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Khalilzad calls for intra-Afghan negotiations
Washington’s former special envoy for Afghanistan, Zalmay Khalilzad, has called for intra-Afghan negotiations to discuss the structure of the new government.
In an interview with BBC, Khalilzad said that there are some points in the deal that have not been implemented by the international community, the IEA and other Afghans, but that there can be negotiations for their implementation.
“Afghans should decide on the future by their own, no foreigner can resolve the problem,” Khalilzad said.
He said that there was a need for an intra-Afghan political settlement and that some of those who previously opposed the Doha deal are now backing the deal.
Khalilzad said that conditions have changed and the US cannot offer a specific formula or insist on the inclusion of specific people in the government.
“How it should be and who should be there is a matter for Afghans to decide,” he said.
Khalilzad criticized the former Afghan government for not taking the negotiations seriously due to miscalculations that a change in US government would change its policies on the Afghanistan withdrawal.
Khalilzad’s comments come as IEA officials say they have been asked to include 15 figures in the government for its recognition.
Shahabuddin Delwar, who was speaking during a ceremony on Tuesday to mark the second anniversary of IEA-US deal, suggested that the demand could not be accepted as the proposed individuals were traitors
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UK’s Reform party pledges visa ban affecting Afghanistan and five other states
The British political party Reform UK, led by Nigel Farage, is set to impose a blanket visa ban on Afghanistan and five other countries — including Pakistan — as part of its proposed crackdown on illegal migration and states refusing to accept deported nationals.
In a speech set for Monday, the party’s newly appointed “shadow” home secretary, Zia Yusuf, will outline plans to halt all visas for diplomats, students, workers, VIPs and tourists from Pakistan, Somalia, Eritrea, Syria, Afghanistan and Sudan. Reform says these governments fail to cooperate in accepting back deported migrants and convicted criminals.
Pakistan received more than 160,000 UK visas last year, making it one of the biggest visa recipients. However, British officials say Islamabad accepts back only a small fraction of rejected asylum seekers and has resisted pressure to take back individuals convicted in high-profile criminal cases.
The move – which mirrors US President Donald Trump’s visa ban on 75 countries – would be a key element in Reform’s strategy to deport up to 288,000 illegal migrants from the UK on five charter flights a day.
On legal migration, Yusuf will say a Reform government would terminate all welfare payments to foreign nationals, including the 1.3 million currently receiving UC, up from around 900,000 in 2022.
Yusuf is expected to say that years of weak immigration enforcement have undermined public trust and that a Reform government would secure Britain’s borders and make people feel safe.
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Ex-US envoy Khalilzad condemns Pakistan air attacks on Afghanistan
He described the situation as a tragedy for both Pakistan and its neighbors, urging the Pakistani leadership to reconsider its policies and change course.
Former U.S. Special Envoy for Afghanistan, Zalmay Khalilzad, has strongly condemned Sunday’s airstrikes by Pakistan on Afghanistan. He stated that these attacks killed and wounded numerous innocent women, children, and elderly.
Khalilzad pointed to Pakistan’s long history of misgovernance, interference in minority rights, manipulation of democratic processes, and repeated military takeovers as the root causes.
He described the situation as a tragedy for both Pakistan and its neighbors, urging the Pakistani leadership to reconsider its policies and change course.
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Japan contributes $2.08 million to World Bank Trust Fund for Afghanistan
Japan has remained one of the major donors to Afghanistan’s humanitarian and development efforts.
Japan has signed a $2.08 million contribution agreement with the World Bank to support humanitarian and livelihood programs in Afghanistan, its diplomatic mission in Kabul said on Sunday.
The funding will be channeled through the Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund (ARTF), a multi-donor trust fund administered by the World Bank that finances essential services and development programs in the country.
In a statement, Japan said the contribution is intended to support people in need and promote livelihoods among vulnerable Afghans, including women and young people.
“Japan stands with the Afghan people,” the statement said.
Japan has remained one of the major donors to Afghanistan’s humanitarian and development efforts.
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