Abdul Hakim Sharei, the Minister of Justice of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, has stressed that public office and responsibility within the Islamic system must be regarded as a means of serving the people, not as a tool for personal gain or commercial interests.

The minister made the remarks on Tuesday during a meeting of the Ministry of Justice’s Leadership Council.

Addressing the gathering, Sharei said that piety is the most essential quality of an official in an Islamic system, noting that a pious individual works with sincerity and contentment, seeking only the pleasure of Almighty Allah and the welfare of the people rather than material privileges or benefits.

He further urged employees of the Ministry of Justice to perform their duties with honesty, integrity, and a strong sense of trust, to protect public funds, and to work collectively toward strengthening the Islamic system.

Sharei also emphasized that his objective in leading the Ministry of Justice and the Commission for the Prevention of Land Usurpation is solely to strengthen the system and ensure the implementation of Islamic Sharia—principles for which, he said, many sacrifices have been made over the years.

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Tuesday that Afghanistan’s Islamic Emirate has failed to make any serious commitment in response to Pakistan’s demands to curb the activities of militant groups.

Speaking at a security workshop in Islamabad focused on Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sharif said Pakistan did not want to suspend trade with Afghanistan, but ongoing security threats had “forced” Islamabad to close crossings.

He said Pakistan had made repeated diplomatic efforts to address its concerns, but Kabul had shown little willingness to commit to restraining militant groups operating from Afghan territory.

“This time, it must be decided whether Afghanistan wants to live peacefully or not,” Sharif said.

The prime minister added that while Afghans are “our brothers and sisters,” the Islamic Emirate should at least show compassion for its own people by preventing militant activity. He said Pakistan would nonetheless continue efforts to resolve the issue through dialogue.

Sharif said terrorism had largely been eradicated in Pakistan by 2018, but attacks have since resurged, now occurring almost daily in different parts of the country.

He also highlighted Pakistan’s long-standing role in hosting Afghan refugees, saying nearly four million Afghans have lived in Pakistan over several decades, often supported by Pakistan’s own resources despite international assistance.

“We did not do any favour; we fulfilled our responsibilities,” Sharif said. “But the way they are paying us back is very upsetting.”

Referring to the Doha Agreement, Sharif said Afghanistan had committed to preventing terrorist groups from using its soil against other countries, a pledge he said has not been honoured.

“What is good for Afghanistan is good for Pakistan, and what is good for Pakistan is good for Afghanistan,” he said, stressing that peaceful coexistence remains the only viable path forward.

Pakistani officials have repeatedly claimed that attacks inside Pakistan are planned from Afghan territory.

The Islamic Emirate has however continued to reject these allegations, insisting that Afghanistan is not responsible for Pakistan’s “security failures.”

China has strongly condemned the deadly explosion at a Chinese-Afghan restaurant in central Kabul on Monday, which killed at least seven people, including one Chinese national.

On Tuesday, ISIS-K (Daesh) claimed responsibility for the attack and said a suicide bomber had detonated explosives.

The blast occurred on Monday evening at Chinese Noodle, a joint Chinese-Afghan restaurant in the Shahr-e-Naw area of the capital. Kabul police said the explosion took place near the restaurant’s kitchen, killing one Chinese citizen and six Afghans, and injuring several others.

Speaking at a regular press conference, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said China expressed its “deep condolences over the lives lost and heartfelt sympathies to the injured.”

He confirmed that one Chinese national was killed and five other Chinese nationals were wounded in the attack.

Guo said China has made urgent representations to the Afghan authorities and requested they make every possible effort to treat the injured, ensure the safety of Chinese nationals, projects and institutions, thoroughly investigate the incident, and bring the perpetrators to justice as soon as possible.

Officials from the Chinese Embassy in Afghanistan have visited the injured in hospital, he added.

The explosion also drew strong condemnation from Afghan political figures.

Former Afghan president Hamid Karzai denounced the attack as a criminal and anti-human act, saying it contradicts Islamic values and Afghan traditions. He expressed condolences to the families of the victims and stressed that such violence undermines peace and stability in the country.

Dr. Abdullah Abdullah, former head of the High Council of National Reconciliation, also condemned the blast. In a post on X, he described the attack as an inhuman act against Islam, humanity and the will of the Afghan people, and extended his sympathies to the families of those killed.

China meanwhile reiterated that it firmly opposes terrorism in all its forms and supports Afghanistan and regional countries in jointly combating terrorist and violent activities.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry however, once again advised Chinese nationals to avoid travelling to Afghanistan in the near future. It also urged Chinese citizens and companies already in the country to take extra security precautions and leave high-risk areas as soon as possible.

Afghan authorities said investigations into the attack are ongoing.