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Doha Agreement strengthened IEA and weakened our partners, says White House
The White House press secretary says the signing of the Doha Agreement in 2020 strengthened the Islamic Emirate and weakened “our partners in the previous government of Afghanistan”.
Karine Jean-Pierre said in a press conference on Wednesday: “As you know, four years ago, the previous administration signed the Doha Agreement in 2020 with the Taliban [Islamic Emirate] and pledged to withdraw its forces a few months after President Joe Biden’s oath inauguration without any clear path or plan for the next plans.”
The Doha Agreement was signed on February 29, 2020, during the presidency of Donald Trump, between the United States and the Islamic Emirate in Qatar. US special representative at the time Zalmay Khalilzad and Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, the current deputy prime minister of the Islamic Emirate, signed the accord.
“This agreement strengthened the Taliban [Islamic Emirate] and weakened our partners in the Afghan government,” said Jean-Pierre.
Although Trump has repeatedly defended the signing of this agreement and has said that endless wars have taken American resources and lives and must end, the former US president and some Republicans have always criticized Joe Biden for how he left Afghanistan.
But the White House said: “President Biden’s choices for how to leave Afghanistan were heavily influenced by the conditions created by him [Donald Trump]. When Biden took office, the Taliban [Islamic Emirate] was in its strongest position since 2001, controlling or challenging nearly half of the country.”
American officials say that the Islamic Emirate had pledged in this agreement that they would discuss with other Afghan parties to form an inclusive government. But Jean-Pierre added: “The Taliban [Islamic Emirate] have not fulfilled their commitments in (the agreement). The [Islamic Emirate] Taliban have not kept their promises to start a meaningful dialogue with Afghans to pave the way for a comprehensive and inclusive political system.”
The White House spokesman said that the United States holds the Islamic Emirate accountable for its commitments and added: “We work tirelessly every day to ensure that these commitments are fulfilled.”
American officials say that according to the Doha agreement, the Islamic Emirate should not allow terrorist groups to reactivate in Afghanistan, use Afghanistan against other countries, and cut ties with terrorist groups.
The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan [IEA] has always claimed that al-Qaeda does not exist in Afghanistan, Daesh has been suppressed, and does not allow anyone to attack another country from Afghanistan.
Pakistan says communities living along the Afghanistan-Pakistan Durand Line want peace and stability, despite ongoing security concerns in the region.
Speaking during a weekly media briefing, Pakistan Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said there are no major issues between the people of Afghanistan and Pakistan, adding that residents on both sides of the Durand Line want peaceful relations and greater regional stability.
However, Andrabi claimed that terrorism originating from Afghan territory continues to undermine peace efforts.
He said Islamabad believes militant activity crossing from Afghanistan remains a significant obstacle to improving regional security and bilateral ties.
The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan has repeatedly rejected such allegations, maintaining that no militant group is allowed to use Afghan soil to threaten neighboring countries.
Andrabi also said Pakistan remains diplomatically engaged on regional matters involving Afghanistan, Iran, India, and Somalia, stressing that dialogue and diplomacy remain Islamabad’s preferred means of resolving disputes.
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Afghanistan-Gambia ties discussed during Doha meeting
Both sides also exchanged views on strengthening diplomatic engagement and exploring future economic cooperation.
Suhail Shaheen, head of the Islamic Emirate’s embassy in Doha, has met with Omar Jah, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of The Gambia to Qatar, to discuss bilateral relations and areas of mutual interest.
According to a statement from the Afghan embassy in Doha, Jah also oversees Gambian diplomatic affairs related to Afghanistan.
The meeting focused on Afghanistan-Gambia relations, the current security situation in Afghanistan, and potential investment opportunities in the country.
Both sides also exchanged views on strengthening diplomatic engagement and exploring future economic cooperation.
Mahmood Khan Achakzai, a member of Pakistan’s National Assembly and head of the Pakhtunkhwa Awami National Party, has said that if capable statesmen had been in power, people living on both sides of the Durand Line could have moved freely across the line.
Speaking during a podcast interview, Achakzai said that countries with histories of major conflict, including Russia, Germany and the United Kingdom, now maintain far more open borders despite past wars. He said that in many such regions, only a “paper line” remains, with limited border restrictions.
Drawing comparisons with the disputed Durand Line boundary between Afghanistan and Pakistan, Achakzai argued that a similar arrangement could have been possible in South Asia.
“What is the problem here? A Punjabi could dance in Kandahar and a Pashtun could come here. Even if we are not formally one country, we could have effectively functioned like one,” he said.
The Pakistani politician also referred to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and the later U.S.-led intervention, saying Afghanistan has the right to seek war reparations from those countries to support reconstruction efforts.
Achakzai further criticised the treatment of Pashtuns in Pakistan, alleging that individuals in cities including Lahore and Karachi have faced detention and deportation.
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