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U.S. Should Use Every Possible Means to Ensure Peace in Afghanistan: MPs
A number of Afghan parliament members on Saturday welcomed the U.S. efforts in the Afghan reconciliation process, saying Washington should use every possible option to ensure lasting peace in the war-torn country.
The meetings of the U.S. special envoy for Afghanistan reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad with the Taliban and the Afghan government leaders have raised hope among the Afghan people.
Recently, Khalilzad met with Russian officials in Moscow to discuss the ongoing efforts regarding Afghan peace. According to local media, the two sides held talks regarding the prospects to revive direct talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban.
Following the issue, some Afghan parliament members said the Afghan people are backing the efforts of the international community particularly, the United States in the Afghan peace process, adding that the talks should lead into the end of the Afghan war.
They stressed the U.S. should prevent inferences of the countries – seeking interest in the ongoing conflict in Afghanistan.
“Peace has various aspects. Daesh and Taliban cannot make peace. How can we make peace with a Taliban member who is a Pakistani national? Ignoring the policy of Pakistan towards Afghanistan will not be a simple issue,” said MP Zakaria Zakaria.
“The parties who want to have a peace plan, all should support a single plan. Scattered plans for peace talks will not have outcomes,” said MP Aryan Yun.
Amir Khan Yar, Second Deputy Speaker of the Wolesi Jirga (the Lower House of parliament), meanwhile, said that the U.S. should use every possible means to ensure lasting peace in Afghanistan.
“Everyone wants peace. the United States and the International community should increase their efforts for reaching peace. They should prioritize peace in Afghanistan because Afghan people want peace more than anything else,” he said.
The MPs stressed that the continuation of war has frustrated the people and that if the U.S. does not make use of the opportunity being provided for ensuring stability in Afghanistan, Washington’s 17 years of efforts will be failed in the country.
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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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