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Khalilzad calls on Afghan leaders to start talks with Pakistan on peace issue
Zalmay Khalilzad, US Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation, has urged Afghan leaders and politicians to start “serious negotiations” with Pakistan in order to resolve the Afghan peace issue, sources said.
A number of Afghan politicians, who have recently met with Khalilzad, stated that Khalilzad has urged Afghanistan to send a high-ranking delegation to negotiate with Pakistan.
Pakistan has played a key role in the Afghan peace process since the beginning of US efforts to find a political settlement for long-term conflict in Afghanistan.
The country has repeatedly been accused of supporting terrorist groups and the Taliban inside Afghanistan. The country, however, denies the claims, stating peace and stability in Afghanistan are beneficial to Pakistan and that the country itself has been a victim of terrorism.
Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Pakistan’s Foreign Minister, last month stated: “Pakistan has paid a huge price because of the unstable environment in Afghanistan; we have paid a huge human price and we’ve paid a huge economic price that is why we feel a stable peaceful Afghanistan is in Pakistan’s national interest.”
Khalilzad’s appeal to Afghans comes during his visit to the region, which includes Kabul, Qatar and other regional states, and appears to be aimed at pushing all stakeholders to restart serious peace talks.
“It is too late for the US to show decisiveness to force the Taliban to come to the negotiating table. Khalilzad said he will go to Doha and will force the Taliban to hold serious negotiations,” said Abdul Basir Salangi, an Advisor for the High Council for National Reconciliation.
In a meeting with former president Hamid Karzai, the US delegation led by Khalilzad, called for serious negotiations to address issues with Pakistan and suggested they send a high-ranking delegation to Islamabad, sources said.
“Khalilzad has emphasized [the need for] political consensus, convening of a Loya Jirga and resolving issues with Pakistan,” Jafar Mahdawi, head of Hizb-e-Millat-e-Afghanistan said.
Eleven people have been killed in a shooting at a shrine in Afghanistan’s northern Baghlan province, local sources said on Friday.
The incident took place at 9 pm on Thursday at the shrine of Sayed Padsha Jan in Shahr-e-Kuhna of Nahrin district.
A local resident said the dead were residents of Nahrin district and wanted to spend the night at the shrine.
Asadullah Mustafa Hashemi, the provincial information and culture director, confirmed the incident but did not provide details on how it happened or the number of casualties.
Provincial police spokesman said they had not received any information about the incident yet.
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan Serdar Muhammetdurdiyev on Thursday met with Chinese special envoy for Afghanistan, Yue Xiaoyong, the Foreign Ministry of Turkmenistan announced.
During the meeting, the sides discussed priority vectors of strategic interstate cooperation built on a long-term, mutually beneficial basis, as well as exchanged views on the implementation of previously reached agreements.
It was noted that personal contacts between the leaders of the two countries play a key role in intensifying the interstate dialogue, which give a strong impulse to further development and expansion of Turkmen-Chinese ties.
It was emphasized that Turkmenistan considers multilateral international platforms for maintaining stability in Afghanistan as an important factor in promoting sustainable improvement of socio-economic state of the neighboring country. The sides exchanged views on the preparations to the 5th meeting of Foreign Ministers of Afghanistan's Neighboring States to be held in Turkmenistan.
The interlocutors reaffirmed that Turkmenistan and China will continue to provide all-round support for the economic restoration of Afghanistan.
The U.S. House Of Representatives has passed a legislation on evacuation of Afghans who assisted Americans during the 20-year war in Afghanistan.
“The passage of the CARE Authorization Act of 2024 further underscores the commitment made by the U.S. government to safeguard those who served shoulder-to-shoulder with our personnel during the twenty-year mission in Afghanistan,” Congresswoman Dina Titus said in a statement.
“The State Department has made it clear: There is no deadline for the crucial job of protecting Afghan allies. By authorizing the Coordinator for Afghan Relocation Efforts at the State Department, we can more effectively relocate and resettle those who have qualified to immigrate to the U.S. as a result of their service to this country.”
In 2022 the State Department established a specialized office called the Coordinator for Afghan Relocation Efforts (CARE) to streamline and coordinate the ongoing relocation and resettlement process for eligible Afghans from Afghanistan and Pakistan to the United States.
The CARE Authorization Act of 2024 will formally authorize the CARE office at the State Department for three years and grant important authorities to advance its mission. These include an extension of authorities to enter into personal services contracts as well as measures to streamline the transfer of funds to and from other agencies involved in the Afghan relocation mission.
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