Qatar has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting peace and stability in Afghanistan, highlighting its role in mediation efforts and ongoing engagement through the United Nations-led Doha Process.

Speaking before the UN General Assembly during a meeting on strengthening mediation in the peaceful settlement of disputes, Qatar’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Sheikha Alya Ahmed bin Saif Al-Thani, pointed to Doha’s diplomatic efforts in Afghanistan as a key example of successful mediation.

She noted that Qatar’s facilitation efforts culminated in the signing of the peace agreement between the United States and the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) in Doha on February 29, 2020.

The Qatari envoy said her country has continued its humanitarian, development and political engagement in Afghanistan since then. She also highlighted Qatar’s role in hosting the UN-led Doha Process on Afghanistan, which has brought together the UN Secretary-General and special envoys for Afghanistan in a series of meetings held in May 2023 and in February and July 2024.

Al-Thani added that Qatar hosted the third meeting of the Counter-Narcotics Working Group and the second meeting of the Private Sector Working Group last July as part of ongoing international efforts to address key challenges facing Afghanistan.

Qatar has played a central role in diplomatic engagement on Afghanistan over the past decade, serving as a venue for negotiations and international discussions aimed at promoting peace, stability and economic development in the country.

Italian police have arrested two men in connection with the deaths of four migrant farmworkers who were killed when a vehicle was deliberately set on fire in southern Italy, authorities said on Tuesday.

RAI state television said the dead were three Afghans and a Pakistani national, and that the two men arrested were Pakistani.

The incident occurred at a gas station in Amendolara, in the Calabria region. Surveillance footage aired by Italian media showed suspects pouring a flammable liquid into the vehicle before setting it ablaze.

One of the suspects was seen attempting to keep the vehicle’s doors shut as the fire spread. A fifth occupant from Afghanistan managed to escape and was taken to hospital with burn injuries.

Castrovillari Prosecutor Alessandro D’Alessio confirmed that four people were found dead inside the vehicle on Monday and that two suspects had been detained as part of the investigation.

Former Afghan President Hamid Karzai has said that Pakistan’s current security situation and ongoing challenges are the result of Islamabad’s long-standing policy of supporting “extremism” and using it as an instrument of foreign policy against Afghanistan over the past four decades.

In a statement posted on his X account on Tuesday, Karzai said Afghanistan is among the few countries in the region that has maintained friendly relations with European states for more than a century and has consistently engaged in constructive cooperation with European institutions.

He expressed hope that Kaja Kallas, the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Vice-President of the European Commission, would take into account what he described as the “objective realities” of the region, including the claim that Afghanistan and its people have been

victims of terrorism originating from Pakistan, when assessing the root causes of regional instability that have led to civilian casualties and damage to public infrastructure in Afghanistan.

Karzai added that Afghans appreciate continued European cooperation and seek to further strengthen and expand relations with Europe.

The remarks came after Kaja Kallas, during a joint press conference with Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar in Islamabad on Monday, said that recent clashes between Pakistan and Afghanistan have had serious humanitarian consequences and pose risks to regional security.