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Efforts underway to determine ‘time & place’ for Intra-Afghan talks

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The Afghan Presidential Palace says that the time and place for holding the Intra-Afghan talks will be determined soon.

According to the presidential spokesman, the main focus of the talks between the President and the Chairman of the National Reconciliation Council with the US envoy Zalmay Khalilzad and the Special Envoy of Qatar to Afghanistan was to determine the time and place for the talks.

Zalmay Khalilzad, the US special representative for peace in Afghanistan, following his meeting with the Taliban in Doha and Pakistani officials in Islamabad, met President Ghani, Abdullah Abdullah, Hamed Karzai, and some other political figures and discussed steps before the start of the Intra-Afghan talks.

“It’s too early to tell when and where the talks will take place. I am looking forward to sharing the information with you in the coming days,” said presidential spokesman Sediq Sediqqi.

This comes as President Ghani in his recent statements in the Atlantic Council said that the time and place of the Intra-Afghan talks will be determined next week.

“If they decide to hold talks in Doha, we are ready to speed it up,” said Motaliq bin Majid al-Qahtani, Qatar’s special envoy to Afghanistan, after his meeting with the president and chairman of the National Reconciliation Council. “We will do so neutrally and transparently, in accordance with the international law.”

The Intra-Afghan talks are expected to take place in mid-June.

Russia’s special envoy to Afghanistan, Zamir Kabulov, said that representatives of Russia, the United States, and Afghanistan would discuss how to hold the Intra-Afghan talks at a tripartite meeting next Monday.

“By releasing the prisoners, we are trying to maintain a significant reduction in violence or an undeclared ceasefire so that we can move forward with important steps in the peace process,” said Afghan presidential spokesman Sediq Sediqqi.

Earlier, during a visit to Kabul, the Pakistani Chief of Army Staff assured of his country’s cooperation in the peace process; the Afghan government sees the process of the talks as constructive, but it expects Pakistan to take practical steps in the matter.

On the other hand, General Kenneth F. McKenzie, commander of the US Central Command, emphasizes that full withdrawal of the US troops from Afghanistan by spring next year depends on conditions that he believes have not been met yet.

According to him, there is no assurance that the attacks against the US will end.

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Afghan official slams Shehbaz Sharif’s ‘shameful’ claims on Islamic unity

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Khubaib Ghufran, spokesperson for Afghanistan’s Ministry of Information and Culture, sharply criticized Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif over his recent claims about Islamic unity in relation to the war in Iran, calling them “shameful.”

On his X account, Ghaffran wrote: “You praised Trump as a hero of the Gaza peace plan, yet today you claim Islamic unity regarding Iran in a war that the same criminal (Trump) and his allies initiated?”

He added that while Afghanistan is governed under an Islamic system, Shehbaz Sharif has shown no compassion even toward the most vulnerable groups—from children to women and drug addicts—and that this cruelty persisted even during the holy month of Ramadan.

Ghaffran described Sharif’s stance as a “grave shame” and a stark example of “historical hypocrisy.”

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Airstrike on Kabul drug rehabilitation centre sparks legal concerns

Amnesty International’s Deputy Regional Director for Research, Isabelle Lassee, said the scale of casualties suggests the presence of a significant civilian population at the site.

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An airstrike on a drug rehabilitation facility in Kabul has drawn sharp criticism from Amnesty International, raising serious questions about compliance with international humanitarian law.

The strike, carried out on 16 March, targeted a site at Camp Phoenix, a former military base that has functioned largely as a rehabilitation centre since 2016. Pakistani officials have claimed the attack was aimed at an ammunition depot allegedly located within the compound.

Responding to those claims, Amnesty International’s Deputy Regional Director for Research, Isabelle Lassee, said the scale of casualties suggests the presence of a significant civilian population at the site.

“While the total number of casualties has yet to be independently verified, it is clear that the attack caused extensive civilian harm, with reports indicating hundreds killed or injured,” she said.

Lassee emphasized that the facility was widely known to house civilians undergoing treatment, and warned that any military action should have taken this into account. “Pakistan’s military should have taken all feasible precautions to avoid harming civilians and civilian infrastructure,” she added.

She further noted that even if a military target had been present within the compound, international law requires that any strike be proportionate, ensuring that civilian harm is not excessive in relation to the anticipated military advantage.

“The scale of destruction raises serious concerns about whether an adequate proportionality assessment was conducted and whether sufficient steps were taken to verify the target and minimize civilian casualties,” Lassee said.

Amnesty International has called on Pakistani authorities to disclose the intelligence behind the strike and to launch an independent, impartial, and transparent investigation into the incident. The organization stressed that findings should be made public to ensure accountability.

The group also urged all parties involved in the conflict to adhere strictly to international humanitarian law and to protect civilian infrastructure, including medical and rehabilitation facilities.

The airstrike formed part of Pakistan’s “Operation Ghazab Lil Haq,” which included strikes in both Kabul and Nangarhar Province. The targeted rehabilitation centre, known as Omid, reportedly had the capacity to accommodate around 2,000 individuals.

Casualty figures remain contested. Islamic Emirate officials claim more than 400 civilians were killed and over 200 injured, though these numbers have not been independently verified. The United Nations has so far confirmed 143 deaths.

The strike comes amid escalating tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan. According to the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, at least 76 civilian casualties had already been recorded since the conflict intensified in February.

Pakistani officials, meanwhile, reported civilian casualties on their side of the border, including four deaths in Bajaur district on 15 March and the killing of a child in North Waziristan earlier in the month, allegedly due to cross-border fire from Afghanistan.

The latest developments underscore growing concerns about civilian safety as hostilities between the two countries continue to intensify.

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Afghanistan expresses condolences after deadly helicopter crash in Qatar

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The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Afghanistan has expressed condolences to the governments and people of Qatar and Turkey following a deadly helicopter crash in Qatar.

In a statement, the ministry described the incident as tragic and extended its deep sympathy to the families of those who lost their lives.

According to reports, the helicopter crashed into Qatari territorial waters, killing seven people. Authorities have said the incident was caused by a technical malfunction.

Afghanistan’s Foreign Ministry also prayed for the victims and wished patience and strength for their families.

 
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