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China, Russia, US reach consensus on Afghanistan issue
The representatives of China, Russia and the United States on Thursday reached consensus on various aspects of the Afghanistan issue including humanitarian situation and anti-terrorism efforts, Reuters reported.
At the extended meeting of the China-U.S.-Russia consultation mechanism held in Islamabad, Pakistan, Chinese Special Envoy for Afghan affairs of the Chinese Foreign Ministry Yue Xiaoyong, Russian Special Presidential Representative for Afghanistan Zamir Kabulov, and U.S. Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Thomas West discussed the current situation in Afghanistan.
Afghan acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi attended the meeting at the head of an Afghan delegation, Reuters reported.
Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said all parties would like to see a “peaceful, stable, prosperous and sovereign unified and independent Afghanistan.” To maintain engagement with the Afghan interim government will help consolidate peace and stability, promote the sustainable economic development, and counter terror activities carried out inside and outside Afghanistan, he said.
According to a statement released by the Pakistani Foreign Ministry following the meeting, the three representatives expressed concern over the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan and called on the international community and the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan [IEA] to take measures to prevent the further deterioration of the humanitarian situation.
According to Reuters they also agreed to continue their pragmatic contacts with the IEA and called on the IEA to develop friendly relations with neighboring countries, completely cut off ties with all terrorist organizations and fulfill their commitment to prevent terrorist groups from using Afghan soil to attack neighboring countries and other countries.
Meanwhile, U.S. Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Thomas West said that parties reaffirmed centrality of IEA fulfilling terrorism commitments, working with fellow Afghans on inclusive governance, and protecting the rights of all Afghans, especially women and girls.
“We are all focused on deteriorating humanitarian situation and meeting urgent needs, including to support UN scaling up. The international community must speak with one voice and act with common purpose.” West tweeted.
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Khalilzad warns Pakistan-Afghanistan tensions likely to worsen after fresh airstrikes
Former U.S. special representative for Afghanistan reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad has warned that the latest Pakistani airstrikes in Afghanistan and recent violence inside Pakistan are part of a wider crisis, saying he sees no indication that the situation is about to change.
In a post on X on Thursday, Khalilzad described the Pakistani airstrikes that have killed Afghan civilians and the increasing use of force against civilians in Pakistan as “interconnected tragedies,” implying both effected by Pakistan’s establishment.
“Unfortunately, I do not see any signs of change,” Khalilzad said, adding that current indicators suggested the use of force against Pakistanis would “likely get worse” in the coming days.
His comments came after Pakistan carried out a new wave of airstrikes inside Afghanistan overnight Thursday, saying it had targeted 10 locations used to launch and store drones.
Pakistani Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said the strikes were conducted in response to drones launched from Afghan territory a day earlier and described them as “deliberate, precise, calibrated and proportionate.”
Afghan officials said the strikes killed four civilians. The attacks reportedly hit locations including Kandahar, Khost and Paktia provinces. Afghanistan’s Islamic Emirate authorities have denied launching the drones cited by Pakistan and have condemned the strikes.
The latest attacks follow Pakistani airstrikes earlier this week in Kunar and Paktika. Pakistan said those operations killed 28 militants, while the United Nations confirmed that three Afghan civilians — a man, a woman and a girl — were killed, with four others injured.
The renewed airstrikes come amid a sharp deterioration in relations between Kabul and Islamabad. Pakistan has accused Afghanistan of allowing militant groups, including the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), to operate from its territory and launch attacks inside Pakistan.
Afghan authorities reject the allegations and say militancy inside Pakistan is an internal issue.
Khalilzad has previously called for a change in Pakistan’s strategy toward both its internal security problems and Afghanistan.
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Afghanistan summons Pakistani chargé d’affaires over latest airstrikes
Afghanistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned Pakistan’s chargé d’affaires to Kabul and lodged a strong protest against the violation of Afghan airspace and Pakistani military airstrikes on several Afghan provinces.
The ministry handed the Pakistani diplomat a formal protest note following the attacks on Kandahar, Paktia and Khost provinces on Wednesday night, which reportedly caused civilian casualties.
The Islamic Emirate strongly condemned the strikes, calling them a violation of Afghanistan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and contrary to Islamic, international, humanitarian and good-neighborly principles.
The ministry also rejected what it called baseless claims that Afghan territory was being used as a source of Pakistan’s recent security incidents.
It said using such claims to justify military action was an attempt to distort facts, mislead public opinion and conceal Pakistan’s internal failures.
The Islamic Emirate further accused Pakistan’s military leadership of avoiding commitments made to regional countries and warned that such actions could further escalate tensions in the region.
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Museum dedicated to preserving ‘Jihadi’ artefacts opens in Kandahar
The museum’s collection includes more than 100 items gathered from different locations.
A museum dedicated to preserving what Afghan authorities describe as “Jihadi artefacts” has officially opened in Kandahar, with officials saying more than 100 items have so far been collected for display.
Mufti Mohammad Tahir Ahmad, Director General for the Preservation of Jihadi Artefacts at the Ministry of Information and Culture, attended the inauguration ceremony alongside Qari Ahmadullah Saeed Khosti, Director of Registration for Jihadi Artefacts and Documents.
Mufti Inamullah Samangani, head of the Kandahar Information and Culture Department, and officials from several government departments also attended the ceremony.
According to the official responsible for preserving the artefacts in Kandahar, the museum’s collection includes more than 100 items gathered from different locations.
The collection includes weapons that officials say were captured from British, Soviet and US forces, as well as personal belongings and other items associated with people killed during Afghanistan’s conflicts over the past two decades.
Officials said efforts to collect additional artefacts would continue in order to expand the museum’s collection.
The museum is now open to visitors, according to the officials.
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