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U.S., Taliban to Form ‘Technical Teams’ for Implementing Qatar Agreements
The United States and the Taliban would soon establish technical commissions for implementing the agreements being made in their recent meeting in Qatar, sources close the Taliban told Ariana News on Thursday.
The U.S.-Taliban’s another round of talks is set for February 25, after a draft pact was reached to potentially end the war in Afghanistan, a Taliban spokesman confirmed to Ariana News, adding that this round of talks would focus on declaring a timeline for withdrawal of foreign forces from Afghanistan.
The Taliban said that in the due meeting, they would provide a guarantee that they will fight against Al-Qaeda and other insurgent groups in Afghanistan.
The Taliban also told Ariana News that after American troops’ pullout, the armed group will hold talks with Afghan politicians and political parties, adding that the talks would focus on formation of a future government in the country.
Rejecting the proposal of an interim government, the Taliban stressed that they are not going to offer any role to the current government when they negotiate the political parties.
According to sources, the Taliban even have asked Afghan political parties to introduce a negotiating team to begin face-to-face talks with their representatives.
Separately, sources close to the Taliban said that the United States and the Taliban would soon establish technical teams for implementing the agreements being made in their recent meeting in Qatar.
The Afghan government, however, said that they would not accept the agreements being reached between the U.S. and the Taliban in closed doors.
It comes as U.S. special envoy for Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad this week said that in his Qatar talks, he has reached to “agreements in principle” on key issues for a peace deal that would end the 17-year war in Afghanistan.
Rana Sanaullah, Pakistan Prime Minister’s Special Assistant on Political Affairs, says Islamabad does not seek to impose war on Afghanistan or occupy any part of its territory.
Speaking at a press conference on Saturday, he stated that Pakistan’s primary expectation is for Afghanistan to prevent militant groups from using its soil to launch attacks against Pakistan. He warned that failure to address this concern could lead to the continuation of Pakistani operations targeting such groups.
Pakistani officials have long maintained that militant attacks in Pakistan are planned from Afghan territory. However, the Islamic Emirate has rejected the claim, insisting that Afghanistan is not responsible for what it describes as Pakistan’s “security failures.”
Afghanistan has once again been ranked the least happy country in the world, according to the latest edition of the World Happiness Report.
The report, which measures people’s overall life satisfaction across 147 countries, placed Afghanistan at the bottom of the global ranking for another year, with a score 1.4 out of 10. Researchers assess factors such as income levels, social support, freedom to make life choices, perceptions of corruption, and overall quality of life.
For the ninth consecutive year, Finland ranked as the world’s happiest country, with a score of 7.7. Iceland and Denmark followed it, as Nordic nations continued to dominate the top of the index.
A notable development came from Costa Rica, which climbed to fourth place — the highest ranking ever recorded for a Latin American country.
Other countries with low rankings included Sierra Leone, Malawi, Zimbabwe and Botswana.
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has welcomed the temporary ceasefire between Pakistan and Afghanistan announced in connection with the Eid-ul-Fitr celebrations, calling for continued efforts to reduce tensions and achieve lasting peace.
Anwar shared the message during a telephone conversation with his Pakistani counterpart, Shehbaz Sharif. In a Facebook post, Anwar emphasized the importance of dialogue and de-escalation, while also expressing concern over rising tensions in the Middle East, particularly involving Iran, and urging all parties to prioritize peaceful solutions.
Pakistan said it had temporarily suspended military operations in Afghanistan at the request of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Turkey. Afghan authorities likewise announced a halt to operations during Eid, citing goodwill and similar requests from regional partners.
The ceasefire follows weeks of heightened tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan, including Durand Line clashes and airstrikes.
Separately, Turkey President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in a phone call discussed regional developments with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, reaffirming Turkey’s commitment to peace and stability and stressing continued cooperation for long-term security.
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