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Abdullah calls out Taliban for stalled peace talks
Abdullah Abdullah, Chairman of the High Council for National Reconciliation, on Thursday spoke out against the Taliban who he says has taken a “harsh stance” in relation to the current peace talks.
Addressing an event to mark the establishment of a commission for political parties under the HCNR, Abdullah said: “At this moment, the Taliban has taken a hard stance, which unfortunately is not helping the situation.”
“Our delegation is still in Doha and we are in contact and we hope this deadlock is only short term,” he said.
“We know that nobody will win through war,” Abdullah said, adding that the same applied to peace – that “neither will anyone lose in peace.”
“At this point, the Taliban’s stance is pretty harsh and this does not help as we proceed with the job at hand; they say that the prisoners should be released, the foreigners must withdraw, they should be dropped from the (UN) blacklist,” he said adding that the Taliban also want other conditions met before they will agree to a ceasefire.
On whether the Taliban has stuck to its commitments as per the agreement signed with the US in February last year, Abdullah said one of the preconditions was a reduction in violence. This has not happened, he said.
“One of the foundations of the agreement is a reduction in violence. Has it happened? Of course not,” said Abdullah.
Meanwhile, Afghan Foreign Minister Haneef Atmar also weighed in on the stalled peace process issue on Thursday and called on the international community to review legal options available in order to force the Taliban to stick to its commitments as per the Doha deal.
Addressing a press conference, Atmar said: “All our international partners reiterated that the Taliban must return to the peace process and restart negotiations; if they want the international community to trust them in the peace process, then they should stick to the commitments made in the Doha agreement.”
Atmar also stated that the new Biden administration is working with Afghanistan on a joint program regarding the peace process.
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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