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Delay in intra-Afghan talks provides opportunities for spoilers: Khalilzad
Zalmay Khalilzad, the US Special Representative for Afghanistan, stressed that delay in the start of intra-Afghan talks could “provides opportunities for spoilers.”
Apparently, the conditions have not yet been set for the start of the Afghan talks. As Zalmay Khalilzad, the US special envoy for peace in Afghanistan has expressed concern about the delay.
Khalilzad, in a video call with President Ghani and Abdullah Abdullah, the head of the High National Reconciliation Council, emphasized that remaining issues surrounding the start of intra-Afghan negotiations should be resolved as soon as possible.
“On peace, we emphasized the immediate step is to rapidly resolve the remaining issues surrounding the start of intra-Afghan negotiations. Delay provides opportunities for spoilers,” Khalilzad tweeted.
4/4 On peace we emphasized the immediate step is to rapidly resolve the remaining issues surrounding the start of intra-Afghan negotiations. Delay provides opportunities for spoilers.
— U.S. Special Representative Zalmay Khalilzad (@US4AfghanPeace) July 3, 2020
“People can no longer tolerate insecurity and killings. Taliban and government leaders need to think about peace,” said Wali Safi, another Kabul resident.
One of the differences in starting negotiations between the Afghans is the Afghan government’s opposition to the release of a number of Taliban prisoners, as well as an increase in Taliban attacks.
“As soon as possible, the prisoners should be released and negotiations between the Afghans should begin,” said Sayed Akbar Agha, a former Taliban commander.
Meanwhile, at the same time as reports of the withdrawal of half of the US troops from Afghanistan, the Defense Committee of the US House of Representatives voted in favor of a bill that would condition the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan.
Some former US officials have said that Donald Trump will keep 4,000 troops in Afghanistan until the end of the US election.
US Senator Rand Paul said, “You know I think we have been at war too long and too many places. The Afghan war is now 19 years old… the war has gone on too long, and I don’t think we have a military mission.”
Intra-Afghan talks are expected to take place in Doha this month. But before that, about 20 countries are scheduled to meet to discuss peace in Afghanistan.
A high-ranking Uzbek delegation comprising government officials and private sector representatives from the Republic of Karakalpakstan arrived in Kabul on Saturday to discuss the expansion of trade and economic cooperation with Afghanistan.
The delegation is headed by Amanbay Orinbayev, Chairman of the Supreme Council of Karakalpakstan.
According to a statement from the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, the delegation is expected to hold talks with Nooruddin Azizi, the Minister of Industry and Commerce, focusing on strengthening bilateral trade and economic relations.
The ministry said the visiting delegation will also participate in trade connectivity meetings and business-to-business sessions aimed at enhancing commercial cooperation between the two sides.
As part of the visit, the Uzbek delegation is also scheduled to travel to Balkh province, where members will attend additional trade meetings and inaugurate an exhibition showcasing Uzbekistan’s domestic products.
Hamid Karzai, former president of Afghanistan, has expressed concern over recent developments along the Durand Line, saying Pakistan has increased military and economic pressure on villages and residents living near the line.
In a statement, Karzai said the apparent purpose of these pressures is to push residents of Durand Line areas to seek help from Pakistani institutions for resolving security and other local issues.
He added that, amid this situation, some tribal elders from both sides of the Durand Line recently signed documents described as “peace agreements,” which were later officially welcomed by Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
According to Karzai, these developments amount to an effort by Pakistan to legitimize the Durand Line and represent an action against Afghanistan’s national sovereignty.
The former Afghan president also urged the relevant Afghan authorities to provide the public with a clear explanation regarding the recent agreements and developments along the Durand Line.
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SAARC failure pushes Pakistan toward trilateral ties with Afghanistan, China, Bangladesh: Dar
Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar has said that the failure of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) is pushing Pakistan toward exploring trilateral cooperation frameworks involving Afghanistan, China, and Bangladesh.
Speaking at the South Asian Federation of Accountants (SAFA) Conference in Lahore on Friday, Dar said SAARC has “unfortunately not been able to kick off,” limiting regional economic integration and cooperation.
He said Pakistan is now looking at alternative regional arrangements to strengthen economic connectivity and trade, including trilateral formats such as China–Pakistan–Afghanistan and China–Pakistan–Bangladesh.
Dar stressed that South Asia cannot remain in “isolation,” noting that the region, home to nearly two billion people, is missing significant economic opportunities due to weak cooperation among neighbouring countries.
The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) was established in 1985 to promote economic and regional integration among South Asian countries, including Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.
The organisation was designed to encourage cooperation in areas such as trade, development, education, and cultural exchange. However, in recent years, SAARC’s effectiveness has been significantly limited due to political tensions between member states, particularly between India and Pakistan, leading to stalled summits and reduced regional engagement.
As a result, regional economic cooperation in South Asia has largely remained underdeveloped compared to other regional blocs around the world.
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