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Pakistan ready to facilitate Afghan Peace Talks for second time
Sartaj Aziz, the Pakistani prime minister’s adviser on national security and foreign affairs says that Pakistan is ready to once again facilitate Afghan-Taliban Peace Talks process if Kabul wants.
Sartaj Aziz criticized anti-Pakistani campaigns in Kabul before traveling to neighboring Afghanistan to attend a regional conference on Afghanistan.
Kabul has recently changed to an anti-Pakistani environment; from President Ghani’s harsh speech against Pakistan to the announcement of Afghan religious scholars for jihad against Pakistan.
Aziz will be carrying two crucial messages for the Afghan leadership in his trip to Afghanistan, which include immediate end to the anti-Pakistan propaganda and resumption of peace talks with Afghan Taliban.
Relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan have deteriorated in recent weeks after Kabul publically accused Pakistan’s security establishment for orchestrating the recent terrorist attacks in the war-torn country.
A statement issued by the Pakistani Foreign Office also confirmed Aziz is traveling to Kabul on Friday, where he will meet the Afghan leadership to discuss bilateral issues.
In the meantime, Pakistani Foreign Office Spokesman Qazi Khalilullah also said that Pakistan fully supports Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace and reconciliation process.
Pakistan hosted the first round of Taliban peace talks in July, but a planned second round was indefinitely postponed after the Afghan government announced that the Taliban leader, Mullah Mohammad Omar, had died years earlier.
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani said he will no more ask Pakistan to assist in the talks with the Taliban and his government will itself pursue the negotiations.
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Media Violation Commission bans two TV channels
The Media Violations Commission has ordered Noor and Barya TV channels to stop broadcasting and to appear in court, state-run Bakhtar News Agency reported on Tuesday.
ّIt is said that the decision against the channels was taken for “not observing the principles of journalism.”
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Hekmatyar slams US for ‘occupying’ Afghanistan’s airspace
Former Jihadi leader Gulbuddin Hekmatyar has criticized the United States for patrolling Afghanistan’s airspace with drones.
Hekmatyar said in a speech Tuesday that any form of American presence in Afghanistan is unacceptable.
“Afghanistan’s airspace is under occupation. Expressing this issue is our religious responsibility. We have sacrificed the most for freedom. We do not accept any presence of America. We do not accept any kind of foreign rule,” he said.
Hekmatyar also stated that there is a possibility of American troops entering the country again.
“[Former] President Trump’s national security advisor says that their departure was a mistake and that they should return. This is not an ordinary issue. The possibility that they will make a mistake again and return to Afghanistan is very strong,” he said.
The Islamic Emirate has not commented so far on Hekmatyar’s remarks, but it has confirmed sightings of drones over Afghanistan.
“It is required that the respected officials of the caretaker government give explanations on this matter and respond to the concerns of the Afghan people in this matter, because important and great national issues are important for every Afghan citizen and if there is a problem, it will be a cause of concern for everyone,” said Fazl-ul-Hadi Wazin, a university lecturer.
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Uzbek and Qatari leaders discuss Trans-Afghan Railway project
Uzbekistan’s President Shavkat Mirziyoyev on Monday met with Qatar’s Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani for talks on a number of issues including the Trans-Afghan Railway project.
The two leaders also discussed bilateral trade issues, strengthening of relations and regional matters, including the escalating situation in the Middle East.
In October 2023, Uzbekistan Railways JSC presented the Trans-Afghan Railway project to Qatar’s Ministry of Transport.
Subsequently, deliberations were held on Qatar’s involvement in the project’s execution.
In February 2021, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, and Pakistan signed a roadmap for the Termez-Mazar-i-Sharif-Kabul-Peshawar railway construction.
The envisioned transport corridor, estimated at approximately $5 billion, aims to connect Europe, Russia, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, and Southeast Asian nations, boasting a transit capacity of up to 20 million tons of cargo.
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