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Danish warns against interim govt that ‘might lead to collapse of system’
No peace plan should lead to the collapse of the Republic system and the abolition of the Constitution, Second Vice President Sarwar Danish said on Thursday.
Speaking at an event to mark the 26th death anniversary of Abdul Ali Mazari, Danish said that any plan for an interim and participatory government without holding elections would be a doomed plan.
Danish said plans proposed should be within the current political system and within the Constitution.
“The government emphasizes that, firstly, no plan should be proposed in the absence of the Afghan government and without considering our national interests and only based on the wishes of foreigners; and secondly, any plan should be proposed while maintaining the political system and the Constitution of the country.”
He also said any plan should not put the government and political system at risk of collapsing nor should it threaten the Constitution.
He said “therefore we consider the plan of an interim government as a kind of setback which will cause the current system to collapse,” said Danish.
“Peace with dignity and permanence is important. The people of Afghanistan want a peace that preserves the dignity and authority of the country and does not mean the collapse of the current system.
“The Taliban group demands allegiance from us, but we do not accept such a request and we do not pledge allegiance to anyone,” said Mohammad Mohaqiq, Presidential Palace (ARG) senior adviser.
Former vice president Yunus Qanooni also addressed the event and said that Washington wants to change the format of the talks in order to speed up the peace process.
“The format of the negotiations should change in order to expedite the peace efforts and ensure enduring peace in the country. Afghan peace process requires consensus within Afghanistan, in the region and in the international community,” Qanooni said.
These remarks come as US Special Envoy for Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad left Kabul on Thursday after a three-day visit to discuss various alternatives and options in a bid to get the peace process moving forward.
Officials who met with Khalilzad over the past few days have said that among the options proposed by Khalilzad is an international summit that includes Afghan leaders, Taliban representatives and members of the foreign community, including Iran and Pakistan.
They also said it was suggested that such a meeting be mediated by the UN and held in another country.
Khalilzad meanwhile arrived in Doha on Thursday and immediately met with members of the Afghan Republic’s negotiating team.
According to one team member, Fawzia Kofi, a number of talks team members discussed the “various dimensions of the peace process and the subsequent stages of that process.
“I once again stressed the importance of the presence and undeniable role of women and the new generation of Afghanistan in this process,” she said.
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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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