Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty September 26, 2020 Zalmay Khalilzad, the U.S. envoy for Afghanistan, has predicted the Taliban will not accept a permanent truce until a political deal is reached with the Afghan government. “I think you’re right that the Talibs will not accept a cease-fire, comprehensive and permanent, until there’s a political settlement,” Khalilzad said
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty September 23, 2020 A number of Taliban prisoners who were released by the Afghan government as a condition for peace talks have returned to the battlefield, lead Kabul negotiator Abdullah Abdullah has said. Abdullah, the head of Afghanistan’s High Council for National Reconciliation, said negotiations with the Taliban in Qatar have
Hindustan Times: Pakistan has been targeting Indian professionals working in Afghanistan in a variety of ways, and several Indians working on development projects have been attacked and kidnapped over the past 12 years, the government informed Parliament on Monday. Since September last year, Pakistan has also attempted to designate four Indian nationals, who had previously
By Frud Bezhan Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty September 16, 2020 The Taliban’s burgeoning financial might could make the militant group immune to pressure from the international community as it negotiates a role in postwar Afghanistan, according to a confidential report commissioned by NATO and obtained by RFE/RL. The Taliban “has achieved, or is close to achieving,
By Ayaz Gul VOA News September 14, 2020 ISLAMABAD – America’s peace envoy for Afghanistan, Zalmay Khalilzad, visited Pakistan on Monday and conveyed Washington’s gratitude for the “important role” Islamabad has played in easing the start of reconciliation talks between warring Afghan parties, officials said. The historic, intra-Afghan negotiations began last Saturday in Doha, Qatar, where
Ariana: Pakistan is expected to announce a relaxed visa policy for Afghan nationals, specifically, students, businessmen, investors and medical patients, Pakistan’s ambassador-designate to Afghanistan Mansoor Ahmad Khan said. Click here to read more (external link). Related Pakistan’s exports to Afghanistan drop by 43.6% in July
By Frud Bezhan Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty September 10, 2020 Abdul Hakim Ishaqzai spent years lying low in Pakistan’s southwestern city of Quetta, where the Afghan Taliban leadership has been based since the U.S.-led invasion in 2001 toppled the extremist group from power in neighboring Afghanistan. A hard-line cleric, Ishaqzai until recently ran an Islamic madrasah,
Khaama Press: Officials stopped three children being trafficked to Pakistan based on an unknown purpose. Hijratullah Akbari a spokesperson to Kunduz police said, the victims were between 10 years of age, they reside in the Charkh-Aab Area of the city. He added, these children were being trafficked to Pakistan while being caught by the police,
By Niala Mohammad, Roshan Noorzai VOA News | September 03, 2020 WASHINGTON – While reconciliation efforts between the government and the Taliban are still underway in Afghanistan, Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has announced a reunification with Jamaat-ul-Ahrar (JuA) and Hizbul Ahrar — a move that experts warn could be the beginning of increasingly hostile activities against Pakistan. The
Michael Hughes: The road to peace in Afghanistan, whether anyone likes it or not, runs through Kashmir, Rawalpindi and Islamabad – and in that order. However, there are recent signs that elements within this chain may be willing to contribute to the advancement of reconciliation in Afghanistan. But are these signs legitimate or simply Michael Jordan