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Afghan peace talks teams share demands that differ vastly
The Afghan Republic’s talks team and the Taliban’s team each presented their demands during discussions on Wednesday and while the republic’s team wants achievements to be preserved, the Taliban are set on an Islamic state.
This came on the fifth straight day of discussions between the two sides after last week’s breakthrough in the months-long deadlock.
Sources told Ariana News on condition of anonymity that the Republic’s team put forward 28 items and emphasized the need to preserve the achievements made over the past 19 years.
The Taliban in turn put forward 22 demands and emphasized the need for an interim government and women’s rights to be upheld in accordance with Sharia law.
The source said the requests by the Republic’s negotiators included the following:
- Declaring a lasting ceasefire without any conditions
- Preserving the Islamic Republic system
- Preserving the country’s flag
- Preserving the Afghan Constitution
- Preserving the Afghan national defense and security institutions
- Accepting all contracts and agreements that the government signed with various countries
- Disarming all Taliban fighters after a peace agreement has been signed
- Recruiting the Taliban into government structures after the completion of the peace process
- Accepting women, children, and people with disabilities’ rights as per national and international norms.
“Today both [teams of] negotiators discussed relevant issues on the agenda. Our negotiators focused on people’s demands,” said Najia Anwar, spokeswoman for the State Ministry on Peace Affairs.
The Taliban meanwhile called for the following:
- Removal of all Taliban names from blacklists
- Removal of the use of terms such as republic and democratic and for the next government to be named the Islamic government
- All educational and training institutions should operate in accordance with Sharia law
- Establishing an organization under the name of Amr-bil-Maroof to enforce Islamic law
- Establishing an interim government for between 12 and 18 months
- Both sides to keep the areas under their control currently [but local governments in Taliban areas to be handed over]
- Disarming the Taliban would be accepted once an Islamic government has been established
- Recognizing the Taliban as a shadow government until the peace process has been finalized
- Terms like war crimes and violations of human rights should be removed and the use of the words should be recognized as a crime
- Including at least 100,000 Taliban fighters into the Afghan security forces after a peace deal has been reached
- Civil society, human rights, women rights, and freedom of speech should be in accordance with Sharia law
- Establishing an Ulema council to advise the government and its decisions should be adhered to
“The Taliban and the government’s proposals should be discussed in the peace talks and I personally want a ceasefire first,” said Sima Samar, State Minister for Human Rights.
This comes after the Afghan Republic’s team and the Taliban agreed on procedural rules last week in order to take the talks forward.
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Afghan official slams Shehbaz Sharif’s ‘shameful’ claims on Islamic unity
Khubaib Ghufran, spokesperson for Afghanistan’s Ministry of Information and Culture, sharply criticized Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif over his recent claims about Islamic unity in relation to the war in Iran, calling them “shameful.”
On his X account, Ghaffran wrote: “You praised Trump as a hero of the Gaza peace plan, yet today you claim Islamic unity regarding Iran in a war that the same criminal (Trump) and his allies initiated?”
He added that while Afghanistan is governed under an Islamic system, Shehbaz Sharif has shown no compassion even toward the most vulnerable groups—from children to women and drug addicts—and that this cruelty persisted even during the holy month of Ramadan.
Ghaffran described Sharif’s stance as a “grave shame” and a stark example of “historical hypocrisy.”
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Airstrike on Kabul drug rehabilitation centre sparks legal concerns
Amnesty International’s Deputy Regional Director for Research, Isabelle Lassee, said the scale of casualties suggests the presence of a significant civilian population at the site.
An airstrike on a drug rehabilitation facility in Kabul has drawn sharp criticism from Amnesty International, raising serious questions about compliance with international humanitarian law.
The strike, carried out on 16 March, targeted a site at Camp Phoenix, a former military base that has functioned largely as a rehabilitation centre since 2016. Pakistani officials have claimed the attack was aimed at an ammunition depot allegedly located within the compound.
Responding to those claims, Amnesty International’s Deputy Regional Director for Research, Isabelle Lassee, said the scale of casualties suggests the presence of a significant civilian population at the site.
“While the total number of casualties has yet to be independently verified, it is clear that the attack caused extensive civilian harm, with reports indicating hundreds killed or injured,” she said.
Lassee emphasized that the facility was widely known to house civilians undergoing treatment, and warned that any military action should have taken this into account. “Pakistan’s military should have taken all feasible precautions to avoid harming civilians and civilian infrastructure,” she added.
She further noted that even if a military target had been present within the compound, international law requires that any strike be proportionate, ensuring that civilian harm is not excessive in relation to the anticipated military advantage.
“The scale of destruction raises serious concerns about whether an adequate proportionality assessment was conducted and whether sufficient steps were taken to verify the target and minimize civilian casualties,” Lassee said.
Amnesty International has called on Pakistani authorities to disclose the intelligence behind the strike and to launch an independent, impartial, and transparent investigation into the incident. The organization stressed that findings should be made public to ensure accountability.
The group also urged all parties involved in the conflict to adhere strictly to international humanitarian law and to protect civilian infrastructure, including medical and rehabilitation facilities.
The airstrike formed part of Pakistan’s “Operation Ghazab Lil Haq,” which included strikes in both Kabul and Nangarhar Province. The targeted rehabilitation centre, known as Omid, reportedly had the capacity to accommodate around 2,000 individuals.
Casualty figures remain contested. Islamic Emirate officials claim more than 400 civilians were killed and over 200 injured, though these numbers have not been independently verified. The United Nations has so far confirmed 143 deaths.
The strike comes amid escalating tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan. According to the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, at least 76 civilian casualties had already been recorded since the conflict intensified in February.
Pakistani officials, meanwhile, reported civilian casualties on their side of the border, including four deaths in Bajaur district on 15 March and the killing of a child in North Waziristan earlier in the month, allegedly due to cross-border fire from Afghanistan.
The latest developments underscore growing concerns about civilian safety as hostilities between the two countries continue to intensify.
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