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US Lawmakers Want Answers From Khalilzad About Deal With Taliban
The Foreign Affairs Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives has called on the Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation, Zalmay Khalilzad to brief the lawmakers on details of the peace deal he negotiated with the Taliban in Doha, the capital of Qatar.
The Committee’s Chairman Eliot Engel in a letter to Khalilzad on Thursday called on him to testify in September on the proposed peace plan with the Taliban on U.S. troop pullout from Afghanistan.
“I am calling this hearing so that Congress and the American people will have the long-overdue opportunity to understand the contours of your negotiations with the Taliban and the potential risks and opportunities that may result,” Engel said the letter.
Engel added that the U.S. Envoy’s agreement with the Taliban has “been disseminated among officials in the Trump Administration and shared with President Ghani’s government.”
The letter further said the Americans and Afghan people deserve to know what the U.S. diplomatic “strategy is for Afghanistan,” adding that the U.S. wants to make sure that it is “negotiating a peace and not simply a withdrawal.”
“Given the challenges this Committee has faced in getting information from the Trump Administration on this issue, I want to be clear: I do not consider your testimony at this hearing optional,” Engel wrote. “If this letter is insufficient to secure your attendance, I will consider other options that would ensure this hearing takes place in a timely manner.”
It is been the third time that the committee is requesting Khalilzad to appear at the U.S. House of Representatives for the questioning.
Engel and ranking member Representative Michael McCaul issued an invitation in February and Democrat members of the committee had also asked Khalilzad to appear in April.
Sirajuddin Haqqani, Afghanistan’s Minister of Interior Affairs, met on Tuesday with Zamir Kabulov, Russia’s special representative to Kabul.
According to the Ministry of Interior, the two sides discussed enhancing cooperation between Afghanistan and Russia, along with security, economic, and political issues.
They also exchanged views on positive engagement and regional stability.
The Pakistani military regime has carried out rocket attacks in Khas Kunar district of Kunar province, with rockets hitting civilian homes.
Security officials in Kunar said on Tuesday evening the attacks have continued intermittently since early morning, but so far no information has been provided by authorities regarding casualties.
The Pakistani military regime has also carried out rocket attacks on some areas of Sarkano district in Kunar. Early reports indicate there have been no casualties in these strikes.
Afghanistan’s Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi met on Tuesday with Russia’s special envoy to Afghanistan Zamir Kabulov in Kabul, where the two sides discussed expanding political ties and deepening economic cooperation between the two countries.
According to a statement from Afghanistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, both officials emphasized the importance of further strengthening bilateral engagement and broadening cooperation across multiple sectors.
Muttaqi welcomed what he described as the positive development of relations between Afghanistan and Russia, and called for increased economic collaboration, the reactivation of the Joint Economic Commission, and the creation of a regular mechanism for political consultations.
The discussions also covered regional developments, with both sides stressing the importance of peace, stability and security. They exchanged views on enhancing relations with neighboring countries and highlighted the need for joint efforts to support constructive regional engagement.
Kabulov praised the current trajectory of ties between Kabul and Moscow and said Russia is prepared to expand practical cooperation with Afghanistan, particularly in the fields of trade, energy and transit.
He added that Moscow is interested in strengthening bilateral relations through joint economic projects, investment initiatives and infrastructure cooperation, while also promoting regional connectivity and long-term stability.
The meeting comes amid growing diplomatic engagement between the two countries as both sides seek to expand economic opportunities and strengthen regional partnerships.
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