US National security adviser Jake Sullivan reportedly offered to resign from President Biden's administration after the botched withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021, according to The Washington Post's David Ignatius. 

Ignatius, a Washington Post columnist, spoke to Sullivan and several of his colleagues as the Biden administration nears its end. 

Several of Sullivan's colleagues reportedly told Ignatius that Sullivan offered to resign, and President Biden insisted the national security adviser stay on, according to the report. 

Ignatius reported that the Afghanistan withdrawal "broke the early comity" of the Biden administration's national security team, and created a riff between Sullivan and Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

The 2021 withdrawal claimed the lives of more than a dozen American soldiers and led to the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) retaking control of the war-torn nation.

"You cannot end a war like Afghanistan, where you’ve built up dependencies and pathologies, without the end being complex and challenging," Sullivan told the Post columnist. "The choice was: Leave, and it would not be easy, or stay forever."

He added that "leaving Kabul freed the [United States] to deal with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in ways that might have been impossible if we had stayed."

Ignatius wrote that the Pentagon resisted Biden's call to remove all U.S. troops from Afghanistan and argued in favor of "a residual force of 2,500 in Kabul."

Sullivan reportedly initially shared the Pentagon's concerns, Ignatius wrote, citing two close advisers.

However, he set out to "loyally" uphold Biden's plan to completely withdraw.

Joining the UN Security Council as a non-permanent member, Pakistan on Thursday stressed the importance of a peaceful and stable Afghanistan as vital for ensuring regional harmony.

As part of the joining ceremony, flags of the five new incoming non-permanent members — Pakistan, along with Denmark, Greece, Panama and Somalia — were installed at the UNSC's stakeout at UN Headquarters in New York.

The new members replaced Japan, Ecuador, Malta, Mozambique and Switzerland whose terms ended on December 31, 2024.

Addressing the Afghanistan issue, Pakistan's envoy affirmed that the issue remains a key item on the UN Security Council’s permanent agenda.

"We continue discussions on Afghanistan at the multilateral and bilateral levels," Pakistan's Alternate Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Asim Iftikhar Ahmad remarked, adding, "Our position is crystal clear—we want a peaceful and stable Afghanistan, as regional peace is directly tied to stability there."

"We will continue to discuss Afghanistan at the multilateral and bilateral levels," he said. "Our position is very clear and we want a peaceful and stable Afghanistan, because peace in the region is directly linked to stability there."

Pakistani officials have repeatedly claimed that attacks in the country are planned in Afghanistan. The Islamic Emirate, however, has denied the claim, saying Afghanistan is not responsible for Pakistan's "security failure".

Local officials in Takhar province have announced the establishment of a major salt production and refining plant, with an investment worth 45 million AFN.

The new facility is expected to meet international standards and will have an annual production capacity of more than 100,000 tons of high-quality salt.

Abdul Rahman Ghaznawi, Head of Industry and Commerce in Takhar, commented on the project’s significance: "Today, we inaugurated a new salt refining factory here. We urge local traders not to relocate their investments abroad but to invest in building factories here. The government will fully support them."

The decision to build the plant was driven by the region’s lack of a salt refining facility and the improving security situation in Takhar, according to company officials. The new plant is poised to address this gap while ensuring the production of premium-quality salt for both domestic use and export.

Mohammad Nabi Mansour, head of the salt refining company, reassured potential investors: "We guarantee full security in the region, and there are no issues hindering investment. We are confident this is a solid opportunity and are working with our partners with full trust."

Local residents of Takhar are calling on other investors to consider contributing to the country's self-sufficiency by investing in various sectors, especially in Takhar.

Notably, Takhar is rich in natural mineral resources, and investments in the province have the potential to boost production, which could then be exported to neighboring countries, particularly Tajikistan.