiculed US President Donald Trump's repeated calls for the United States to reclaim Afghanistan's Bagram Air Base, insisting that the former American military facility will never return to US control.
"Trump will get Bagram Air Base only in his dreams," Taliban Minister for Information and Culture Muhajir Farahi told India Today, rejecting any possibility of Washington regaining the strategically important base.
Located north of Kabul, Bagram Air Base was originally built by the Soviet Union and later became the primary military hub for US-led forces in Afghanistan following the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
The Taliban seized the base in August 2021 after the withdrawal of the final US troops, marking the group's return to power after two decades of insurgency.
Trump has consistently maintained that the United States should have kept control of Bagram because of its strategic proximity to China.
"We're trying to get it back. We want that base back," Trump said last year, arguing that the base's location near China made it strategically valuable for Washington.
TALIBAN ISSUES WARNING TO PAKISTAN
Farahi also delivered a strong message to Pakistan, stating that Afghanistan would firmly defend its sovereignty against any outside aggression.
"The Pakistan military regime has been given a strong reply. We will protect our sovereignty at all costs," he said, amid ongoing tensions between Kabul and Islamabad over cross-border security concerns.
His comments came shortly after renewed hostilities between the neighbouring countries, following a series of Pakistani airstrikes along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border.
According to the Taliban administration, the strikes killed 38 civilians and wounded 163 others, including women and children.
Pakistan, however, denied the accusations, asserting that its forces had targeted militant hideouts. Islamabad said the combined ground and air operations resulted in the deaths of 29 militants.
EXPANDING TRADE RELATIONS WITH INDIA
Speaking about Afghanistan's growing relationship with India, Farahi said the country's foreign policy would be driven solely by its own national interests rather than the preferences of any other nation.
"We have historic ties and deep connections with India. No one can dictate who should be our friend and who should not. We want greater people-to-people engagement and stronger trade with India, which is our neighbour," he told India Today.
His remarks come as India and Afghanistan have gradually strengthened diplomatic engagement in the years since the Taliban regained power in August 2021.
Last year, External Affairs Minister Dr S. Jaishankar met acting Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi in New Delhi. India also upgraded its diplomatic presence in Kabul to a full-fledged embassy and reiterated its commitment to providing humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan.
Farahi further said the Taliban government was seeking to reduce its reliance on Pakistan by expanding trade through alternative regional routes.
"Our border crossings with Pakistan have remained shut repeatedly, so we have developed new trade corridors through Central Asia, Iran, India and China. We are strengthening these routes and will no longer remain dependent on Pakistan," he said.
WAR MUSEUM PLANNED IN KABUL
Farahi also revealed plans to establish a war archive museum that will preserve memorabilia from Afghanistan's decades of conflict, including items associated with the Taliban's victory over the United States.
"We are collecting war memorabilia. It will show future generations how we defeated America," he said.
The "victory" referenced by Farahi refers to the Taliban's capture of Kabul on August 15, 2021, after a rapid nationwide offensive that resulted in the collapse of the US-backed Afghan government.
The Taliban's return to power brought an end to the United States' 20-year military presence in Afghanistan, which began after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
