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NDS chief claims Taliban has reneged on its accord with US
Ahmad Zia Saraj, head of the National Directorate of Security (NDS), told a Wolesi Jirga (Lower House of Parliament) session on Monday that the Taliban has not cut its ties with “foreign terrorists” nor has the group reduced levels of violence as per the US-Taliban agreement signed in February last year.
Saraj along with Interior Minister Massoud Andarabi were both summoned to answer questions put to them by MPs on the security situation in the country.
Discussing the Taliban, Saraj said the group has focused on targeted killings, especially against civil society activists and journalists.
According to Saraj, suspects involved in five of the last eight attacks, have been arrested and three attacks on journalists had been foiled.
The NDS chief said RDX was being used in most magnetic IEDs, but that ammonium nitrate and potassium chloride were also being used.
In his answers to the Wolesi Jirga, Andarabi said a new unit of the security forces comprised of Afghan police, Afghan army and the NDS has been established to focus solely on militant activities.
He said a trial of this new unit has been launched in Farah and the unit’s activities will be boosted by summer.
According to Andarabi, a number of Taliban attacks have been thwarted in the south of the country and at least 1,000 Taliban fighters were killed in Helmand and Kandahar in recent months.
Andarabi said that the Taliban is conducting targeted attacks to create attention in the media and affect people’s trust in the government.
Andarabi also warned that the Taliban is preparing for a full-scale campaign for the next fighting season.
This comes after the Taliban on Monday accused the United States of violating its agreement with the group by conducting airstrikes against them.
However, US Forces Afghanistan spokesman Sonny Leggett rejected the claim and said: “US Forces have been clear and consistent. We will defend Afghan forces against (Taliban) attacks. We renew our call for all sides to reduce violence,” he said.
“The Taliban’s campaign of unclaimed attacks and targeted killings of government officials, civil society leaders and journalists must also cease for peace to succeed,” he added.
Hundreds of former U.S. officials are calling on Washington to cancel a reported plan to relocate Afghan refugees from Qatar to the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
In an open letter addressed to the U.S. State Department, more than 600 former civilian and military officials, along with around 100 organizations, urged the administration to stop the proposed transfer. The letter was sent to Marco Rubio.
The signatories argue that the Afghan nationals in question were brought to Qatar by the United States to complete legal immigration procedures after undergoing extensive security vetting. The letter states that while the individuals were cleared for resettlement in the United States, they are now being considered for relocation to Congo, a country for which they were never screened.
“Those individuals were vetted and approved for the United States, not for the Democratic Republic of the Congo,” the letter reads.
According to the report, more than 1,100 Afghan allies and their family members are currently being held at Camp As Sayliyah in Qatar under U.S. supervision. Around 800 of them have already completed all security checks and received authorization to travel to the United States. More than half are women and children, and many have remained in transit limbo for over 15 months.
The situation has drawn criticism from former officials and policy observers, who describe the proposed relocation as a betrayal of Afghan allies who supported U.S. missions and risked their lives during the war in Afghanistan. Critics also warn that the move could damage U.S. credibility with future partners.
Several members of the U.S. Congress had previously expressed opposition to the proposal, cautioning that it could significantly undermine trust in the United States among its allies.
Asif Durrani, Pakistan’s former special envoy for Afghanistan, has said that no country should interfere in Afghanistan’s internal affairs, stressing that it is up to Afghans themselves to bring about any change in their country.
In a post on X, Durrani said Afghans should be “left to their own devices” and that they would eventually “find the way out” of their challenges.
However, he warned that instability inside Afghanistan could have negative consequences for neighbouring countries, adding that Afghan leaders and their supporters should take responsibility to address such risks.
Durrani described his remarks as a simple expression of goodwill and best wishes for the Afghan people and their future.
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Uzbekistan and Japan discuss joint projects for Afghanistan’s socio-economic development
The Special Representative of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan for Afghanistan, Ismatulla Irgashev, has met with Tetsuya Yamada, Director General of the South Asia Department at the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), to discuss cooperation on Afghanistan-related development projects.
According to Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, both sides focused on the implementation of joint initiatives aimed at supporting the socio-economic development of Afghanistan.
During the meeting, the Japanese side praised Uzbekistan’s “pragmatic approach” toward Afghanistan, as well as the infrastructure developed in the border city of Termez.
Japan also expressed interest in utilizing the Termez facilities for future humanitarian and development projects in Afghanistan, particularly in the fields of education, healthcare, agriculture, private sector development, and counter-narcotics efforts.
Both sides emphasized that such cooperation is aimed at improving the living conditions and overall well-being of the Afghan people.
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