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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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Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan discuss cooperation on Afghanistan

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Ismatulla Irgashev, Special Representative of the President of Uzbekistan for Afghanistan, met on Tuesday with Beibut Atamkulov, Kazakhstan’s Ambassador to Uzbekistan, to discuss bilateral cooperation on Afghanistan.

The two sides highlighted their commitment to maintaining regular dialogue aimed at addressing the Afghan issue, according to a statement issued by Uzbekistan foreign ministry.

Atamkulov praised Uzbekistan’s efforts to help shape a unified regional position on Afghanistan.

The meeting also included discussions on involving Afghanistan in regional connectivity initiatives, particularly the implementation of the Trans-Afghan railway project.

Officials described the meeting as constructive and reaffirmed mutual interest in further developing practical cooperation between Tashkent and Astana.

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Pakistan, Kazakhstan stress importance of stability in Afghanistan, support regional projects

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Pakistan and Kazakhstan have highlighted the importance of peace and stability in Afghanistan, calling it a key requirement for advancing regional cooperation. The remarks came in a joint statement issued after Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s visit to Islamabad.

The two leaders stressed that Afghan territory must not be used for activities that threaten the security of other countries. They also agreed that integrating Afghanistan into regional economic and connectivity initiatives would benefit both the Afghan people and the wider region.

Islamabad and Astana reaffirmed their commitment to expanding international multimodal transport corridors linking the two countries, including the Kazakhstan–Turkmenistan–Afghanistan–Pakistan, Kazakhstan–Uzbekistan–Afghanistan–Pakistan, and Kazakhstan–Kyrgyzstan–China–Pakistan routes.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif welcomed President Tokayev’s proposal to link Central and South Asia through the Trans-Afghan railway corridor. Both sides instructed their relevant authorities to study the development of the Kazakhstan–Turkmenistan–Afghanistan–Pakistan railway line.

 

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US Justice Department to seek death penalty for Afghan suspect in National Guard shooting

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The U.S. Justice Department has announced that it intends to seek the death penalty for Rahmanullah Lakanwal, the man accused of shooting two members of the National Guard near the White House in November, an incident that left one guard member dead and another injured.

Lakanwal, who previously worked with U.S. agencies in Afghanistan before relocating to the United States in 2021, appeared in a federal court this week and pleaded not guilty to nine charges, including first-degree murder.

Prosecutors told the judge they are pursuing “death-eligible charges.”

According to U.S. court documents, Lakanwal is accused of traveling from Washington state to the capital, where he allegedly attacked the two National Guard officers.

A third guard member detained him shortly after the incident. One of the victims, Sarah Beckstrom, died a day later, while the second, Andrew Wolfe, remains under medical care.

Court filings claim Lakanwal had obtained a pistol shortly before the attack and had also purchased ammunition. Prosecutors say he conducted online searches related to Washington, D.C., before the shooting.

Lakanwal is scheduled to appear for his next court hearing in early May.

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