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Both sides to conflict gear up for Moscow peace summit
Sources from the High Council for National Reconciliation and Sapedar Palace confirmed on Monday that the Afghanistan government delegation, led by Abdullah Abdullah, chairman of the High Council for National Reconciliation, will attend the Moscow summit this week.
So far no further details on the number of delegates nor their identities have been revealed.
Taliban also confirmed that a delegation from their side will attend the summit.
Mohammad Naeem, a Taliban spokesman said that a 10-member delegation, led by Mullah Baradar, will attend the Moscow meeting this week on the Afghan peace process.
The announcement of Abdullah’s attendance came just met minutes after Zalmay Khalilzad, the US special envoy for peace in Afghanistan, arrived at Abdullah’s office for a meeting.
Doha meeting
Earlier Monday, US and Qatari officials met with the Taliban’s deputy leader in Doha.
Khalilzad, and Qatar Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani on Monday met with Baradar, said Mohammad Naeem, a Taliban spokesman.
This comes after Turkey and Russia said that they are willing to host meetings on peace.
According to Naeem, the implementation of the Doha deal was discussed at the meeting.
“The implementation of the Doha agreement, the current situation of Afghanistan and the ongoing process of the Intra-Afghan negotiations” were discussed at the meeting, added Naeem.
Close sources to the Taliban meanwhile said that rotating of peace talks from Doha to Istanbul was also discussed.
“Moving talks to Turkey, has caused concern in Qatar. But Khalilzad and Mullah Baradar assure Qatari people that key decisions will be made in Qatar,” said Sayed Akbar Agha, a former Taliban member.
Afghan politicians meanwhile say Taliban had gained in strength since the US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, sent a letter to President Ashraf Ghani and Abdullah about forming an interim government and holding a meeting in Turkey.
“Taliban has been accepted as a strong power in Afghanistan, they lead one side of the peace process, Taliban are doing things consciously,” said Wais Nasari, a political analyst.
Meanwhile, Afghanistan’s ambassador to the United Arab Emirates Javid Ahmad, said that Afghan peace talks in Doha should be rotated to other venues.
Ahmad told Reuters peace talks should not be held in one fixed location, but rotated among venues in Europe, Asia, the Middle East or Afghanistan itself.
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Afghanistan says Pakistani military post destroyed near Spin Boldak
Afghanistan’s Ministry of Defense says a Pakistani military post near Spin Boldak was targeted and destroyed after Pakistani forces opened fire toward Afghanistan.
Ministry spokesperson Enayatullah Khwarazmi said in a post on X that Afghan forces suffered no casualties or damage in the clash.
Khwarazmi also rejected claims made by the Pakistani side about the incident, describing them as “propaganda.”
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Mujahid: Pakistan attacking Afghanistan to evade Mecca Pact responsibilities
He warned that the Islamic Emirate would give an “appropriate response” to what he called the Pakistani military regime’s “bullying.”
Islamic Emirate spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid has accused Pakistan of carrying out attacks on Afghanistan to divert attention from its domestic problems and to evade responsibilities under the “Mecca Pact.”
Speaking at a religious seminary in Kandahar, Mujahid said Pakistan was facing political and economic challenges at home and was using attacks on Afghanistan to shift public attention away from protests and its internal problems.
“Pakistan, by violating the territory of its neighboring Islamic country, wants to divert attention from its failures,” he said.
Mujahid also criticized Pakistan’s political situation, claiming that political space had been restricted and that freedoms guaranteed under the country’s laws were not being allowed.
He said Pakistan’s economic problems had also increased significantly and accused the country of seeking to distract the public from those problems by engaging in conflict with Afghanistan.
Mujahid further accused Pakistan’s military leadership of putting the Pakistani people at risk through what he described as its “false position.”
He warned that the Islamic Emirate would give an “appropriate response” to what he called the Pakistani military regime’s “bullying.”
His remarks followed Pakistani airstrikes on Kandahar, Paktia and Khost provinces on Thursday, which Afghan authorities said killed four civilians.
The strikes came three days after attacks on Kunar and Paktika provinces, in which Afghan authorities said three civilians were killed.
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Kabul rejects U.S. claim that meth seized in Pakistan was of Afghan origin
Balkhi said the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) has imposed an absolute ban on the production, trafficking and use of all types of narcotics in Afghanistan.
Afghanistan’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Abdul Qahar Balkhi has rejected a U.S. claim that 463 kilograms of synthetic drugs seized in Pakistan were of Afghan origin, calling the attribution “unfounded and politically motivated.”
Balkhi said the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad should investigate the origin of the seized drugs in Pakistan rather than attributing them to Afghanistan.
“The attribution by the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad of the synthetic drugs bound for Sri Lanka and intercepted in Pakistan through joint U.S.-Pakistani efforts as ‘Afghan-origin’ is an unfounded and politically motivated allegation,” Balkhi said.
He said the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) has imposed an absolute ban on the production, trafficking and use of all types of narcotics in Afghanistan.
Balkhi also claimed that following the ban in Afghanistan, the cultivation, production and trafficking of narcotics have increased “on the other side of the Durand Line.”
He further argued that Afghanistan does not have the capacity to produce synthetic drugs and said crossing points along the Durand Line have been completely closed to all movement for nearly a year.
His remarks came after the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad said U.S. and Pakistani anti-narcotics authorities had seized 463 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine worth an estimated $21 million and bound for Sri Lanka.
The embassy said the operation led to multiple arrests and highlighted ongoing U.S. cooperation and training with Pakistani authorities to disrupt international drug-trafficking networks.
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