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Abdullah says “lasting ceasefire” first issue to be discussed in intra-Afghan talks
The Chairman of the High Council for National Reconciliation Abdullah Abdullah says that a lasting ceasefire will be the first issue that the Afghan delegation would negotiate with the Taliban once the intra-Afghan talks are started.
In an interview with Al Arabiya, Abdullah said: “ The first issue to be discussed will be the issue of ceasefire a sort of long term ceasefire or lasting ceasefire which creates the environmentally better environment for the continuation of negotiations.”
He added that the people of Afghanistan want a dignified and lasting peace as they have suffered more than 40 of war, “over 40 years of war has taken its toll on the people.”
My interview with Al Arabiya English @AlArabiya_Enghttps://t.co/2DJH6JNlE5
— Dr. Abdullah Abdullah (@DrabdullahCE) September 4, 2020
It comes as the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, and Head of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), Deborah Lyons while briefing the Security Council on the situation in Afghanistan, said that “the level of violence on the battlefield remains deeply worrying.”
She called on the two sides to consider a humanitarian ceasefire as one of the first items on the agenda of Intra- Afghan negotiations.
“For Afghanistan’s most vulnerable people, the stakes could not be higher. I urge all member states to amplify this call as the negotiations begin. And the negotiations will begin,” she noted.
“After four decades of war, the people of Afghanistan have more reason than ever to hope that this devastating conflict may come to an end,” the UN envoy said.
It comes as the intra-Afghan negotiation, aimed to find a political settlement for ending the long-term war in Afghanistan, is expected to kick start soon as the barriers for the process have been removed.
Sources close to Acting Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani tell Ariana News that the U.S. government has removed bounties on several Islamic Emirate officials.
According to the sources, those no longer on the list include Sirajuddin Haqqani, Abdul Aziz Haqqani, and Yahya Haqqani.
Acting Minister of Industry and Commerce, Nooruddin Azizi, and Mohammad Sadiq, Pakistan’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, met on Saturday to address ongoing trade and transit challenges, stressing the importance of preventing political tensions from impacting economic ties, the ministry said in a statement.
The two officials focused on finalizing the Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA) and resolving issues related to the Afghanistan-Pakistan Transit Trade Agreement (APTTA), the statement read.
The meeting also discussed the upcoming visit of Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister to Afghanistan and a planned visit by an Islamic Emirate delegation to Pakistan.
The ministry hailed Sadiq’s visit to Kabul as a positive step, with Azizi emphasizing its constructive role in enhancing bilateral trade relations.
Acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi and Pakistan’s Special Representative for Afghanistan Mohammad Sadiq met on Saturday and discussed bilateral relations, political and economic cooperation, security and transit, said Zia Ahmad Takal, head of public relations at Foreign Ministry in a statement.
In this meeting, Muttaqi emphasized that obstacles to trade and transit are not in anyone’s interest and that certain issues should not be linked together.
He added that the process of Afghan refugees returning from Pakistan should be carried out gradually and with dignity.
According to the statement, Pakistan’s special representative also acknowledged that ensuring security in Afghanistan benefits both Pakistan and the region.
He committed to introducing measures to facilitate the visa issuance process for Afghan citizens.
Mohammad Sadiq also stated that practical steps will be taken to resolve existing trade and transit challenges.
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