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Ghani meets with top US general to discuss peace process
President Ashraf Ghani met with US Central Command chief, General Kenneth F. McKenzie on Tuesday in Kabul for talks on security issues.
According to the Presidential Palace, ARG, Ghani, and McKenzie discussed the peace process, the security situation, support for the Afghan security and defense forces and strengthening of the joint security partnership.
McKenzie also reassured Ghani of the US’s continued support and cooperation.
(۱/۴) د افغانستان د اسلامي جمهوریت جمهوررئیس محمداشرف غني نن ماسپښين د امریکا د پوځ د مرکزي قومندانۍ قومندان جنرال مک کینزي سره په ارګ کې، وکتل. pic.twitter.com/pvbifqt02Q
— ارگ (@ARG_AFG) July 14, 2020
“I am here to reassure you and the people of Afghanistan that the support and cooperation of the United States is in place for the peace, development, and security of Afghanistan, and we will continue to support you,” he said.
He also said the US would not let Afghanistan become a safe haven for insurgent groups.
This comes after McKenzie said in June that the US military was ahead of a timetable to bring the total number of troops in Afghanistan down to about 8,600, as negotiated with the Taliban.
However, he said he did not see the second part of the drawdown schedule being on time.
He said at the time: “We also agreed that in May of 2021, if conditions will allow, we’re prepared to go to zero,” adding that those conditions would depend on whether the US could be assured that attacks against the United States will not be generated in Afghanistan.
“Frankly, if you were to ask me my opinion, those conditions have not been fully met. So we’ll continue to work that,” McKenzie said last month.
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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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