Latest News
HPC: Peace Talks with Taliban ‘Next Week’
Afghanistan High Peace Council (HPC) on Wednesday said that Afghan government official negotiation with the Taliban group will begin next week.
Deputy of HPC said that the Talks will be carried out in China or one of the Arabic countries.
The statement came after that earlier Afghanistan’s most prominent peace envoy held secret talks with former Taliban officials in China, accelerating regional efforts to bring the insurgency to the negotiating table.
People familiar with the movement said the three Taliban who attended the China talks have strong ties to Pakistan’s spy agency, and that they aren’t authorized to speak on behalf on the insurgency about reconciliation.
“The Afghan government will start peace talks with the Taliban in the near future,” Abdul Hakim Mujahid, deputy of HPC said, adding that the government would keep the Afghan people informed of any progress in talks with the Taliban “from the beginning to the end of the process.”
Brokering a peace deal with the insurgents is a priority for Ghani, who took office in September.
The government of Afghanistan is close to beginning direct peace talks with Taliban insurgents.
HPC claims that Islamabad has the ability to persuade Taliban to end the war; a country that had never stood by its commitments against Afghanistan.
In 2013, the Taliban briefly opened a diplomatic office in the Persian Gulf sheikdom of Qatar after clandestine talks involving the United States and the European Union.
Angry that Afghans had been excluded, Karzai refused to participate and roundly criticized the effort, which quickly fell apart.
An Afghan official who has been in contact with the Taliban delegation in Qatar but was not authorized to speak to the news media, said one option being considered was to name a former Taliban official to lead the High Peace Council, the Afghan government body that liaises with the insurgency.
The top candidate is Motassim Agha Jan, a finance minister under the Taliban government that ruled Afghanistan in the late 1990s.
Motassim, the former chairman of the political committee of the Quetta Shura, the Taliban’s Pakistani-based top leadership, for years has called on the group to to engage in the political process.
The peace council, long seen as ineffective, has previously been led by former Afghan President Burhanuddin Rabbani and his son Salahuddin, who were closely allied with slain former militia commander Ahmad Shah Massoud, one of the top leaders of the Afghan jihad against Taliban rule.
Taliban officials in Doha, Qatar’s capital, “said they can’t support [Motassim] publicly, but they also will not stand in the way,” the Afghan official said.
Some Afghan officials warn that the government must proceed with caution.
Afghan political analysts stressed that Islamabad had never been honest in its commitments but this time it should fulfill its promises.
Pakistan’s support is widely seen as critical for a peace process to work. Much of the Taliban leadership has been based in Pakistan since the regime was toppled in 2001, and its fighters have used the lawless border areas between the two countries as an operational base.
Afghan and Western officials have long accused Pakistan of effectively controlling the Taliban insurgency, an allegation Islamabad has repeatedly denied, even as it acknowledges it has some influence over the movement.
Since taking office, Ghani has rolled out a complex strategy aimed at forcing the Taliban leadership to accept that their cause — replacing his government with an Islamist emirate — is hopeless. He has enlisted the support of regional countries believed to protect, fund and arm the Taliban, including Pakistan.
Reported by Fawad Naseri
Acting Minister of National Defense Mohammad Yaqub Mujahid has said that no destructive groups including Daesh have physical presence in Afghanistan, adding the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) will not allow anyone to pose threat to any country in the region from the Afghan soil.
Mujahid made the remarks in a meeting with a delegation from Malaysia in Kabul on Thursday.
According to a statement released by the Ministry of Defense, Mujahid highlighted Malaysia’s “good treatment” of Afghan refugees and its long-standing relations with Afghanistan, and said that Malaysia is a powerful Islamic country and visits should increase.
He added that with the establishment of the Islamic Emirate, occupation and war ended in Afghanistan, and the country is fully secure.
Based on the statement, the Malaysian delegation called Afghanistan a friendly country and while emphasizing on comprehensive cooperation, it assured that what they have seen in Afghanistan will be shared with the authorities of their country.
The European Union signed an agreement worth 17 million euros with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) to improve access to basic services, increased economic opportunities and protection for Afghans on the move and their host communities in Afghanistan.
The needs of women and girls are a particular focus of the programme, EU said in a statement released on Thursday.
The statement noted that from January 2023 until April 2024, over 1.5 million Afghans returned from Pakistan and Iran.
“I am deeply moved by the hardship returnees face when being deported to Afghanistan. In a country suffering from poverty and climate change, and in a city that just saw devastating earthquakes, this truly is a crisis within a crisis.”, said Peteris Ustubs, Director for the Middle East, Asia and Pacific of the European Commission’s Department for International Partnerships during the signing ceremony at the IOM transit centre in Herat.
Raffaella Iodice, EU Chargée d’Affaires a.i. to Afghanistan, added “The solidarity of the Afghan people towards their brothers and sisters is an inspiration. We must assure that communities hosting and helping new arrivals are supported. The partnership with IOM ensures access to essential services and provides protection for Afghan returnees and their host communities. As women and girls can be particularly affected, we make sure that all members of society can benefit”.
“IOM’s continued partnership with the EU has been critical in enabling our teams to reach hundreds of thousands of Afghan returnees and other vulnerable communities in the country”, said IOM Afghanistan Chief of Mission, Maria Moita. “Thanks to this renewed commitment, we will be able to focus on addressing the immense challenges in the areas of return and contribute to reintegration, social cohesion, and longer-term solutions for those communities.”
This additional contribution is part of a 5-year programme that is being implemented across Afghanistan and in four countries in the region. It builds on the EU’s previous support to IOM to improve the wellbeing of Afghans forced to return to the country, EU said.
Acting Minister of Interior Affairs Sirajuddin Haqqani has said in a meeting with a delegation from Malaysia in Kabul that Malaysia is an advanced country and that Afghanistan should use is experiences.
According to a statement released by the Interior Ministry, Haqqani, in the meeting on Thursday, emphasized that security is ensured in Afghanistan and unity among Afghans has been restored.
He stated that the Islamic Emirate wants to have close relations and engagement with the world, especially Islamic countries.
The Malaysian delegation consists of representatives of the Ministries of Interior and Defense, and advisers of the Prime Minister’s Office.
According to the statement, a member of the delegation provided information about Malaysia’s capabilities in cyber security and tackling cyber crime, and said that Malaysia will share its experiences in this field with the Islamic Emirate.
In the meeting, the two sides also discussed the fight against drugs, police training, bilateral cooperation and exchange of experiences between Malaysia and Afghanistan.
In Beijing, Blinken meets Xi and raises US concerns about China’s support for Russia
No destructive groups including Daesh present in Afghanistan: Yaqub Mujahid
New UK sanctions target Iranian drone industry
EU allocates 17 million euros to support Afghans on the move
Malaysia vows to share its experiences on cyber security with IEA
Dead body of Quran-burner found in Norway
ATN secures rights to produce, broadcast second season of KPL
Yadav hits 156.7 km/h as Lucknow trump Bengaluru in IPL match
Afghanistan’s national futsal team ‘ready for’ group stage of Asian Cup
Afghanistan, Pakistan agree to abandon barter trade, establish banking relationships
Tahawol: Pakistan’s security concerns from Afghan soil discussed
Saar: Visits by foreign diplomats to Kabul discussed
Tahawol: Calls for handing over Afghanistan’s seat to IEA discussed
Malaysian delegation trip to Kabul discussed
Tahawol: US State Dept’s criticism of human rights violations in Afghanistan discussed
-
Latest News3 days agoRashid Khan named AWCC’s brand ambassador
-
Regional4 days agoIranian president lands in Pakistan for three-day visit to mend ties
-
Climate Change5 days agoMassive river flooding expected in China, threatening millions
-
Sport4 days agoKolkata beat Bengaluru by one run in IPL as Kohli fumes at dismissal
-
Sport4 days agoACL: Aino Mina 3-0 Istiqlal Kabul; Attack Energy 3-0 Khadim
-
Climate Change4 days agoRescuers race to reach those trapped by floods in China’s Guangdong
-
Business5 days agoAfghanistan, Kazakhstan to hold joint expo in Kabul
-
World3 days agoMalaysian navy helicopters collide in mid-air, 10 killed