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Peace talks teams end deadlock, agree on rules and procedures
The Afghan government and Taliban peace talks teams announced Wednesday that they had finalized the rules and procedures for the intra-Afghan talks and will start discussing the agenda.
Nader Nadery, Spokesman for the Afghan Republic’s negotiating team, and Mohammad Naeem, the Taliban’s political spokesperson issued the same statement on Wednesday evening.
“The procedures including its preamble of the Intra-Afghan Negotiations have been finalized and from now on, the negotiations will begin on the agenda,” both teams tweeted.
Zalmay Khalilzad, US Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation has welcomed the breakthrough in the Afghan peace process and called it a “significant milestone.”
“I welcome the news from Doha that the two Afghan sides have reached a significant milestone: A three-page agreement codifying rules and procedures for their negotiations on a political roadmap and a comprehensive ceasefire,” Khalilzad stated.
He said this agreement demonstrates that the negotiating parties can agree on tough issues.
“The people of Afghanistan now expect rapid progress on a political roadmap and a ceasefire. We understand their desire and we support them.”
“As negotiations on a political roadmap and permanent ceasefire begin, we will work hard with all sides for serious reduction of violence and even a ceasefire during this period.”
“This is what the Afghan people want and deserve,” he tweeted.
The latest development comes after the US Permanent Representative to NATO Kay Bailey Hutchison said this week the Taliban has not stuck to the deal Washington signed in February in Qatar with the group.
“We never thought this peace process would be easy, and it has not been. We do not think the Taliban is keeping its word under the agreement,” she stated.
Pakistan says communities living along the Afghanistan-Pakistan Durand Line want peace and stability, despite ongoing security concerns in the region.
Speaking during a weekly media briefing, Pakistan Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said there are no major issues between the people of Afghanistan and Pakistan, adding that residents on both sides of the Durand Line want peaceful relations and greater regional stability.
However, Andrabi claimed that terrorism originating from Afghan territory continues to undermine peace efforts.
He said Islamabad believes militant activity crossing from Afghanistan remains a significant obstacle to improving regional security and bilateral ties.
The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan has repeatedly rejected such allegations, maintaining that no militant group is allowed to use Afghan soil to threaten neighboring countries.
Andrabi also said Pakistan remains diplomatically engaged on regional matters involving Afghanistan, Iran, India, and Somalia, stressing that dialogue and diplomacy remain Islamabad’s preferred means of resolving disputes.
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Afghanistan-Gambia ties discussed during Doha meeting
Both sides also exchanged views on strengthening diplomatic engagement and exploring future economic cooperation.
Suhail Shaheen, head of the Islamic Emirate’s embassy in Doha, has met with Omar Jah, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of The Gambia to Qatar, to discuss bilateral relations and areas of mutual interest.
According to a statement from the Afghan embassy in Doha, Jah also oversees Gambian diplomatic affairs related to Afghanistan.
The meeting focused on Afghanistan-Gambia relations, the current security situation in Afghanistan, and potential investment opportunities in the country.
Both sides also exchanged views on strengthening diplomatic engagement and exploring future economic cooperation.
Mahmood Khan Achakzai, a member of Pakistan’s National Assembly and head of the Pakhtunkhwa Awami National Party, has said that if capable statesmen had been in power, people living on both sides of the Durand Line could have moved freely across the line.
Speaking during a podcast interview, Achakzai said that countries with histories of major conflict, including Russia, Germany and the United Kingdom, now maintain far more open borders despite past wars. He said that in many such regions, only a “paper line” remains, with limited border restrictions.
Drawing comparisons with the disputed Durand Line boundary between Afghanistan and Pakistan, Achakzai argued that a similar arrangement could have been possible in South Asia.
“What is the problem here? A Punjabi could dance in Kandahar and a Pashtun could come here. Even if we are not formally one country, we could have effectively functioned like one,” he said.
The Pakistani politician also referred to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and the later U.S.-led intervention, saying Afghanistan has the right to seek war reparations from those countries to support reconstruction efforts.
Achakzai further criticised the treatment of Pashtuns in Pakistan, alleging that individuals in cities including Lahore and Karachi have faced detention and deportation.
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