Latest News
Extreme differences between two top Taliban leaders in Afghan Peace Talks
Reuters reported from Taliban and Pakistani sources that the two senior Taliban figures have fierce differences in peace negotiations with Afghan government.
According to two Taliban sources, the Taliban political leader Akhtar Mohammad Mansour, favors negotiation, and battlefield commander Abdul Qayum Zakir, a former Guantanamo Bay detainee opposes talks with Afghanistan.
Reuters added in the report that the Afghan Taliban had signaled willingness to enter talks to end Afghanistan’s long war, senior representatives of the militant group visited Islamabad for secret discussions on the next step forward.
Mansour and Zakir, long-time rivals, met recently to resolve their personal differences, slaughtering sheep for a feast to mark the occasion, according to two Taliban sources.
But Mansour was unable to persuade Zakir to reverse his opposition to direct talks with Kabul, which he sees as “wasting time” because the United States holds real power in Afghanistan, the sources added.
According to two senior insurgent commanders with direct knowledge of the Taliban delegation’s visit to Islamabad, the group then traveled on to Quetta, the southwestern Pakistani city where many Taliban leaders remain in hiding, to brief them on the preliminary discussions.
“They said Pakistani officials had advised them to remove our internal differences before starting formal talks with Kabul,” one of the Taliban commanders said by telephone.
Because Zakir holds sway over several thousand fighters in eastern Afghanistan, it is uncertain any ceasefire could hold were he to continue opposing direct talks with Kabul.
Meanwhile, a number of Afghan analysts believe that Pakistan is able to bring Taliban to the negotiation table with Afghan government.
Earlier, Afghan officials have said that Peace Talks with Taliban will be started without any preconditions.
Officials at the Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development (MRRD) say 7,000 incomplete projects of the World Bank are at risk of destruction in Afghanistan. They call on the World Bank to resume the work of these projects.
According to them, discussions have been held with the World Bank about these projects, but there has been no result yet.
“7,000 incomplete projects are being destroyed, and if the work is not started, these projects will be destroyed. We ask the World Bank to resume the work of these projects as soon as possible,” said Noorul Hadi Adel, the spokesperson of MRRD.
Meanwhile, members of the private sector also ask international institutions to resume their work in Afghanistan.
According to the officials of this sector, with the start of these projects, job opportunities will be provided for thousands of people in the country.
“These projects create employment for our people and the country will grow a lot,” said Mirwais Hajizadeh, a member of the private sector.
However, economic experts stated if the work of these projects does not start soon, they will be destroyed and the investments made in them will be wasted.
Ten people have been killed and six others injured by floods in Helmand province in the past week, local officials said on Friday.
According to officials, seven of those were members of the same family, and they were killed in Kajaki district last night.
“Most of the people moved from vulnerable areas to high lands and mountains, and thanks Allah the number of casualties is low,” Sher Mohammad Vahdat, the head of information of the Directorate of Information and Culture in Helmand, said adding rescue teams and security forces have been dispatched to help people.
It is said that the telecommunication system has also been disrupted due to the effect of floods in Kajaki district. Floods have also destroyed thousands of acres of agricultural land.
Roza Otunbayeva, the UN Secretary General’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, met with the Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar in New Delhi and discussed issues related to Afghanistan, it was announced on Thursday.
During the meeting, Otunbayeva thanked India for “its critical humanitarian support and longstanding friendship for the Afghan people” and discussed the importance of regional and international cooperation to address prevailing challenges in Afghanistan, UNAMA said on X.
Jaishankar also said on X that the sides exchanged views on the current situation in Afghanistan.
“Underlined that India has provided wheat, medicines, pesticides and school supplies. Appreciate the role of UN agencies as partners in these endeavors,” he said.
IEA urges World Bank to resume work on 7,000 incomplete projects
Ten people killed by floods in Helmand
Rashid Khan threatens BBL pullout after Australia postpones Afghanistan T20I series
UN envoy meets Indian foreign minister to discuss Afghanistan
Traffic accident leaves one dead, four injured in Herat
ATN secures TV and digital rights to broadcast IPL 2024 in Afghanistan
Blinken meets with Saudi Crown Prince to discuss Gaza
Afghanistan and India play out goalless draw in FIFA World Cup Qualifiers
Dead body of Quran-burner found in Norway
ATN secures rights to produce, broadcast second season of KPL
Tahawol: China’s call for inclusive government in Afghanistan
Saar: UN’s report on poverty in Afghanistan discussed
Tahawol: Russia and Tajikistan hold joint military drills along Afghanistan border
Saar: Anti-corruption efforts & better public services discussed
Tahawol: Abdul Kabir’s recent remarks discussed
-
Sport4 days agoACL fever grows as fixtures finalized
-
World5 days agoUS will not take part in any Israeli retaliatory action against Iran
-
Latest News5 days agoOver 50 people dead in traffic accidents over Eid
-
Latest News4 days agoUS identifies Kabul airport suicide bomber
-
Business5 days agoAfghanistan-Kazakhstan chamber of commerce opens in Herat
-
Latest News5 days agoGood rains enable DABS to increase power production in Kabul
-
World4 days agoIsraeli military vows response to Iran attack as calls for restraint mount
-
Sport3 days agoATN secures exclusive rights to broadcast Paris 2024 Olympics