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Talks team deadlock broken, as both sides agree to initial roadmap
In a major step forward, the talks teams for the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and the Taliban have agreed on four key issues as the basis for talks going forward.
This comes after a deadlock of more than a month, following the start of talks on September 12 in Doha.
According to sources in Doha, the two sides agreed to include the US-Taliban deal, UN endorsements for Afghan peace process, the will of the Afghan people and commitments of the negotiating teams as the foundation of talks going forward.
“We do not underestimate these challenges, no matter how difficult they may be. But we have reason not to be disappointed. For all our differences, the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan is committed to a positive approach to peace,” said Sayed Sadat Mansour Naderi, minister of peace affairs.
The negotiating team of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan says that the two negotiating parties will announce their declarations of agreement and the finalization of the procedure.
On the other hand, the head of the negotiating team of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan Massom Stanikzai says that the Taliban’s lack of flexibility has made the path to peace difficult.
“Unfortunately, the Taliban’s short-sightedness has made this difficult. Continuing meaningful dialogue to reach a common vision is the shortest way to peace. This fact requires patience, caution and public consensus,” said Stanikzai.
The head of the negotiating team of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan has been in Kabul for the past few days to consult with the leadership of the government and to get the final approval of the negotiating council of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan.
The delegation is optimistic that progress in the Doha talks will pave the way for a ceasefire sooner rather than later.
“Ending the violence during the talks is the first proposal ordered to build public confidence. Recently, when the talks began, the Afghan people witnessed a dramatic increase in violence,” said Fawzia Kofi, a member of the negotiating team.
It is however not yet clear whether the delegations will negotiate on a ceasefire first, once talks get underway, or on the future of a political system.
As much as the Afghan Republic’s team want to focus on a ceasefire, the Taliban want the political future to be the starting point.
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Khalilzad warns Pakistan-Afghanistan tensions likely to worsen after fresh airstrikes
Former U.S. special representative for Afghanistan reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad has warned that the latest Pakistani airstrikes in Afghanistan and recent violence inside Pakistan are part of a wider crisis, saying he sees no indication that the situation is about to change.
In a post on X on Thursday, Khalilzad described the Pakistani airstrikes that have killed Afghan civilians and the increasing use of force against civilians in Pakistan as “interconnected tragedies,” implying both effected by Pakistan’s establishment.
“Unfortunately, I do not see any signs of change,” Khalilzad said, adding that current indicators suggested the use of force against Pakistanis would “likely get worse” in the coming days.
His comments came after Pakistan carried out a new wave of airstrikes inside Afghanistan overnight Thursday, saying it had targeted 10 locations used to launch and store drones.
Pakistani Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said the strikes were conducted in response to drones launched from Afghan territory a day earlier and described them as “deliberate, precise, calibrated and proportionate.”
Afghan officials said the strikes killed four civilians. The attacks reportedly hit locations including Kandahar, Khost and Paktia provinces. Afghanistan’s Islamic Emirate authorities have denied launching the drones cited by Pakistan and have condemned the strikes.
The latest attacks follow Pakistani airstrikes earlier this week in Kunar and Paktika. Pakistan said those operations killed 28 militants, while the United Nations confirmed that three Afghan civilians — a man, a woman and a girl — were killed, with four others injured.
The renewed airstrikes come amid a sharp deterioration in relations between Kabul and Islamabad. Pakistan has accused Afghanistan of allowing militant groups, including the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), to operate from its territory and launch attacks inside Pakistan.
Afghan authorities reject the allegations and say militancy inside Pakistan is an internal issue.
Khalilzad has previously called for a change in Pakistan’s strategy toward both its internal security problems and Afghanistan.
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Afghanistan summons Pakistani chargé d’affaires over latest airstrikes
Afghanistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned Pakistan’s chargé d’affaires to Kabul and lodged a strong protest against the violation of Afghan airspace and Pakistani military airstrikes on several Afghan provinces.
The ministry handed the Pakistani diplomat a formal protest note following the attacks on Kandahar, Paktia and Khost provinces on Wednesday night, which reportedly caused civilian casualties.
The Islamic Emirate strongly condemned the strikes, calling them a violation of Afghanistan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and contrary to Islamic, international, humanitarian and good-neighborly principles.
The ministry also rejected what it called baseless claims that Afghan territory was being used as a source of Pakistan’s recent security incidents.
It said using such claims to justify military action was an attempt to distort facts, mislead public opinion and conceal Pakistan’s internal failures.
The Islamic Emirate further accused Pakistan’s military leadership of avoiding commitments made to regional countries and warned that such actions could further escalate tensions in the region.
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Museum dedicated to preserving ‘Jihadi’ artefacts opens in Kandahar
The museum’s collection includes more than 100 items gathered from different locations.
A museum dedicated to preserving what Afghan authorities describe as “Jihadi artefacts” has officially opened in Kandahar, with officials saying more than 100 items have so far been collected for display.
Mufti Mohammad Tahir Ahmad, Director General for the Preservation of Jihadi Artefacts at the Ministry of Information and Culture, attended the inauguration ceremony alongside Qari Ahmadullah Saeed Khosti, Director of Registration for Jihadi Artefacts and Documents.
Mufti Inamullah Samangani, head of the Kandahar Information and Culture Department, and officials from several government departments also attended the ceremony.
According to the official responsible for preserving the artefacts in Kandahar, the museum’s collection includes more than 100 items gathered from different locations.
The collection includes weapons that officials say were captured from British, Soviet and US forces, as well as personal belongings and other items associated with people killed during Afghanistan’s conflicts over the past two decades.
Officials said efforts to collect additional artefacts would continue in order to expand the museum’s collection.
The museum is now open to visitors, according to the officials.
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