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Afghanistan ready for talks with Taliban without preconditions: Abdullah
The Afghan government is ready to begin the peace talks with the Taliban without any preconditions, said Abdullah Abdullah, chairman of the High Council for National Reconciliation.
Addressing a video conference at the US Peace Center on Wednesday, Abdullah said that the decision was made jointly between him and President Ashraf Ghani.
My appreciation to @USIP for hosting a comprehensive discussion today on issues & questions relating to Afghanistan peace “opportunities and challenges”. Here is the video link of my remarks & discussion.https://t.co/iQa2dlqewc
— Dr. Abdullah Abdullah (@DrabdullahCE) June 24, 2020
Abdullah added that the Afghan negotiating team is fully prepared to sit in direct talks with the Taliban.
He stressed that all efforts are now focused on the release of prisoners, the reduction of violence, and a unified strategy for achieving peace.
Abdullah said that there would room for dialogue unless the Taliban fulfill their commitment to reducing the violence, urging the group to take practical steps toward resolving the issue.
So far, the government has released about 3,000 Taliban prisoners, and the Taliban have released more than 500 prisoners. But the Taliban sets the release of all its 5000 prisoners as a precondition for a kick start of the intra-Afghan negotiations.
“Only if all 5,000 Taliban prisoners were released, intra-Afghan talks will begin a week later,” said Sayed Akbar Agha, a former member of the Taliban.
The first round of talks between the two laterals was scheduled to take place in Qatar in June, but due to the lack of completion of the prisoner exchange process, the start of the talks is still delayed.
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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