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Afghan ‘envoy’ to UN continues to work despite going unpaid for 4 months
Afghanistan’s chargé d’affaires to the United Nations Naseer Ahmad Faiq says despite not having been paid for four months he, and his staff, continue to work for Afghanistan and its people.
In an exclusive interview with RFE/RL, Faiq said he has no ties to the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) authorities nor with the Resistance Front but he consults with a number of Afghan diplomats still stationed in various countries around the world.
Faiq took over as chargé de affairs earlier this month after Ghulam Mohammad Ishaqzai, Afghanistan’s former envoy to the United Nations, resigned. Faiq succeeded Ishaqzai as he had been the envoy’s top adviser.
“The current situation in Afghanistan is clear, so there is no need to seek guidance from anyone or any group for our work. We strive to take the voice of our people to the world, in consultation with a number of diplomats who are committed to the national interest of Afghanistan, and to carry out this task,” Faiq told RFE/RL.
He said the UN’s view of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) is clear and that the international community will only recognize the IEA government once issues around women’s rights and human rights are addressed and when ties are cut with terrorist organizations.
Faiq told RFE/RL he is trying to address the current humanitarian crisis.
However, Bilal Karimi, the IEA’s deputy spokesman, said Faiq’s remarks were his personal opinion and that he does not represent all Afghans at the United Nations.
The IEA has appointed Suhail Shaheen as the IEA’s envoy to the United Nations, but the UN voted against him earlier this month.
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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