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Afghanistan, Iran to sign agreement for comprehensive cooperation: sources
A document for “comprehensive cooperation” between Afghanistan and Iran would be signed during the next three months, sources said.
Sources told Ariana News that based on the document, Iran will cooperate with Afghanistan in the economic, cultural, educational, and security sectors; in exchange, Iran wants Afghanistan to back down from its stance about Helmand water.
Have Kabul and Tehran reached an agreement on Helmand water?
According to some sources, based on a comprehensive document to be signed between Kabul and Tehran in the coming months, the Afghan government will cut its position on the waters of Hamun and Helmand, and in return, Iran will cooperate with Afghanistan into economic, cultural and security fields.
Ali Ahmad Osmani, a former energy and water minister, said: "The downstream country that claims to own the litigation must prove that it has the right. When it is possible to prove it, they have used this water for years. If it fails to prove it, the job is done."
But what is the comprehensive document?
The document includes five committees, including the Water Committee, the Immigrant Affairs Committee, the Cultural Committee, the Security Committee, and the Economy and Transit Committee.
Afghanistan and Iran began talks on signing the document several years ago, when Hanif Atmar was a National Security Council adviser, and now, with Mr. Atmar at the Foreign Affairs Minister, the document is expected to be finalized in less than three months.
"Water must be transformed from a matter of conflict to a matter of cooperation between the two countries. It is not right for people on one side of the border to be thirsty and the other side to be irrigated," said Abbas Iraqchi, Iran's deputy foreign minister.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs declined to comment on the matter, but the ministry expects the signing of the document to end the water dispute between the two countries.
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Afghanistan carries out retaliatory attack against Pakistan
The Ministry of National Defense said on Saturday it has attacked "centers and hideouts of evil elements and their supporters" across the Durand Line.
"Several points across the hypothetical line including centers and hideouts of evil elements and their supporters from where attacks were organized in Afghanistan were attacked in revenge from the southeast of the country," the ministry said in a statement.
Meanwhile, sources said that retaliatory attacks across the Durand Line began last night from Alisher district of Khost province and Dand Patan district of Paktia province and continued until morning.
According to sources, light and heavy weapons were used in the clashes.
Earlier, Pakistan launched airstrikes in Paktika's Barmal district on Tuesday, killing and wounding dozens of people.
The Ministry of National Defense of Afghanistan had warned that the attacks would not go unanswered.
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Syria is ‘more strategically important’ to US than Afghanistan: Khalilzad
Zalmay Khalilzad, the former US envoy for Afghanistan peace, said that he had urged senior officials in the Joe Biden administration to take a more active approach toward Syria.
According to a report by the New York Times published on Friday, Khalilzad said the Biden administration made a mistake by refraining from having more direct contact with the Islamic Emirate after it came to power in 2021.
He said the recent meeting of the US delegation with Ahmed al-Sharaa, the new Syrian ruler, in Damascus was a positive step.
“Not that prematurely engaging doesn’t have risks,” Khalilzad said. “But I think there is an element of timing, of shaping things.” He added that Syria is “more strategically important” to the United States than Afghanistan, making the task more urgent.
Meanwhile, Khalilzad on Friday reiterated that the Doha Agreement states that a new government in Afghanistan would be determined by negotiations and dialogue between the IEA and other Afghan sides.
"The Doha Agreement did not define the nature of Afghan political systam, but it clearly stated that a new government would be determined by negotiations and dialogue between the Taliban and other Afghan sides," Khalilzad said on X. "The challenge for Afghans, Taliban and others, is how to deliver on this commitment, given current realities."
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Pakistan’s forced repatriation of Afghan refugees has fueled hatred: Imran Khan
Former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan has said that the forced deportation of Afghan refugees, which was intended to reduce terrorism, has actually created hatred that is detrimental to regional peace.
Speaking to reporters in Adiala Jail, Khan criticized Pakistan's recent airstrikes on Afghanistan and said that this is the second time Pakistan is bombing Afghanistan.
He also criticized that Bilawal Bhutto did not visit Afghanistan even once when he was the Pakistani foreign minister, while this should have been a priority.
Imran Khan recalled that he had told the then Pakistani Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa not to replace the head of the intelligence agency, General Faiz Hamid, because the situation in Afghanistan would be very different after the withdrawal of American forces, but he did not accept this only to extend his term, which led to an increase in terrorist attacks in Pakistan.
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