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IEA says its forces will protect Afghanistan airports
Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) forces will protect the country’s airports and that negotiations on bringing in the help of another country is based on technical issues only, its deputy spokesman said on Tuesday.
Qatar and Turkey have been in talks with the IEA in recent months to help run Afghan airports, but they have yet to reach an agreement.
Reports suggest that Qatar and Turkey want to deploy their military forces to guard the airports.
“Soldiers would provide airport security, but IEA has enough experience and forces to do this,” said Bilal Karimi, deputy spokesman for IEA. “Discussions will be on technical issues.”
Last month, the BBC reported that they had obtained a video showing Qatari forces at Kabul airport.
Experts suggest it would be difficult for Qatar and Turkey to strike a deal with IEA to run the airports without having military presence there.
“Flights will resume if Qatari and Turkish forces are allowed to provide security for airports and it will also help those who wish to leave Afghanistan,” said Abdul Wali Frozan, a political expert.
Khalil Ahmad Nadim, a member of Afghanistan’s Third Way, a political group, said that the agreement would also help ensure that drugs will not be smuggled out of the country.
Earlier, the Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation said that any agreement with countries on Afghan airports would be based on the national interests.
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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