RFE/RL’s Radio Free Afghanistan January 21, 2017 The head of Afghanistan’s High Peace Council — a government panel tasked with negotiating an end to the country’s conflict with the Taliban – has died at the age of 84. Abdul Khabir Ochqun, the deputy head of the council, told RFE/RL’s Radio Free Afghanistan that Council Chief
Ayaz Gul VOA News January 18, 2017 ISLAMABAD — Pakistan has called on Afghan leaders to review their “fragmented” approach to peace talks with the Taliban on containing and ending the resilient insurgency, instead of blaming Islamabad for the deteriorating security situation in Afghanistan. Sartaj Aziz, chief foreign policy advisor to the Pakistani prime minister, in
Tolo News: Senators from the Meshrano Jirga (Upper House of Parliament) on Sunday asked President Ashraf Ghani to dissolve the High Peace Council (HPC) following the insensitive remarks uttered by former HPC advisor Abdul Hakim Mujahid. According to the senators, those who call the Taliban peace angels and say they are a sacred group are disrespecting
Tolo News: Relatives of Yakawlang victims in Bamiyan on Saturday lashed out at Abdul Hakim Mujahid, an advisor to the High Peace Council (HPC), for what they say were insensitive comments that showed disrespect to their family members killed by Taliban in 2001. In 2001, Taliban opened fire on a gathering of people in central Bamiyan
Khaama Press: The leader of Hezb-e-Islami, Gulbuddin Hekmatyar may return to Kabul even before sanctions relief or removal of party leaders’ name from the UN blacklist. According to a statement released by Hezb-e-Islami party, Hekmatyar has called on the government to enforce the peace deal, slamming certain countries that attempt to hinder the peace agreement signed
Ayaz Gul VOA News December 31, 2016 ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN — Pakistan’s new military chief spoke to Afghan leaders Saturday and promised to work for regional peace as mutual mistrust and suspicion continued to plague bilateral ties in the outgoing year. General Qamar Javed Bajwa telephoned Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah and Bajwa’s Afghan
The Christian Science Monitor: This week Russia hosted talks on Afghanistan’s security with Pakistani and Chinese envoys, the third such meeting and a sign, say analysts, of rising Russian concern over instability and Islamic extremism on the borders of its sphere of influence. Could Moscow be a useful partner in Afghanistan? Or will it only add
The New York Times: At a corner table of the Marriott Hotel in Pakistan’s capital, an emissary from the Taliban’s supreme leader arrived with a message of peace. It was 2007, as the Afghan Taliban insurgency was growing bolder. The United States-led international coalition was fixated on defeating the Taliban militarily, and that mission would only
Ayaz Gul VOA News December 23, 2016 ISLAMABAD — The Taliban has rejected latest United Nations calls for engaging in peace talks with the Afghan government, and instead demanded the world body pressure U.S.-led foreign troops to end their “occupation” of Afghanistan if the U.N. truly wants an end to the 15-year war. “Our fight is
Tolo News: Gerard van Bohmen, Chief of the UN sanctions committee on Monday night (Kabul time) briefed the UN Security Council on the Afghan peace process, and suggested the 15-member body ensure the complete implementation of sanctions against the Taliban within the legal framework that exists. Bohemen suggested that the UN sanctions committee and Afghanistan’s Central