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US says it backs UN’s decision on appointment of special envoy for Afghanistan
The United States supports the United Nations resolution calling for the appointment of a special representative for Afghanistan, State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller said at a press briefing on Wednesday.
Miller, addressing a query on the matter, stated, “We believe a special envoy would effectively coordinate international engagement on Afghanistan to realize the goals of the resolution.”
“The resolution also sends a clear message to the Taliban [IEA], the Afghan people, and the global community. It shows the UN Security Council’s support for Afghanistan’s integration into the international community, contingent upon fulfilling its international obligations,” he added.
The UN Security Council passed the resolution on Dec. 29, 2023, focusing on enhanced engagement with Afghanistan, its IEA leaders, and the appointment of a special representative.
The resolution aims for Afghanistan to reintegrate peacefully with the international community and adhere to international standards. It highlights the essential participation of Afghan women in this process and mandates the UN Secretary-General to update the Security Council within 60 days.
The special representative is expected to possess expertise in human rights and gender, and their mission includes promoting dialogue between Afghans and facilitating global diplomacy with Afghanistan, including with the IEA.
The resolution emphasizes implementing the UN assessment’s recommendations for a more structured increase in global participation. It also calls for Afghanistan to achieve peace within itself and with its neighbors, fully integrate into the international community, and meet international obligations. This includes ensuring the full, equal, meaningful, and protected involvement of Afghan women.
Following the resolution’s approval, the IEA called the appointment of a UN special representative “unnecessary.”
IEA’s spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid stated that the appointment of a representative will not have a positive result if the acting government does not agree.
Mujahid said that the acting government has fulfilled all its obligations.
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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