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India reiterates support for Afghan peace process
Abdullah Abdullah, Chairman of the National Reconciliation Council met with Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Friday in Delhi to discuss the Afghan peace process, bilateral ties, and regional support for peace efforts.
In a Twitter post on Friday, Abdullah said: “As always pleased to meet HE S. Jaishankar, the External Affairs Minister of India.”
“We exchanged views on the Afghan Peace Process, bilateral relations, and regional support for peace efforts,” Abdullah tweeted.
Jaishankar has also reassured Abdullah of India’s full support for peace in Afghanistan.
As always pleased to meet HE @DrSJaishankar, the External Affairs Minister of India. We exchanged views on the #AfghanPeaceProcess, bilateral relations, & regional support for peace efforts. He assured me of India’s full support for peace in Afghanistan. pic.twitter.com/6VgT5DNRnz
— Dr. Abdullah Abdullah (@DrabdullahCE) October 9, 2020
He stated that “peace in Afghanistan means peace in the region” and India would continue its assistance to Afghanistan by supporting the Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace efforts.
Meanwhile, Abdullah stated that peace in Afghanistan is in favor of the regional countries.
Abdullah, who is currently on a five-day official visit to India, has met with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday and briefed him on the ongoing talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban delegations in Doha.
The Prime Minister reiterated India’s commitment towards sustainable peace and prosperity in Afghanistan and welcomed efforts towards a comprehensive and permanent ceasefire in Afghanistan, India’s Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement.
“National Security Advisor Shri Ajit Doval called on Dr. Abdullah Abdullah on October 7 and discussed the Afghan peace process and related issues, including increased levels of violence across Afghanistan and peace and security in the region,” the statement read.
Meanwhile, speaking about the future of Afghanistan at the defense think tank “Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (IDSA)” in Dehli on Thursday, Abdullah stated “We need better relations with all countries. It is not our policy to decide the policies that other countries pursue each other, but we believe that peace in Afghanistan is in everyone’s interest.”
Abdullah said mistakes had been made in the past, even by Afghanistan’s international partners but that there were lessons to be learned through this.
He also stated that he hopes there has been a change in the Taliban’s attitude and said he was optimistic about this but added that only time will tell as to who is committed to the peace process.
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Afghanistan-Gambia ties discussed during Doha meeting
Both sides also exchanged views on strengthening diplomatic engagement and exploring future economic cooperation.
Suhail Shaheen, head of the Islamic Emirate’s embassy in Doha, has met with Omar Jah, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of The Gambia to Qatar, to discuss bilateral relations and areas of mutual interest.
According to a statement from the Afghan embassy in Doha, Jah also oversees Gambian diplomatic affairs related to Afghanistan.
The meeting focused on Afghanistan-Gambia relations, the current security situation in Afghanistan, and potential investment opportunities in the country.
Both sides also exchanged views on strengthening diplomatic engagement and exploring future economic cooperation.
Mahmood Khan Achakzai, a member of Pakistan’s National Assembly and head of the Pakhtunkhwa Awami National Party, has said that if capable statesmen had been in power, people living on both sides of the Durand Line could have moved freely across the line.
Speaking during a podcast interview, Achakzai said that countries with histories of major conflict, including Russia, Germany and the United Kingdom, now maintain far more open borders despite past wars. He said that in many such regions, only a “paper line” remains, with limited border restrictions.
Drawing comparisons with the disputed Durand Line boundary between Afghanistan and Pakistan, Achakzai argued that a similar arrangement could have been possible in South Asia.
“What is the problem here? A Punjabi could dance in Kandahar and a Pashtun could come here. Even if we are not formally one country, we could have effectively functioned like one,” he said.
The Pakistani politician also referred to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and the later U.S.-led intervention, saying Afghanistan has the right to seek war reparations from those countries to support reconstruction efforts.
Achakzai further criticised the treatment of Pashtuns in Pakistan, alleging that individuals in cities including Lahore and Karachi have faced detention and deportation.
Kyrgyzstan has completed major construction work on its territory under the regional energy project CASA-1000, according to a recent report by the Eurasian Stabilization and Development Fund (ESDF). With key infrastructure now in place, further progress on the project depends on the completion of construction in Afghanistan, which is expected by the end of 2027.
The report notes that Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Pakistan have largely finalized their respective infrastructure components and are now awaiting the completion of the Afghan section before moving forward with full operational stages.
The CASA-1000 project, valued at approximately $1.2 billion, aims to establish a high-voltage electricity transmission line linking Central and South Asia. The initiative is designed to enable Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan to export surplus hydropower during summer months, when electricity demand rises in Pakistan and Afghanistan due to increased use of cooling systems.
Construction work in Afghanistan was suspended in August 2021, at a stage when only about 18 percent of transmission structures had been installed, although more than 90 percent of equipment had already been delivered to the country. Following extended negotiations and security assurances, work on the Afghan section resumed in December 2024.
ESDF experts say that once construction in Afghanistan is completed, participating countries will be able to begin technical testing of the high-voltage direct current (HVDC) system. A full launch of the regional energy corridor is expected by the end of 2027, marking a significant milestone in regional energy integration between Central and South Asia.
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