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Afghan NSA’s remark triggers diplomatic row with Pakistan

Hamdullah Mohib

Mohib’s recent remarks sparked a diplomatic row between the neighbours, which share a nearly 2,600-kilometer border….reports Asian Lite News

Afghan National Security Adviser (NSA) Hamdullah Mohib levelled serious charges against Pakistan and called it a “brothel house” that has sparked a diplomatic row, evoking a strong reaction from Islamabad.

Pakistan, furious over the Afghan NSA’s diatribe, has decided to sever all official links with him. “And this has been conveyed to Afghanistan in unequivocally terms,” said a Ministry of Foreign Affairs official while speaking on condition of anonymity, reported The Express Tribune.

On Sunday, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi launched a counterattack against the Afghan NSA.

“Afghan National Security Adviser, listen carefully! No Pakistani will shake hands or engage with you if you don’t stop uttering derogatory remarks against Pakistan,” Qureshi said at a public meeting in Multan.

Shah Mahmood Qureshi

“You equate Pakistan with a brothel house. Shame on you,” Qureshi added. “My blood has been boiling ever since you uttered these words.”

Mohib’s recent remarks sparked a diplomatic row between the neighbours, which share a nearly 2,600-kilometer border.

This comes at a crucial time when US forces are withdrawing from Afghanistan. In the absence of a political settlement, Afghanistan can potentially face another cycle of civil war, reported The Express Tribune.

Meanwhile, the Afghan government has longstanding reservations that Pakistan may be using the Afghan Taliban as a proxy. Pakistan has been long blamed for providing support to Taliban terrorists in Afghanistan.

Afghan residents support NSA

Residents of Afghanistan’s Paktia province on Sunday staged a protest against Pakistan in support of NSA Hamdullah Mohib and called on Islamabad to stop supporting anti-Afghan terrorist groups.

The information was shared by the former Ambassador and Canadian Cabinet Minister Chris Alexander through his Twitter handle.

“Residents of Paktia staged a peaceful protest, calling on neighbouring Pakistan to stop supporting anti-Afghan militant groups. The protesters also supported remarks made by National Security Council adviser Hamdullah Mohib about Pakistan’s two-faced politics,” tweeted Alexander.

“This is the first time I’ve seen a politician in Afghanistan really stand up against Pakistan – we have tried to be nice for decades. I am proud of @hmohib for hitting a nerve with Pakistan. They need to hear the truth!” tweeted Mariam Solaimankhail, Member of Afghanistan’s Parliament representing the Kuchis.

“As a representative of the Afghan nation, I join Afghan NSA@hmohib’s call on neighboring Pakistan to stop supporting terrorism in Afghanistan, shut down the terror factories and put an end to the proxy war in Afghanistan,” added Solaimankhail.

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan

Twitterati across Afghanistan have come in support of NSA Hamdullah Mohib who called on Pakistan to stop supporting terrorism in Afghanistan.

“The trend on top in Afghanistan is #PakistanAgainstNSA. Afghans are supporting @hmohib recent remarks against Pakistan and are calling on Pakistan to stop the proxy war the country has waged against them for the past four decades,” tweeted Habib Khan, a journalist.

The hashtag #PakistanAgainstNSA began to trend on Twitter in Afghanistan. Most of the users have levelled charges against Pakistan for supporting the proxy war in Afghanistan.

“Pakistan has been killing Afghans for too many years and the world is silent about it. We call on the entire world to sanction Pakistan until the country stop supporting terror. NSA speaks for us all,” tweeted another user.

Another user advised Pakistan to stop supporting Taliban. He tweeted, “Pakistan would not be called a terrorist factory, if they closed the terrorist sanctuaries and stopped support of the Taliban by ejecting their leadership & their families. Seems like an easy choice…but Pakistan decides every day to side with terrorists.” (ANI)

ALSO READ: The way forward for Afghanistan

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The way forward for Afghanistan

India is apprehensive that if the Taliban were to establish their dominance across Afghanistan, its ungoverned spaces could be used by Pakistan to launch terrorist attacks, reports Ashok Sajjanhar

The saga of the 20-year engagement of US troops in Afghanistan will come to a close within the next three months. This has been the longest engagement of the US outside its territory, having started soon after the attacks on the US Al-Qaeda on September 9, 2001.

Donald Trump came to office with the promise to completely withdraw the US troops from Afghanistan. After a few ups and downs, the US signed a deal with the Taliban on February 29, 2020 declaring that its troops will leave within 14 months ie by May 1, 2021, while the Taliban will not allow the soil of Afghanistan to be used against the security of USA and its allies.

The Joe Biden administration hinted from the beginning that it may not observe the May 1 deadline if conditions on the ground were not propitious. In early March, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken suggested a peaceful “transition” government that would give the Taliban power within the Afghan administration.

Taliban attack at the peak in Afghanistan 

India has huge stakes in the rapidly evolving situation in Afghanistan. Although India has been actively engaged in the economic, security and social development of Afghanistan over twenty years, it has been on the margins in discussions on the future political and security architecture of Afghanistan.

India’s interests comprise not only the US$3 billion plus investment in Afghanistan in various projects, big and small, in social and physical infrastructure, but even more importantly, India’s own security and stability.

India is apprehensive that if the Taliban were to establish sway over much of Afghan territory, several of its ungoverned spaces could be used by Pakistan to train and launch terrorist offensives against India. India has been supportive of the Ashraf Ghani government and consistently advocated an Afghan-owned, Afghan-controlled and Afghan-led peace process.

In addition, India wants that the outcome in Afghanistan fully preserves the gains made by the country over the last twenty years particularly in areas of protecting the rights of women, minorities and girl education etc.

The US supports the active role of India in the future political and security architecture of Afghanistan. To protect and advance its interests, India needs to vigorously engage with all stake-holders in Afghanistan, domestic as well as regional and global.

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The Taliban have consistently stated that they want cordial relations with India. India, however, cannot forget the many attacks on its property and personnel by the Taliban and their accomplices.

The Taliban would want to garner greater political acceptability and recognition by India and the world than it had in the past. They will also require funds for economic development which it would hope would continue to flow from India which is the single largest individual contributor to Afghanistan’s development.

Pakistan is in a triumphalist mood because it has been able to underline its utility, in fact indispensability, both to the United States and the Taliban. The February 2020 Agreement signaled the success of Pakistan’s Afghan policy of running with the hare and hunting with the hound i.e. providing refuge to the Taliban while assuring the US that it was supporting its War on Terror.

Pakistan would hope and expect that the Taliban would continue to do its bidding. This, however, is not so obvious as the Taliban leadership would be keen to establish their independent identity and relations with the world, rather than walk on Pakistani crutches.

The Taliban could exercise control over much of Afghanistan soon after the US troops leave the country. Although Pakistan will have a significant influence on the Taliban, the latter might not agree to continue as a mere proxy for the Pakistan army and the ISI.

It has become increasingly clear that US is not willing to completely let go off Afghanistan. It is interested in establishing some bases in the region to keep an eye on developments in Afghanistan. Pakistan appears to be wavering in providing space to the US troops although it recognizes the political and economic benefits that would accrue to it.

Most importantly, its reluctance in taking a plunge seems to be due to virulent opposition of the Taliban that they would attack the bases and the countries where they are located. If Pakistan were to provide facilities to US troops, it would cause unbearable strain on its relations with the Taliban, which might be too high a price to pay.

In addition, China would be staunchly opposed to such a move as this would bring the US forces close to Gwadar and the strategic China-Pakistan Economic Corridor. China being the indispensable partner of Pakistan would make certain that its interests are not compromised.

Both China and Russia have benefitted immeasurably from the US presence in Afghanistan over the past twenty years. The principal interest for China after the US withdrawal would be to insulate itself from Al-Qaeda and other terrorist groups in Afghanistan so that they do not support ETIM and Uighurs in Xinjiang through the Wakhan corridor adjoining China.

Ashraf Ghani

China has already established a base in Tajikistan on the border with Afghanistan. It might also send troops to Afghanistan to protect its interests and maintain peace and tranquility.

China would also be interested in taking full benefit of mineral resources in Afghanistan. It entered into a contract for a major mining concession for the Aynak copper mine in 2007 for US$2.8 billion. No action, however, has been taken thus far on this.

Afghanistan has threatened to reissue the tender. This hardening of position is due to busting of an alleged Chinese espionage ring operating in Kabul to hunt down Uyghur Muslims with the help of the Haqqani network.

Situation can, however, be expected to improve once the US troops leave and the Taliban expand their dominance. China is also keen to extend the coverage of the CPEC and the BRI to Afghanistan. This expansion of China’s footprint would be a matter of huge concern for both America and India.

Uncertainty stares Afghanistan in the face as the US troops continue their departure. Influence of Pakistan, China and Russia is expected to grow in the coming months. India and the US will have to be proactive and vigilant in protecting and promoting their respective interests.

**The author is the president of Institute of Global Studies and the Distinguished Fellow at Ananta Aspen Centre. He is a former Indian Ambassador to Kazakhstan, Sweden and Latvia. Views expressed are his personal. (INN)

ALSO READ: Afghan rights watchdog calls for probe into attacks on Hazaras

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Russia, Belarus warned against threatening allies

Stoltenberg

Stoltenberg said NATO was seriously concerned about the closer cooperation between Moscow and Minsk in recent months…reports Asian Lite News

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on Sunday warned Russia and Belarus against threatening the alliance’s allies, following the forced landing of a passenger plane within the European Union (EU0 by Belarusian authorities.

“We are of course ready, in an emergency, to protect and defend any ally against any kind of threat coming from Minsk and Moscow,” dpa news agency quoted Stoltenberg as saying to the Welt am Sonntag newspaper.

“We are vigilant and we are following what is happening in Belarus very closely,” he said.

Belarus is becoming “more and more dependent” on Russia, he added.

Stoltenberg said NATO was seriously concerned about the closer cooperation between Moscow and Minsk in recent months.

“We have had to learn in the past that Russia has massively violated the territorial integrity of states such as Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova.”

He did not want to speculate too much, Stoltenberg said, noting, “NATO is a defensive alliance.”

Lithuania, Latvia and Poland, all members of NATO, share borders with Belarus.

On May 23, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko forced a Ryanair commercial flight between two EU capitals, Athens and Vilnius, to make an emergency landing in Minsk.

Dissident journalist Roman Protasevich and his girlfriend Sofia Sapega, passengers on the plane, were arrested and are being held in custody.

While the EU responded with sanctions on Belarus, Russian President Vladimir Putin hosted Lukashenko for talks and said Moscow would support Belarus with $500 million in credit.

Putin also underlined his continuing support for Lukashenko in his confrontation with the West.

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Afghan rights watchdog calls for probe into attacks on Hazaras

Since mid-May, at least five attacks have been taken place in Kabul in which the majority of the victims were from the Hazara community, prone to “genocide”…reports Asian Lite News

Relying on its assessments about some recent targeted attacks on the Hazara community, Afghanistan Human Rights Commission on Sunday reiterated that such attacks require comprehensive and deep investigation by an international team that should be picked by the UN.

Since mid-May, at least five attacks have been taken place in Kabul in which the majority of the victims were from the Hazara community, prone to “genocide”, reported Tolo News.

Two blasts that targeted city buses in the west of Kabul on Tuesday and two explosions in the west of Kabul on Thursday that targeted a corolla vehicle and a minivan, killing nine civilians, were all from the Hazara community.

“Our assessments showed that the Shia and Hazara community in Afghanistan are exposed to genocide and this requires more investigation,” the chairperson of the commission, Shahrzad Akbar, said. “That’s why our statement called for a probe team or an international probe commission.”

She added, “In recent days, we were busy in seeking justice so that an international probe team would visit Afghanistan.”

Meanwhile, a hashtag of “#StopHazaraGenocide” is rounding on social media platforms over the last two days in which social media users from within and outside the country cite recent attacks, show solidarity to each other, call for a thorough probe into them and say they cannot affect the unity among Afghans, reported Tolo News.

“Our passengers are dropped out of the car and are killed. They are killed at schools. Our children are killed. It is in fact a genocide. We have to raise our voice,” said Musa Khan Reja, an artist.

“They should pay attention that I, as a Pashtun, am a supporter of my Hazara brother and will never allow the enemy to create a rupture between us by such terrorist attacks,” said Khalid Noora, an activist.

Figures by some sources show that at least 560 people have been killed in 14 attacks on the Hazara community in Afghanistan in the last five years. Most of these attacks are suicide bombings and bomb blasts, many in the west of Kabul, reported Tolo News. (ANI)

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Ghani meets US peace delegation in Kabul

Two sides during the meeting on Sunday discussed several issues including expanding cooperation, and maintaining bilateral political ties,According to Ghani’s office…reports Asian Lite News

Afghan President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani met a visiting US inter-ministerial delegation led by Zalmay Khalilzad, Washington’s Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation, in Kabul.

According to Ghani’s Office, the two sides during the meeting on Sunday discussed several issues including expanding cooperation, and maintaining bilateral political, security, defense and economic relations.

Concerning the continuation of $3.3 billion in annual assistance for the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF), the US delegation conveyed the White House message of supporting the ANDSF as well as supporting Afghanistan in the economic areas

Zalmay Khalilzad. (Photo: Twitter/@US4AfghanPeace)

Besides Ghani, Khalilzad on Sunday also met the head of High Council for National Reconciliation (HCNR), Abdullah Abdullah, during which they discussing issues related to the Taliban and Afghanistan’s national reconciliation efforts.

Before Khalilzad had embarked on his trip to Kabul, the US State Department said that the “delegation will underscore enduring US support for Afghanistan’s development and a political settlement that will end the war”.

The visit comes over a month after US President Joe Biden announced in April to withdraw all American troops from Afghanistan by September 11.

The announcement was followed by concerns about the political future of Afghanistan, TOLO News reported.

Pentagon officials have said that one-quarter of the withdrawal has been completed.

The US forces have handed some bases to Afghan forces, including the New Kabul Compound, known as NKC, in Kabul.

Violence has however, remained high in Afghanistan, while the peace negotiations in Doha have had no progress following Biden’s announcement.

119 killed in 2 days

Amid a surge in violence following US troops withdrawal from Afghanistan, a security official said that 119 people, including 102 security force members were killed in clashes and security incidents in just two days–June 3 and 4.

Details provided by a security official who wished not to be named indicated that 196 security force members were wounded in just two days, reported Tolo News.

The source said that Taliban casualties are similar to those of Afghan forces in the same time period, but the Defense Ministry reported that 183 Taliban were killed in Afghan defensive operations in eight provinces on June 3 and 181 Taliban were killed in Afghan forces operations in six provinces on June 4.

Analysts said that this shows the gravity of the intensifying conflict. The Defense Ministry reports clashes in at least 10 provinces daily on average.

a piece of broken glass of a vehicle at the site of a bomb attack in Kabul, Afghanistan. (Photo by Rahmatullah Alizadah/Xinhua)

“There are clashes in 24 to 27 provinces every day. Security forces casualties have increased, but it is not as much as the Taliban,” said Khan Agha Rezaee, the head of the internal security commission of the Wolesi Jirga, the lower house of Parliament.

The clashes have intensified on multiple fronts as heavy fighting was reported in Faryab in the last 24 hours in which at least a dozen security force members were killed, a member of the provincial council said.

“The figures provided by Afghan forces on Taliban casualties and by the Taliban on Afghan forces casualties are not accurate,” said Ilyas Wahdat, former Paktika governor.

Meanwhile, the Taliban rejected these figures. Casualties of security forces and Taliban are usually not stated in public with exact figures, and in most cases, they are not confirmed by independent sources, reported Tolo News. (ANI)

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Another district in eastern province falls to Taliban

Taliban

At least three districts have fallen to the Taliban since Thursday night…reports Asian Lite News

Taliban militants have captured another district in Afghanistan’s eastern province of Nuristan, adding to recent military gains, officials said on Saturday.

Provincial councillor Saidullah Nuristani told dpa news agency that government forces have abandoned Doab district after 20 days of resistance.

According to Nuristani, the militants had blocked all the supply routes to the district, forcing the government forces to evacuate the district after being unable to receive any food supplies or ammunition from the central government for nearly a month.

Ismail Ateekan, an MP representing the province, claimed that the government forces had left the district without fighting, after an agreement that was mediated by the local tribal elders in the area.

In return, the insurgents did not attack them during the evacuation.

The district connects Panjshir and Badakhshan provinces to Nuristan, and the militants now pose a threat to the neighbouring Laghman province since they have besieged the Noorgram district in the province, according to MP Ateekan.

At least three districts have fallen to the Taliban since Thursday night.

Taliban attack at the peak in Afghanistan 

Local officials confirmed the collapse of two districts in southern Zabul and Uruzgan provinces late on Friday.

Since the official withdrawal of the US and other NATO troops in Afghanistan on May 1, at least seven districts have fallen to the Taliban.

The Taliban have intensified attacks on provincial capitals, districts, bases and checkpoints. Tens of thousands of Afghans have been displaced in the past few weeks.

The withdrawal of international troops is due to be completed by September 11 at the latest.

Meanwhile, at least 12 people were killed in an airstrike by the Afghan army, which wrongly targeted “members of the public uprising forces”, in a “friendly fire” incident in Afghanistan’s Badakhshan province.

The incident took place in Kohistan district of the northeastern province on Friday, TOLOnews reported, citing sources.

The Afghan broadcaster said a public uprising forces commander, was among the dead.

The sources also said that eight other group members went missing as a result of the incident.

The local authorities have not yet commented on the incident. (IANS/ANI)

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US stepping up humanitarian assistance in Afghanistan

a piece of broken glass of a vehicle at the site of a bomb attack in Kabul, Afghanistan. (Photo by Rahmatullah Alizadah/Xinhua)

The US embassy in Kabul announced USD 266 million in new humanitarian assistance from the US Department of State and the US Agency for International Development (USAID)…reports Asian Lite News

US Charge d’ Affaires Ross Wilson on Saturday said that Washington is stepping up its engagement in Afghanistan through its additional USD 266 million assistance, which was recently announced by Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

Taking to Twitter, Wilson said that as part of its commitment, the US will provide essential health care, food aid, and other supplies to the millions of Afghans.

“We are stepping up our engagement in Afghanistan, including humanitarian assistance. This commitment will provide lifesaving protection, shelter, livelihoods opportunities, essential health care, food aid, water and other supplies to the 18M Afghans in need,” Wilson tweeted.

In a press release, the US embassy in Kabul announced USD 266 million in new humanitarian assistance from the US Department of State and the US Agency for International Development (USAID). The total US humanitarian aid for Afghanistan now stands at nearly USD 3.9 billion since 2002.

“The US Embassy in Kabul remains a stalwart friend to the government and people of Afghanistan, and will build upon two decades of assistance in many fields, including humanitarian relief as well as a variety of cooperative projects in infrastructure, gender, education, agriculture, health, security, democracy, counter-narcotics, and anticorruption,” the release said.

It further said that the humanitarian aid contributions of the United States and their international partners seek to address the needs of an estimated 18 million Afghans who are suffering due to poverty, hunger, COVID-19, and displacement.

Meanwhile, Two police chiefs and six soldiers were killed in an attack by the Taliban in the Jugla district of the Baghlan province in Afghanistan, TOLOnews reported on Saturday.

According to an anonymous security official speaking to the Afghan broadcaster, the attack started after midnight on Friday and the clashes between the security forces and the Taliban continued until the early hours of Saturday morning.

The district is under threat to fall under Taliban control if reinforcements will not be sent, the official added.

In the past 24 hours at least 10 provinces have faced clashes between government forces and the Taliban in the country.

Taliban spokesperson Zabiullah Mujahid confirmed the clashes on Twitter and said that ten Afghans had been killed and eight injured. (ANI/Sputnik)

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US takes responsibility for 23 civilian deaths in 2020

US troops in Afghanistan. (File Photo DoD_IANS)

According to a Pentagon report, the number included civilian casualties in operations in Iraq, Afghanistan, Somalia, Yemen and Nigeria….reports Asian Lite News

The United States military took responsibility for the death of 23 civilians in foreign war zones last year, media reported.

According to a Pentagon report, the number included civilian casualties in operations in Iraq, Afghanistan, Somalia, Yemen and Nigeria.

The Department of Defense (DoD) “assesses that there were approximately 23 civilians killed and approximately 10 civilians injured during 2020 as a result of US military operations,” reports quoted an annual report required by Congress since 2018.

Most of the civilian casualties were in Afghanistan, where the Pentagon said it was responsible for 20 deaths, according to the public section of the report.

Meanwhile, as Washington speed-up to complete the withdrawal of its troops ahead of September 11, the US military will be handing over its main Bagram Air Base to Afghan forces in about 20 days, an official said.

“I can confirm we will hand over Bagram Air Base,” a US defense official told France-based news agency without specifying when the transfer would take place, reported Afghanistan Times.

a piece of broken glass of a vehicle at the site of a bomb attack in Kabul, Afghanistan. (Photo by Rahmatullah Alizadah/Xinhua)

An Afghan security official said the handover was expected in about 20 days and the defense ministry had set up special committees to manage it.

The base, the centre for nationwide command and air operations for the past two decades, also houses a prison that held thousands of Taliban and terrorists over the years, reported Afghanistan Times.

The vast base, built by the Soviets in the 1980s, is the biggest military facility used by US and NATO forces in Afghanistan, with tens of thousands of troops stationed there during the peak of America’s military involvement in the violence-wracked country.

Meanwhile, Washington has already handed over several military bases to Afghan forces before May 1, when it began accelerating the final withdrawal of troops, reported Afghanistan Times.

Last month it completed the withdrawal from Kandahar Airfield in southern Afghanistan, once the second-largest foreign military base in the country.

The US withdrawal comes despite bloody clashes across the country between the Taliban and Afghan forces.

Peace talks were launched in September in Qatar, but so far have failed to strike any deal to end a war that has killed tens of thousands of people over nearly two decades. (with inputs from ANI)

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NATO to continue support for Afghan forces after troop withdrawal

“We are ending our military mission in Afghanistan, but we will continue to provide support to the Afghans,” said Stoltenberg…reports Asian Lite News

At a NATO Foreign Minister’s virtual meeting at Brussels on Tuesday (local time), Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that the organisation will continue to support Afghanistan’s security forces even after the planned withdrawal this year of the alliance’s 9,600 troops.

“A civilian presence in the capital Kabul will be maintained to provide advice to security institutions,” said Jens Stoltenberg, reported UAE based news portal The National News.

“We are ending our military mission in Afghanistan, but we will continue to provide support to the Afghans,” Stoltenberg said.

He said that NATO members were committed to decisions they made when announcing the alliance’s military withdrawal from the country after almost 20 years.

The military alliance was also planning to provide out-of-country training for Afghan special forces, reported The National News.

“We will also help to support the Afghan security forces by now working on how we can provide out-of-country training, especially for the Afghan special operation forces,” said Stoltenberg.

“We are working on how we can support critical infrastructure, including the continued running of the international airport,” added Stoltenberg.

“This is of course important for NATO and NATO civilian staff in Kabul, but also for, overall, the larger international community.”

Last month, NATO announced it would withdraw its forces from Afghanistan this year (September 2021), despite fears that the Taliban could regain power.

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The talks also looked at how NATO could bolster its collective defence and protect vital infrastructure, reported The National News.

“We also discussed concrete ways to sharpen our technological edge and prevent technological gaps among allies,” Stoltenberg said.

He told a press conference that NATO members were “considering [establishing] a defence innovation accelerator – a new centre to foster greater co-operation among allies on technology, underpinned with extra funding from nations that decide to participate”.

Stoltenberg said there was a broad agreement that “additional resources” were needed to tackle the challenges faced by a more “unpredictable” and “contested world”.

NATO has a “historic opportunity” to strengthen the transatlantic relationship, he added.

US President Joe Biden has sought to rebuild ties with NATO and the EU after four tumultuous years under former president Donald Trump, who was often critical of the alliance and member states.

“Of course, spending together is a way to invest in the bond between Europe and North America. NATO brings Europe and North America together every day,” Stoltenberg said, as he urged member states to increase funding.

The Pentagon’s Central Command, responsible for operations in Afghanistan and the Middle East, said that it had already completed up to 44 per cent of the US military’s withdrawal, reported The National News.

Biden has set September 11 as the deadline for all US personnel to be out of Afghanistan, officially ending America’s longest war, which began soon after the 9/11 attacks in 2001.

According to The National News, on Wednesday, the NATO chief will head to London for talks with UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab. (ANI)

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Trilateral dialogue on Afghan peace process

During the meeting, the foreign ministers of the three countries will exchange views on the key issues of the peace and reconciliation process in Afghanistan….reports Asian Lite News

Amid the drawdown of US troops from Afghanistan, the foreign ministers of China, Afghanistan and Pakistan will discuss the Afghan peace process during a trilateral dialogue on Thursday.

During the meeting, the foreign ministers of the three countries will exchange views on the key issues of the peace and reconciliation process in Afghanistan.

“The minister will discuss the reconciliation process in Afghanistan, the trilateral practical cooperation as well as fighting terrorism. The trilateral dialogue mechanism is an important platform for strengthening mutual trust between the three countries,” said Wang Wenbin, the Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson during a press briefing on Wednesday.

The spokesperson claimed the withdrawal of US and NATO troops, amid the peace and reconciliation process in Afghanistan, has brought uncertainties in the region.

“At present, the unilateral withdrawal of US and NATO troops at the critical stage of the peace and reconciliation process in Afghanistan has brought uncertainties to Afghanistan’s domestic situation and regional security landscape,” he added.

Taliban attack at the peak in Afghanistan 

Wang also expressed China’s confidence in the positive results of the upcoming meeting.

The trilateral dialogue mechanism of the foreign ministers of China, Afghanistan, Pakistan was created in 2017 at the initiative of the Chinese side. On May 18, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi offered Afghanistan to hold intra-Afghan talks in China, Sputnik reported.

Last month, China had blamed the United States’ “abrupt announcement of complete withdrawal of forces” for the succession of explosive attacks throughout Afghanistan, saying the step has worsened the security situation and has threatened peace and stability as well as people’s lives and safety in the war-torn country.

“It needs to be pointed out that the recent abrupt US announcement of complete withdrawal of forces from Afghanistan has led to a succession of explosive attacks throughout the country, worsening the security situation and threatening peace and stability as well as people’s lives and safety,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said in a statement.

In April, US President Joe Biden had announced the pullback of troops from Afghanistan. The withdrawal which started in the month of May is set to complete on September 11. (ANI)

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