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Last week deadliest in 19 years for Afghan forces: ONSC
The National Security Council said Monday that last week was the deadliest of the past 19 years for the Afghan Security and Defence Forces.
Javid Faisal, a spokesman for the Office of the National Security Council (ONSC) tweeted that the Taliban militants have carried 422 attacks in 32 provinces, killing at least 291 Afghan forces.
“Taliban carried out 422 attacks in 32 provinces, martyring 291 ANDSF members and wounding 550 others,” said Javid.
The past week was the deadliest of the past 19 years. Taliban carried out 422 attacks in 32 provinces, martyring 291 ANDSF members and wounding 550 others. Taliban’s commitment to reduce violence is meaningless, and their actions inconsistent with their rhetoric on peace.
— Javid Faisal (@Javidfaisal) June 22, 2020
The official noted that the Taliban failed to fulfill its commitment in terms of reduction in violence.
“Taliban’s commitment to reduce violence is meaningless, and their actions inconsistent with their rhetoric on peace,” Faisal tweeted.
Faisal also noted in a separate tweet that at least 42 civilians, including women and children, were killed and 105 others were wounded in the violence Taliban committed across 18 provinces in the past one week.
In a bid to highlight the issue, the ONSC in a statement said that despite all Taliban’s commitments, and the Afghan government’s “goodwill and activities” the group has still “shed the blood of Muslim Afghans, failed in its commitments, and has shown no goodwill for peace.”
Meanwhile, the Security Council calls on the Taliban to stop the violence as soon as possible, saying that without a reduction in violence “reaching peace could be impossible.”
The Taliban militant group yet to comment on the matter.
It comes as the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Afghanistan Deborah Lyons met with Taliban deputy leader Mullah Baradar in Doha, the capital of Qatar.
.@DeborahLyonsUN had a cordial initial meeting in Doha with Mullah Baradar, Taliban deputy leader. The UN envoy for #Afghanistan highlighted the need for a just peace that was inclusive of all Afghans, including women, youth and minorities. pic.twitter.com/brIOE2aadS
— UNAMA News (@UNAMAnews) June 21, 2020
“The UN envoy for Afghanistan highlighted the need for a just peace that was inclusive of all Afghans, including women, youth, and minorities,” the UNAMA tweeted.
“Both sides talked about the release of the remaining prisoners and commencement of intra-Afghan negotiations…Also, avoidance of civilian casualties came under discussion,” Taliban’s political spokesman Sauhail Shaheen said.
A high-ranking Uzbek delegation comprising government officials and private sector representatives from the Republic of Karakalpakstan arrived in Kabul on Saturday to discuss the expansion of trade and economic cooperation with Afghanistan.
The delegation is headed by Amanbay Orinbayev, Chairman of the Supreme Council of Karakalpakstan.
According to a statement from the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, the delegation is expected to hold talks with Nooruddin Azizi, the Minister of Industry and Commerce, focusing on strengthening bilateral trade and economic relations.
The ministry said the visiting delegation will also participate in trade connectivity meetings and business-to-business sessions aimed at enhancing commercial cooperation between the two sides.
As part of the visit, the Uzbek delegation is also scheduled to travel to Balkh province, where members will attend additional trade meetings and inaugurate an exhibition showcasing Uzbekistan’s domestic products.
Hamid Karzai, former president of Afghanistan, has expressed concern over recent developments along the Durand Line, saying Pakistan has increased military and economic pressure on villages and residents living near the line.
In a statement, Karzai said the apparent purpose of these pressures is to push residents of Durand Line areas to seek help from Pakistani institutions for resolving security and other local issues.
He added that, amid this situation, some tribal elders from both sides of the Durand Line recently signed documents described as “peace agreements,” which were later officially welcomed by Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
According to Karzai, these developments amount to an effort by Pakistan to legitimize the Durand Line and represent an action against Afghanistan’s national sovereignty.
The former Afghan president also urged the relevant Afghan authorities to provide the public with a clear explanation regarding the recent agreements and developments along the Durand Line.
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SAARC failure pushes Pakistan toward trilateral ties with Afghanistan, China, Bangladesh: Dar
Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar has said that the failure of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) is pushing Pakistan toward exploring trilateral cooperation frameworks involving Afghanistan, China, and Bangladesh.
Speaking at the South Asian Federation of Accountants (SAFA) Conference in Lahore on Friday, Dar said SAARC has “unfortunately not been able to kick off,” limiting regional economic integration and cooperation.
He said Pakistan is now looking at alternative regional arrangements to strengthen economic connectivity and trade, including trilateral formats such as China–Pakistan–Afghanistan and China–Pakistan–Bangladesh.
Dar stressed that South Asia cannot remain in “isolation,” noting that the region, home to nearly two billion people, is missing significant economic opportunities due to weak cooperation among neighbouring countries.
The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) was established in 1985 to promote economic and regional integration among South Asian countries, including Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.
The organisation was designed to encourage cooperation in areas such as trade, development, education, and cultural exchange. However, in recent years, SAARC’s effectiveness has been significantly limited due to political tensions between member states, particularly between India and Pakistan, leading to stalled summits and reduced regional engagement.
As a result, regional economic cooperation in South Asia has largely remained underdeveloped compared to other regional blocs around the world.
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