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Blinken calls Qatari Foreign Minister to discuss Afghan situation
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke Sunday with his Qatari counterpart Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani to discuss the latest developments in Afghanistan.
According to a press release issued by the State Department’s spokesman Ned Price, Blinken commended Qatar for its continued work to assist with the safe transit from Afghanistan of U.S. citizens, Lawful Permanent Residents, and Afghans at risk.
“Secretary Blinken and the Foreign Minister also reviewed the latest developments regarding the situation in Afghanistan and discussed other bilateral and regional issues, including Iran,” said Price.
Qatar’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani’s office in turn said they had reviewed bilateral cooperation relations between the two countries, the latest developments in Afghanistan, and issues of common interest.
Blinken is currently on a foreign trip that includes the United Kingdom, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Hawaii. This weekend he attended the G7 Foreign and Development Ministers’ Meeting in Liverpool.
The G7 meeting agenda included a wide range of issues including relations with Russia and China, current developments in Ukraine, Afghanistan, North Korea, Iran and on the African continent.
At the same time, the meeting gave ministers the opportunity to focus on fundamental issues such as global health, technology, infrastructure and gender equality.
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Pakistan says cross-Durand Line communities seek peace and stability
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.
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Pakistan’s Achakzai calls for freer movement across disputed Durand Line
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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