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Qatari forces reportedly at Kabul airport
An Afghanistan Civil Aviation Authority official has said there are a number of Qatari forces stationed at Kabul airport.
The source, who did not want to be named, told BBC the Qataris have been stationed at the airport for a few months.
He said there were less than 50 and they were only there to secure Qatari airport staff.
This emerged after the BBC reported they had obtained a video showing Qatari forces at the airport.
Turkey and Qatar have been in talks with the IEA to help reopen and run the airport – which closed at the time of the collapse of the former government and chaotic withdrawal of foreign troops from Afghanistan in August.
Talks between the parties over the past few months have focused on ways to reopen the airport, while taking technical, financial and security issues into consideration.
The BBC reported that the presence of Qatari forces at Kabul airport comes after strong opposition by the IEA on having any foreign military presence in the country.
But a senior official at the IEA-led Civil Aviation Authority told the BBC that the Qataris had been at Kabul airport for about five months and were responsible for securing Qatari technical staff who help manage the airport.
He added that the number of Qatari security personnel is a lot less than it initially was and now number no more than 50.
He said that they are stationed in a specific area of the airport where Qatari personnel work.
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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