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Taliban says ‘diplomacy is the way to end the war’
The Taliban on Wednesday responded to comments made by US President-elect Joe Biden’s national security adviser nominee Jack Sullivan and said they believed in “the path of diplomacy”.
The Taliban said in a statement that “the best way to resolve the dispute is the continuation of diplomacy”.
Referring to the US-Taliban agreement signed in February, which the Afghan government was not party to, the Taliban stated it is “committed to the points in the agreement and want the same from the other side.”
On the issue of targeted killings of prominent activists and journalists in the country, the Taliban again denied any involvement and said “these individuals were not the group’s military targets”.
The Afghan government and numerous officials have however blamed the group for the recent spike in assassinations.
The Taliban’s statement comes after Sullivan’s interview with CNN on Sunday where he said the Taliban need to prove they have cut all ties with the Taliban and not just say they have.
He told CNN that under the Taliban agreement with the US, they had pledged to sever ties with al-Qaeda, but that this commitment needed to be not a matter of words but of action.
Sullivan emphasized that the Taliban must reduce violence and enter into negotiations with the Afghan government in good faith.
Zalmay Khalilzad, the former US special representative for Afghanistan, has questioned Pakistan’s commitment to the welfare of the Afghan people, citing Islamabad’s policies over the past three decades.
Khalilzad said in a post on X that Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif advocated for the rights of Afghan women during his speech at the UN General Assembly on Friday.
Sharif said: “Fundamental rights of the Afghan people — especially women and girls — must be respected.”
Responding to the remarks, Khalilzad said Pakistan’s policies over the past 30 years raise questions about Sharif’s commitment to Afghan welfare.
He cited Pakistan’s support for militant groups against US forces and what he described as the poor treatment of Afghan refugees as examples.
Khalilzad also said Afghanistan and Pakistan need and should have much better relations, adding that “a reset is necessary.”
India’s Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri met with the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, Rabab Fatima, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.
Indian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a post on X that Misri underscored the need to keep addressing the humanitarian needs of the Afghan people as a priority.
Misri also appreciated the role of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) and reaffirmed India’s continued cooperation with the United Nations on Afghanistan.
The meeting comes as Afghanistan continues to face humanitarian and economic challenges, with international agencies warning of significant needs among the Afghan population.
Kazakhstan’s Foreign Minister Mukhtar Tileuberdi has called for pragmatic and coordinated international engagement with Afghanistan, saying the country’s long-term stability is closely linked to the security and sustainable development of Central Asia.
Speaking during the general debate of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Friday, Tileuberdi said humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan remains essential but alone cannot break the cycle of poverty, displacement and dependency.
He said Kazakhstan supports a “pragmatic, coordinated and step-by-step” approach to international engagement with Afghanistan, with the United Nations playing a central role.
Tileuberdi also said Kazakhstan is working with the UN to operationalize the United Nations Regional Centre for the Sustainable Development Goals for Central Asia and Afghanistan in Almaty.
He said the success of the centre should be measured by the results and assistance it delivers to the region.
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