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Ghani ‘refuses’ to meet with Khalilzad to discuss interim govt

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US Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad flew out of Kabul on Tuesday night without having met with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, sources confirmed Wednesday.

Khalilzad, who spent just one day in the Afghan capital did however meet with high profile political figures to reportedly discuss the establishment of an interim government.

However, sources claimed Ghani wanted no part in such discussions with the US envoy.

Khalilzad reportedly met with former president Hamid Karzai, former jihadi leader Abdul Rab Rasul Sayyaf, the chairman of the High Council for National Reconciliation Abdullah Abdullah; the National Security Adviser Hamdullah Mohib and the Foreign Minister Haneef Atmar.

Sahyed Ishaq Gailani, a senior adviser to the High Council for National Reconciliation told Ariana News that Khalilzad’s aim was to discuss the establishment of an interim government but he said Ghani was opposed to discussing the issue with the US envoy.

“Mr. Khalilzad arrived in Kabul with a message of interim government which is a good message for the Afghan people, but the President did not give him time,” Gailani said.

However, Juma Khan Achakzai, one of Ghani’s advisers, said the President’s failure to meet with Khalilzad was not because of the issue of an interim government but rather because he had been otherwise engaged.

“The President was busy with some government work, and Khalilzad met with the security council adviser and foreign minister, and they conveyed Khalilzad’s message to the President.”

Earlier, a member of the government’s negotiating team said the focus of the talks going forward would be on the division of power, which may lead to a change in the structure of power in the country.

Peace talks resumed in Doha on Wednesday night between the Afghan negotiating team and the Taliban after a three week break. Khalilzad meanwhile is currently on a tour of the region and will also visit Qatar as he resumes efforts to push for peace in Afghanistan.

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Pakistan says cross-Durand Line communities seek peace and stability

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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.

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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

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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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