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Nicholson Instructed U.S. Forces to Honor Ceasefire with Taliban: Curtis

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(Last Updated On: October 24, 2022)

As President Ashraf Ghani announced the ceasefire against the Taliban, the U.S has directed its forces to honor the ceasefire and stop operations against the group.

“U.S. commander in Afghanistan, Gen. Nicholson has directed U.S. forces to honor the ceasefire with the Taliban, though operations against ISIS and Al-Qaeda will continue,” said Lisa Curtis, the Deputy Assistant to the US President and Senior Director for South and Central Asia at the National Security Council.

The United Nations, NATO, Russia, UK and European Union have welcomed President Ghani’s decision and called it as a new door for peace and stability in Afghanistan.

“I welcome the announcement of a ceasefire made by President Ghani and the Government of National Unity. This is a positive step forward on the path to peace,” NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said at a press conference in Brussels ahead of a NATO Defense Ministers meeting.

In a statement, EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini also expressed support for the Afghan-led ceasefire and said the Taliban should also embrace it.

“It shows President Ghani’s commitment to a genuinely Afghan-led and -owned peace process. The European Union fully supports this initiative of the President, which should be taken up by the Taliban,” Mogherini asserted.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has welcomed the week-long ceasefire and called on the militant group to reciprocate the temporary pause.

In a statement issued by his spokesperson, Guterres urged the Taliban to “accept President Ashraf Ghani’s peace offer to commence direct talks to bring an end to the long suffering of the Afghan people.”

He also expressed the Organization’s solidarity with the people and Government of Afghanistan and said that the UN “remains committed to supporting an Afghan-led peace process.”

In the meantime, The U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo welcomed the Afghan government’s announcement of ceasefire with the Taliban militants.

Pompeo in a statement said the United States welcomes President Ghani’s offer of a temporary ceasefire and the Taliban to allow the Afghan people to celebrate Eid al-Fitr without fear of violence.

He said this ceasefire further demonstrates the Afghan government’s commitment to explore ways to end the conflict.

In another statement, the former President Hamid Karzai has also welcomed Afghan government’s decision of ceasefire and asked the Taliban to honour the step.

This comes as the United States announced to step up military operations against Islamic State militants in eastern Afghanistan during the temporary ceasefire between the Afghan government and the Taliban.

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Uzbekistan’s humanitarian aid arrives in Balkh

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(Last Updated On: April 25, 2024)

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

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(Last Updated On: April 25, 2024)

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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Afghanistan now a ‘nexus for diplomatic endeavors’, says IEA

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(Last Updated On: April 25, 2024)

In the wake of dozens of meetings between high-ranking Islamic Emirate officials and visiting officials from foreign countries, and other diplomatic advances, the IEA said on Thursday that in the current geopolitical landscape, Kabul now “serves as a nexus for diplomatic endeavors and political deliberations pertaining to global affairs”.

In a series of posts on X, the IEA’s spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said diplomatic missions and political delegations from various nations, including Russia, Malaysia, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, the European Union, and others, “are evident in the capital, highlighting its strategic importance in fostering Islamic cooperation”.

He said: “Recently, the honorable Minister of Transport of the Islamic Emirate, Mr. Hamidullah Akhundzada, led a significant delegation to Termez, Uzbekistan, for essential discussions aimed at enhancing bilateral relations.

“These discussions encompass a wide range of topics, from trade facilitation to security assurances, indicating a focused effort by the Islamic Emirate to strengthen and broaden its international engagements, thereby ensuring sustained development and stability.

“These initiatives, characterized by diligence and effectiveness, underscore Afghanistan’s enduring commitment to diplomatic engagement and its pivotal role in regional and global affairs,” he said.

Mujahid added that these initiatives “also emphasize the vital connection between diplomatic efforts and economic prosperity, promising favorable outcomes for Afghanistan’s socio-economic landscape.”

He pointed out that despite ongoing challenges, Afghanistan “remains steadfast in its pursuit of prosperity and resilience, defying pessimistic projections and charting a course towards political and economic renewal.”

He said: “Continued efforts are essential to fostering inclusive growth and impactful initiatives, thus advancing Afghanistan’s journey towards sustainable development and increased influence on the global stage.”

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