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Pakistan and IEA must ‘persevere’ to achieve shared goals, says Kakar
Pakistan’s caretaker prime minister Anwar-ul-Haq Kakar has asked the Islamic Emirate to work together with Islamabad to strengthen bilateral relations.
In a letter to the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan’s (IEA) prime minister Mullah Hasan Akhund, Kakar said Pakistan enjoys close fraternal relations with Afghanistan which are rooted in commonalities of religion, culture and history.
“We are neighbours and brothers. I remain fully committed to further strengthen these relations across the entire gamut of our bilateral ties, particularly in political, security, economic and cultural domains,” he wrote.
Kakar also stated that enhanced regional trade and connectivity remains vital for the prosperity of both countries.
“We must work assiduously to achieve these shared goals,” he said.
This comes after Kakar on Saturday ruled out a perception that the IEA is not listening to Islamabad’s concerns.
“I don’t think that there is a perception that the Taliban (IEA) is not listening to Pakistan, neither there is any such thing Pakistan has some special demand related to the Taliban (IEA),” he said in an interview with the Voice of America Urdu (VOA Urdu).
When asked whether there were any options for strikes and drone attacks in Afghanistan were on the cards given the growing threat from Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), he said: “Pakistan has the right to defence. Wherever we will feel the need for action to protect our land and people, we will take it.”
“I will not go into specifics of the operational decisions that Pakistan can take. But when the need arises due to this threat, we will take decisions accordingly,” he added.
Pakistani officials have repeatedly claimed that the Afghan soil is used in attacks against Pakistan. IEA, however, has denied this and asked Pakistan to look for solutions inside their own territory.
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Armed attack on civilians in Daikundi-Ghor area sparks international reactions
Daesh-affiliated members' armed attack on civilians in an area between Daikundi and Ghor provinces has provoked international reactions. In this attack, 14 civilians were killed.
The United Nations has condemned the attack on Hazara community and described it as "heinous".
UNAMA has urged the Islamic Emirate to identify the perpetrators of this attack.
Karen Decker, Chargé d'Affaires of the US Mission to Afghanistan, has also strongly condemned the attack and expressed her condolences to victims and their families.
The Embassy of Japan in Afghanistan also condemned the attack in a post on X and called it “heinous terrorist attack”.
IEA’s spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid confirmed on Friday that 14 civilians were killed in an attack in an area between Daikundi and Ghor provinces.
Daesh claimed responsibility for the attack.
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US aid to Afghanistan should be conditioned on treatment of women and children: McCaul
McCaul also said that by not including the Afghan government in the Doha negotiations, Zalmay Khalilzad, the former US special representative for Afghanistan peace, made a big error.
Michael McCaul, Republican chair of the US House Foreign Affairs Committee, has said that any aid or assistance Washington gives to Afghanistan has to be conditioned on treatment of women and children.
In an interview with the Voice of America, McCaul said that girls in Afghanistan should be allowed to go to school and enjoy their fundemental rights.
Referring to the restrictions against women, he said that Afghanistan has now returned to the "Stone Age".
McCaul also said that by not including the Afghan government in the Doha negotiations, Zalmay Khalilzad, the former US special representative for Afghanistan peace, made a big error.
“They (Afghan government) felt like they were sidelined,” he said.
McCaul also stated that the withdrawal of US forces from Afghanistan without an action plan was a “fatal flaw” because many Americans and their Afghan allies were left behind.
This comes as the Islamic Emirate has said that the rights of women and girls are an internal issue of Afghanistan and Sharia laws must be respected.
IEA has also said that foreign aid to Afghanistan is managed by international organizations and the Islamic Emirate does not use it.
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Pakistan’s ex-PM Khan says terrorism cannot be eliminated without dialogue with Afghanistan
He said that a large number of policemen in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have been killed in the fight against terrorism and if terrorism is not controlled, the economy will come to a standstill.
Pakistan's jailed former prime minister, Imran Khan, said on Friday that terrorism cannot be eliminated without having dialogue with the authorities in Afghanistan.
Speaking to reporters on Friday, Khan expressed his support for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapour's proposal for a direct dialogue with Kabul.
“Ali Amin is absolutely right,” Imran Khan stated. “They should be beseeching him to go and talk to Afghanistan for the sake of God."
A day earlier, Pakistan's Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif criticized Gandapur's plan to talk to Kabul, saying it was a direct attack on the federal government.
When questioned about the possibility of a province directly engaging with another country when a federal government and the Foreign Office were already in place, Imran Khan replied: "Forget the Foreign Office, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has been the most affected by terrorism.”
He said that a large number of policemen in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have been killed in the fight against terrorism and if terrorism is not controlled, the economy will come to a standstill.
Khan urged the government to lend a hand to anyone attempting to eradicate the menace of terrorism.
"If someone is trying to end terrorism, cooperate with them," he stated, dismissing the perception that Gandapur’s intentions were anti-state. "Ali Amin is speaking in the favour of the country, not against it."
Clarifying Gandapur’s stance, he pointed out, "Ali Amin spoke about going but didn’t say he was leaving immediately, — he didn’t even fix a time." Khan concluded his talk by saying, "What wrong has Ali Amin said?"
Gandapur announced on Wednesday that he would send a delegation to Afghanistan to resolve bilateral issues.
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