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Khalilzad says first phase of US-Taliban agreement completed
The United States said that it has implemented the first phase of the US-Taliban agreement which was inked in Doha, the capital of Qatar.
The US Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad said the US and Taliban have reached day 135, “a key milestone in implementation of the US-Taliban Agreement.”
“The U.S. has worked hard to carry out the 1st phase of its commitments under the Agreement, including to reduce forces and depart five bases,” Khalilzad said.
He added that NATO troops in Afghanistan have been downed in “proportional number.”
We have reached Day 135, a key milestone in implementation of the U.S.-Taliban Agreement. The U.S. has worked hard to carry out the 1st phase of its commitments under the Agreement, including to reduce forces & depart five bases. NATO troops have come down in proportional numbers
— U.S. Special Representative Zalmay Khalilzad (@US4AfghanPeace) July 14, 2020
Although, the first of the agreement was completed the Taliban and the Afghan government yet to remove obstacles – including prisoner releases and reducing violence – ahead of the intra-Afghan talks, where the two sides would sit in direct talks to discuss further steps including a comprehensive and permanent ceasefire.
Khalilzad said that there has been major progress in this regard, “albeit slow, on prisoner releases.”
“And violence has been high, especially in recent days and weeks. Afghans continue to die in large numbers for no reason,” the US Envoy noted.
It comes as the Taliban militant group attacked an office of the Afghan National Directorate of Security in Aybak city of Samangan province, killing or wounded dozens of civilians that Afghan forces.
Khalilzad has condemned the attack saying that it was contradicted their commitment to reducing violence until a permanent ceasefire is reached in intra-Afghan talks.
“We condemn today’s attack. The use of major explosives to detonate a vehicle in a provincial capital is unacceptable and will strengthen those who oppose peace and plays into the hands of spoilers. All sides must reduce violence,” he tweeted.
Khalilzad said that the US is seeking to implement the next of the Doha agreement, “our approach will remain conditions-based.”
The United States will press for “completion of prisoner releases, reduction of violence, complete delivery on CT commitments and start of and progress in intra-Afghan negotiations.”
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Girls’ education is a ‘vital issue’ for Afghanistan: Karzai
Former president Hamid Karzai said in a meeting with Iran’s ambassador and special representative, Hassan Kazemi Qomi, that education of girls was a “vital issue” for Afghanistan.
Karzai said he appreciated Iran’s cooperation and its standing with the Afghan people, especially Iran’s contributions to education in Afghanistan.
During the meeting, Karzai said peace and stability in the region are in the interest of all regional countries.
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Uzbekistan’s humanitarian aid arrives in Balkh
A shipment of humanitarian aid from Uzbekistan was handed over on Thursday to the local officials of Balkh province in the trade port of Hairatan.
Local authorities said the aid, which includes flour, oil, wheat, sugar and meat, has been handed over by Uzbekistan’s Surkhandarya governor to the governor of Balkh.
The governor of Surkhandarya stated the purpose of sending this aid was to support the people of Afghanistan and stressed the need for the development of good relations between the two countries.
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Afghanistan’s problems caused more damage to Pakistan than 3 wars with India: Durrani
Islamabad’s special envoy for Afghanistan Asif Durrani said on Wednesday that Pakistan has suffered more due to Afghanistan’s internal situation than Pakistan has suffered in three wars with India in terms of blood spilt and finances drained.
Durrani said at a one-day International Conference titled “Pakistan in the Emerging Geopolitical Landscape”, which was organized by the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad (ISSI) and the German Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES), that over 80,000 Pakistanis died in the two decades of the War on Terror and that his country was still counting its dead and injured.
“After the withdrawal of NATO forces, it was hoped that peace in Afghanistan would bring peace to the region. However, such expectations were short-lived,” he said.
He also stated that attacks by the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militant group on Pakistan’s border areas increased by 65 percent, while suicide attacks increased by 500 percent.
“The TTP’s enhanced attacks on Pakistan while using Afghan soil have been a serious concern for Pakistan. Another worrying aspect is the participation of Afghan nationals in these attacks,” he said.
Durrani also said Pakistan had suffered geopolitically since the Soviet Union invaded the neighboring country.
“The post-9/11 world order has negatively impacted Pakistan. Apart from losing 80,000 citizens’ lives, including 8,000 law enforcement agency personnel, the country’s economic opportunity cost is estimated at $150 billion,” Durrani said.
Talking about the future outlook for Pakistan in the regional context, Durrani said that while “our eastern neighbor is likely to continue with its anti-Pakistan pursuits, the western border poses an avoidable irritant in the short to medium term.”
However, he said Pakistan can overcome its difficulties with Afghanistan, including the TTP challenge.
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