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Taliban ‘Agrees’ to Talk with Afghan Political Parties
The Taliban have asked the Afghan political parties to come up with a team of negotiators amid escalated peace efforts to reach into a political settlement in Afghanistan, sources told Ariana News Tuesday.
Though, the Taliban repeatedly refuse to engage in direct talks with the Afghan government - including in their recent six days of talks with U.S. officials in Qatar - sources told Ariana News that the armed group has asked the Afghan political parties to introduce a negotiating team to begin face-to-face talks with their representatives.
"We respect the Taliban's call. There should be a comprehensive intra-Afghan dialogue. No sides should be sidelined including the government," said Hamayoun Jareer, a senior member of Hezb-e-Islami party led by Gulbuddin Hekmatyar.
The Taliban did not comment in this regard yet.
Many Afghan politicians believe that without initiating intra-Afghan dialogue, lasting peace cannot be ensured in the country.
"If the Taliban and the Afghan government don't reach on a peace agreement, any kind of deal in this regard will lead into deepening the ongoing crisis in the country," said Abdul Hadi Arghandiwal, the head of Hezb-e-Islami.
It comes as the U.S. envoy Zalmay Khalilzad who has recently engaged in six days of talks with the Taliban in Qatar said that his meeting with the Taliban in Doha was much better than previous meetings.
He said there is a moment of opportunity and he hopes Afghans seize this opportunity to put political differences aside and deal with “this moment positively and urgently.”
“We have the opportunity to avoid future tragedies, to bring the 40 years of war to an end, to a good end, and I urge everyone to rise to the occasion. I am hopeful that they will,” Khalilzad said.
Mawlawi Hebatullah Akhundzada, the supreme leader of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA), has issued a decree to establish special courts to address pensions, Bakhtar news agency reported on Saturday.
According to the decree, the courts must confirm and process pensions in accordance with Sharia and law.
Pensioners have repeatedly voiced concern over delay in payment, saying that their financial challenges are growing.
Earlier this year, IEA's supreme leader banned money being deducted from salaries of government employees for pensions.
He also requested information on the tenure of employees and the total amount deducted from salaries for pensions.
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Blinken urges immediate lifting of restrictions on women’s education and work in Afghanistan
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Saturday called on the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) to immediately lift restrictions on women's education and work.
Marking two years of the ban on women's education in universities and women's work in NGOs, Blinken said on X that women and girls are the lynchpin to a more stable and prosperous Afghanistan.
“It’s been two years since Taliban (IEA) banned women and girls from universities and Afghan women from working in NGOs. Afghan women and girls are the lynchpin to a more stable, peaceful, and prosperous Afghanistan. We call on the Taliban (IEA) to immediately reverse these edicts,” he said.
The Ministry of Higher Education announced in December 2022 that women and girls could not attend public and private universities "until further notice".
Previously, girls' education above the sixth grade was also suspended.
Former US envoy for Afghanistan peace, Zalmay Khalilzad, said on Saturday that the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) can learn from Ahmad al-Sharaa, leader of Syria’s Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group, on how to join the mainstream international system.
He noted on X that the US bounty for the arrest of Ahmad al-Sharaa is being removed.
“Others in similar circumstances can learn from Ahmad al Shara how to join the mainstream international system. Are the Taliban paying attention?” he said.
Ahmad al-Sharaa has said that there are many differences between them and the Islamic Emirate.
He has said that he will not prevent the education of women and girls, respect the rights of minorities and will launch an inclusive political process.
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