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US no longer prioritizing Afghanistan: Khalilzad
Former US special representative to Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad said he thinks it’s unlikely that the country will ever return to Washington’s foreign policy priority list due to changes in the world, and the “great power competition”, as well as the lack of a roadmap for success.
Khalilzad told TRT World this week that while the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) was in his opinion making some serious mistakes, the only way to solve the issues was for all people in Afghanistan to broadly reach an agreement on a formula.
He said the IEAs need to start a consultative process and that IEA policies also need to respect the views of society, including views related to education.
Khalilzad warned that failure on the part of the IEA to enter into intra-Afghan dialogue could lead to violence and even conflict over time.
He said the economy “was in poor shape”, which he said was in part due to international sanctions. He implied this could be resolved if the IEA goes back to the Doha agreement which he said provided the best framework to work in.
He said the US government had supported the “fundamental parts” of this agreement at the time of signing.
“So they need to start the process of conversing with each other and agreeing to a process for a government that has a broad mandate from the people,” he said.
Azerbaijan has released 14 Afghan nationals from its prisons, Afghan Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Saturday.
The ministry said in a statement that the release happened following efforts by Afghanistan’s embassy in Baku.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed its appreciation to Azerbaijan and relevant authorities for their cooperation and humanitarian action. It also reaffirmed that the IEA will continue to follow up on and resolve the cases of Afghan prisoners.
Former U.S. special envoy for Afghanistan, Zalmay Khalilzad, says Washington is largely satisfied with the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan’s (IEA) efforts against terrorism, though progress in broader relations remains hindered by the issue of prisoners.
In an interview with NDTV, Khalilzad said the United States views the detention of at least two American citizens in Afghanistan as the primary obstacle to improving ties.
Khalilzad highlighted what he described as a “significant degree of satisfaction” in the U.S. assessment of the IEA’s counterterrorism commitments under the Doha Agreement. He said the IEA continue to fight Daesh, a group they have long considered an enemy. Many Daesh militants, he added, have been pushed out of Afghanistan and are now in Pakistan.
At the same time, Khalilzad said concerns remain regarding human rights and the political role of non-IEA Afghans.
The Ministry of National Defense of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan has rejected recent accusations made by Pakistani officials following a deadly attack at a mosque in Islamabad, calling them “irresponsible” and “baseless.”
Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Mohammad Asif wrote on X that preliminary findings suggest the suicide bomber had been on the move to and from Afghanistan.
According to the Afghan Defense Ministry, Pakistan’s defense minister “immediately and irresponsibly” blamed Afghanistan for the attack without conducting proper investigations. Afghan authorities noted that this pattern has been repeated in the past, particularly regarding incidents in Balochistan and other security events inside Pakistan.
The ministry stated that linking such attacks to Afghanistan “has no logic or foundation,” adding that these statements cannot hide Pakistan’s internal security failures or help solve the underlying problems.
“If they were truly able to identify the perpetrators immediately after the incident, then why were they unable to prevent it beforehand?” the statement asked.
The Afghan government emphasized its commitment to Islamic values, stating it does not consider harm against innocent civilians permissible under any circumstances and does not support those involved in illegal acts.
The statement urged Pakistani security officials to take responsibility for their internal security shortcomings, review their policies, and adopt a more constructive and cooperative approach toward both their own citizens and neighboring countries.
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