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White House mum on reports that final withdrawal is just days away
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki on Wednesday would not be drawn on whether troops will be out of Afghanistan and home by the 4th of July, and said only the US remains “on the timeline that the President [Joe Biden] announced just a few weeks ago”.
She stated however that the Biden administration’s focus at the moment is on expediting the process of issuing visas for Afghan translators.
This comes after some media reports indicated this week that sources have said all US troops will be home by America’s Independence Day.
CNN on Thursday was one media outlet to report that American troops will be home within days.
The UK’s Daily Mail also reported that the last of the British troops will leave Afghanistan over the next few days.
This report stated the decision follows on the heels of America’s decision to bring forward their final withdrawal date.
When asked to confirm that all US troops will withdraw, except for those that will stay behind to protect the American Embassy in Kabul, will be gone by July 4, Psaki said “the operational components of that, I’d certainly point you to the Department of Defense. But nothing has changed on our timeline or objective”.
Psaki, asked in the press briefing whether all Afghan translators and other staff who had worked alongside troops would be out of Afghanistan by the time the last of the troops leave, said Washington’s “focus is on now is expediting that processing. As you know, we announced just last Friday that we were taking steps to evaluate options for moving individuals to another location so that they could complete their processing — individuals who were already in the pipeline.”
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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