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Ghani says Pakistan not in favor of an Islamic Emirate
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani said on Thursday that Pakistan’s Army Chief of Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa told him this week that the revival of an Islamic Emirate in Afghanistan was not in Pakistan’s interest.
“Pakistan’s Army Chief of Staff has made it clear that reviving the Islamic Emirate in Afghanistan is not in Pakistan’s national interest,” Ghani said.
After Eid prayers at the Presidential Palace on Thursday, Ghani addressed the nation and called on the Taliban to seize the current peace process opportunity and end the war.
He said the withdrawal of foreign troops was presenting the biggest chance for peace and he called on the Taliban not to miss this historic opportunity.
According to him, the war has cost the country $1 billion so far.
Calling on the Taliban, he said: “What is your message? Why are you destroying the districts? Show me a district that the Taliban is in full control of and has built something.”
Ghani also said in response to the Eid message from Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada that: “Mr. Hibatullah, before sending a message [for people to surrender], look at the history of this nation [which never surrenders].”
Ghani also told the Taliban to make a choice as violence is not the solution.
“The Taliban must make a choice, because our choice is that the only solution to the country’s problem is political compromise and war cannot solve the problem,” Ghani said.
Ghani further added that: “The beauty of a republican system is that every president is outgoing. Our condition is elections; as soon as you want, my colleagues and I are ready not to stand in elections and to listen to the will of the nation.”
He also assured the nation that cooperation by the international community will be better and more regulated once troops have withdrawn.
“Be sure that international cooperation will be better and more efficiently regulated. Regional consensus is accelerating to consolidate Afghanistan’s key role in the Heart of Asia,” Ghani added.
On Afghanistan’s foreign policy, Ghani said, in future, all decisions on “our security and regional relations will be made based on the national interests.
“I have always said that we have neither permanent enemies nor permanent friends, because only our national interests are permanent,” Ghani said.
Ghani also said that after every darkness there will be a bright future.
“Our state of mind is a state of national grief. The blood of our martyrs, especially Sayed Al-Shuhada School, Logar, Kunar, Zabul, Arghandab and all the families of the victims of Afghanistan are in our thoughts, but God’s will is that light shines after every darkness,” he said.
During Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to New Delhi, India and Russia issued a joint statement highlighting their close coordination on Afghanistan. Both sides appreciated the ongoing dialogue between their respective Security Councils and underscored the significance of the Moscow Format meetings in promoting regional stability.
The leaders welcomed counter-terrorism efforts targeting international terrorist groups, including ISIS, ISKP, and their affiliates, expressing confidence in a comprehensive and effective approach to combating terrorism in Afghanistan. They also stressed the urgent need to ensure uninterrupted humanitarian assistance to the Afghan people.
India and Russia have maintained close ties on regional security, particularly concerning developments in Afghanistan following the Islamic Emirate’s return to power in 2021. The Moscow Format, a diplomatic platform including Afghanistan’s neighbors, has played a key role in facilitating dialogue on peace, stability, and counter-terrorism in the region.
Five civilians were killed and five others wounded in firing by Pakistani troops on Spin Boldak district of Kandahar province late on Friday, sources told Ariana News.
The attack comes two days after a new round of peace talks between Afghanistan and Pakistan reportedly ended without a breakthrough, though both sides agreed to continue their fragile ceasefire.
The recent talks in Saudi Arabia were the latest in a series of meetings hosted by Qatar, Turkey and Saudi Arabia aimed at easing tensions after deadly clashes near the Durand Line in October. Dozens were killed in the clashes in October.
Islamabad claims that Afghanistan-based militants carried out the recent attacks in Pakistan. Kabul denies the allegations, saying it cannot be held responsible for security inside Pakistan.
Zabihullah Mujahid, spokesman for the Islamic Emirate, said Afghan forces had responded to the recent Pakistani attacks.
Pakistani Foreign Ministry spokesman Tahir Hussain Andrabi says both Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Sadyr Japarov, the President of Kyrgyzstan, who visited Islamabad on Thursday, expressed their mutual commitment to a peaceful, stable Afghanistan with a sustainable future for the Afghan people.
Speaking in a press conference on Friday, Andrabi stated that both sides agreed that the Islamic Emirate must fulfill its obligations toward the international community and take concrete steps against terrorist groups to address Pakistan’s legitimate security concerns.
This comes while the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan has repeatedly emphasized that no terrorist groups operate from Afghan territory and that it will not allow anyone to use Afghan soil against any country.
The Islamic Emirate has also stated that Pakistan’s security concerns are an internal issue of that country, and Pakistan itself must take measures to prevent any security incidents.
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