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Khalilzad calls on Afghan leaders on both sides to embrace peace
United States peace envoy Zalmay Khalilzad said Thursday, on the first day of Eid-up-Fitr that Afghan leaders on both sides must embrace peace and to put the past behind them.
He noted that Eid is a time to reflect and think about how to go about constructing a better collective future.
“I urge Afghan leaders on both sides to embrace peace. In the spirit of Eid, this should include a firm commitment and a public promise to refrain from any acts of vengeance related to the divisions of the past,” Khalilzad said in a series of tweets.
Khalilzad further tweeted that: “Instead, commit to come together in brotherhood, so that all energy and all talents of the nation can be focused without fear, on the building of a better society.”
“Unrelenting violence has convulsed Afghanistan for over two generations. Citizens live in fear, anxious of when and what the next attack will bring,” Khalilzad added.
Khalilzad also said that now is the opportunity to make peace.
“While overcoming decades of mistrust and anger between warring parties is not easy, to make peace now is the only ethical and the only practical way forward,” he tweeted.
His comment comes at a time while both sides are observing a three-day ceasefire over Eid across the country.
Zalmay Khalilzad, the former US special representative for Afghanistan, has questioned Pakistan’s commitment to the welfare of the Afghan people, citing Islamabad’s policies over the past three decades.
Khalilzad said in a post on X that Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif advocated for the rights of Afghan women during his speech at the UN General Assembly on Friday.
Sharif said: “Fundamental rights of the Afghan people — especially women and girls — must be respected.”
Responding to the remarks, Khalilzad said Pakistan’s policies over the past 30 years raise questions about Sharif’s commitment to Afghan welfare.
He cited Pakistan’s support for militant groups against US forces and what he described as the poor treatment of Afghan refugees as examples.
Khalilzad also said Afghanistan and Pakistan need and should have much better relations, adding that “a reset is necessary.”
India’s Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri met with the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, Rabab Fatima, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.
Indian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a post on X that Misri underscored the need to keep addressing the humanitarian needs of the Afghan people as a priority.
Misri also appreciated the role of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) and reaffirmed India’s continued cooperation with the United Nations on Afghanistan.
The meeting comes as Afghanistan continues to face humanitarian and economic challenges, with international agencies warning of significant needs among the Afghan population.
Kazakhstan’s Foreign Minister Mukhtar Tileuberdi has called for pragmatic and coordinated international engagement with Afghanistan, saying the country’s long-term stability is closely linked to the security and sustainable development of Central Asia.
Speaking during the general debate of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Friday, Tileuberdi said humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan remains essential but alone cannot break the cycle of poverty, displacement and dependency.
He said Kazakhstan supports a “pragmatic, coordinated and step-by-step” approach to international engagement with Afghanistan, with the United Nations playing a central role.
Tileuberdi also said Kazakhstan is working with the UN to operationalize the United Nations Regional Centre for the Sustainable Development Goals for Central Asia and Afghanistan in Almaty.
He said the success of the centre should be measured by the results and assistance it delivers to the region.
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