Category: Afghanistan

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US troops pull out won’t give Afghans peace

The US and its allied nations invaded the Taliban regime in Afghanistan over the country providing shelter to former Al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden, the alleged architect of the 9/11 terror attacks in 2001….reports Asian Lite News

Afghans, as victims of the so-called US-led war on terror, would continue to suffer after the withdrawal of the American troops, according to a political analyst.

“The people of Afghanistan as the victims of the so-called US-led war on terror had suffered in the war during the 20-year-old presence of the huge military and would continue to suffer even after the troops’ pull out as the militants are still very much active in the country,” analyst Nazari Pariani told Xinhua news agency.

The US and its allied nations invaded the Taliban regime in Afghanistan over the country providing shelter to former Al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden, the alleged architect of the 9/11 terror attacks in 2001.

The US dethroned the Taliban reign but it neither diminished the group nor the Al Qaeda, Pariani said.

Taliban

He described the US forces withdrawal at this stage as irresponsible when the militants are still active and fighting continues, saying “first phase of war ends with the troops’ pull out and the next phase of war would be more catastrophic” and the Afghans won’t embrace peace in the near future.

Also read:Taliban capture key district in northern Afghanistan

The renowned political expert, who is also the editor-in-chief of the popular newspaper Mandegar, doubts US President Joe Biden’s remarks that Washington has achieved its goal which was punishing bin Laden and smashing Al Qaeda network, which, he said, didn’t need costly war and launching military invasion in a poor country like Afghanistan.

“Killing Osama and destroying terror groups were small objectives which never required launching such a costly and longest war in the US history,” he told Xinhua.

“Fighting has been continuing and Al Qaeda and like minded groups are active in Afghanistan and the brutal war claims Afghans’ lives every day.”

Pariani said the merciless killing of civilians and Taliban attacks on government forces in several provinces demonstrate the outcome of the troops pull-out from Afghanistan.

Regarding the capability of Afghan security and defence forces, the analyst said: “The security forces would continue to defend the government against Taliban attacks and the armed group would continue to resist.

“The victims are ordinary people, and the scenario would be continuing after US forces withdrawal.”

Security Council strongly condemns Afghan terror attack

About intra-Afghan talks, the political observer said that “the prospect seems uncertain and the talks for peace in Afghanistan at the upcoming conference in Turkey would face deadlock as it previously faced in Doha”.

“No desired outcome is foreseen in the ongoing peace process and Afghans won’t reach a peace agreement over the next six months.”

Washington formally started its forces pull-out from May 1 in Afghanistan and the process, according to the US administration, would be completed by September 11.

Also read:Afghan forces retake outposts in Baghlan

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Taliban declares 3-day ceasefire ahead of Eid

Taliban

Mohammad Naeem, a Taliban spokesperson, said that all Mujahideen have been instructed to halt all operations “against the enemy” countrywide….reports Asian Lite News

Two days after a deadly bombing outside a school in Kabul claimed the lives of over 60 students, the Taliban on Monday announced that they would observe a three-day ceasefire for the festival of Eid.

Mohammad Naeem, a Taliban spokesperson, said that all Mujahideen have been instructed to halt all operations “against the enemy” countrywide.

“In order that the Mujahideen again provide a peaceful and secure atmosphere to our compatriots during Eid-ul-Fitr so that they may celebrate this joyous occasion with…,” he tweeted.

Taliban attack at the peak in Afghanistan 

“…a greater peace of mind, all Mujahideen of the Islamic Emirate are instructed to halt all offensive operations against the enemy countrywide from the first till the third day of Eid,” he said in another tweet.

However, Naeem instructed the Mujahideen to stand ready to robustly protect and defend themselves and their territory if the ‘enemy’ conducts any assault or attack.

Also read:Taliban threatens journalists amid violence

“The Mujahideen must not visit enemy areas nor permit entrance of enemy personnel into Mujahideen controlled areas,” he further said.

This comes after at least three explosions that took place near Sayed-ul-Shuhada High School in the west of Kabul on Saturday afternoon. As many as 63 people, all students, were killed in a Kabul school bombing and 150 more were wounded, TOLO News reported citing sources and relatives of victims.

Ashraf Ghani

Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani on Sunday condemned the terrorist attack on a school in Kabul and called for a national day of mourning in wake of the incident.

Taking to Twitter, Deputy Interior Minister Sediq Sediqqi said that Ghani has asked the Taliban to abandon the killings of innocent Afghans.

“President Ghani condemns the Kabul terrorist attack with the strongest words, termed a despicable crime against humanity. Calls for a national day of mourning, and asks the Taliban to abandon the killings of innocent Afghans,” he said.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack. The Taliban has denied any involvement in the incident.

Taliban

“We condemn in strongest terms the killing of civilians in Dashti Barchi, Kabul, as a result of incessant explosions and call for a neutral and transparent investigation,” another Taliban spokesman Suhail Shaheen said in a tweet.

Amid the ongoing drawdown of US troops from Afghanistan, the war-torn country has seen a spike in the incidents of violence in recent weeks, leading to casualties of Afghan security forces and civilians.

Over 1,000 Taliban terrorists have been killed and wounded in several encounters with the Afghan security forces during this period in Kandahar, Helmand, Farah, Herat and Baghlan provinces, said General Yasin Zia, the Afghan Chief of Army Staff. (ANI)

Also read:Taliban launches new offensives as US misses May 1 deadline

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Afghan forces retake outposts in Baghlan

The Afghan Ministry of Defense said that the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF) have dealt major blows to the Taliban during the recent spate of violence in the country…reports Asian Lite News

The Afghan National Army’s commando forces broke the siege in Dahana-e-Ghori district in the northern province of Baghlan today where fighting has been going on for the last three days with Taliban forces.

According to Tolo news, Safiqullah Amiri, commander of commando forces regiment in the north who leads the operations in Baghlan, on Saturday said, “Reinforcements have arrived in the district and that three outposts that had fallen to the Taliban were retaken.”

“At least 10 security force members were rescued during the operation,” Amiri added.

Amiri said that he was accompanied by the deputy commander of the Afghan Army’s 209 Shaheen Corps and stationed more forces there. He added that ways connecting the district with Pul-e-Khumri city, the center of Baghlan, have been reopened, reported Tolo news.

Taliban attack at the peak in Afghanistan 

Across Afghanistan, heavy fighting is underway after the Taliban launched attacks on the Afghan security forces, in various regions of Ghazni, Maidan Wardak, Laghman, Baghlan, and Helmand provinces over the last 24 hours.

In the latest incident, the Taliban stormed two security outposts in Arezo village on the outskirts of Ghazni city, killing at least 16 security force members and injuring three more, reported Tolo news.

In Maidan Wardak province, local officials have confirmed that in Maidan Shar city, three soldiers apparently associated with the Taliban opened fire and killed ten soldiers and then fled to a Taliban-controlled area along with their military equipment.

The Afghan Ministry of Defense said that the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF) have dealt major blows to the Taliban during the recent spate of violence in the country.

“Heavy casualties were inflicted to the enemy particularly in Helmand, Baghlan, Ghazni, Maidan Wardak, and Kandahar provinces. The security forces are crushing terrorists with more strength than ever before,” said Rohullah Ahmadzai, the spokesman for the Ministry of Defense, as reported by Tolo news.

In western Afghanistan, at least 23 Taliban fighters were killed and 27 others were wounded after the Afghan Air Force targeted a gathering of local Taliban commanders in Bala Buluk district of the province, local officials said. (ANI)

Also read:12 killed in Afghanistan floods

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‘No attack against US forces since withdrawal began’

At least 11 Afghan security forces members were killed in militants’ attacks on Wednesday night, authorities confirmed on Thursday….reports Asian Lite News

The Taliban has not launched any attack against US and coalition forces in Afghanistan since the drawdown began, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley said.

“There have been no attacks against US and coalition forces since the retrograde began on or about May 1, and that is also consistent for the past year,” Milley said during a joint press conference with Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin here on Thursday.

Meanwhile, he noted that the Taliban continued its attacks against the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF), reports Xinhua news agency.

At least 11 Afghan security forces members were killed in militants’ attacks on Wednesday night, authorities confirmed on Thursday.

Both Milley and Austin reaffirmed that US assistance for the ANSF would continue after the withdrawal.

“We hope through our continued support, the Afghan security forces can be effective, but we expect that this will be a challenge for them,” said Austin.

Milley told reporters that the primary objective for the US military in Afghanistan at this point is to complete a safe and coordinated withdrawal no later than September.

According to Milley, a military base in Helmand was closed, and approximately 60 C-17 transport aircraft had departed with various equipment.

Also read:Taliban capture key district in northern Afghanistan

“Over 1,300 pieces of equipment have been transferred either to the Defence Logistics Agency for destruction or to the ANSF for their use.”

The top general said the US military would deploy six additional B-52 bombers and 12 F-18 fighters to offer contingency support during the withdrawal.

The military earlier had sent B-52 bombers and extended the deployment of the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower aircraft carrier to the region to increase force protection.

Taliban

The White House said last week that elements of an Army Ranger Task Force would also temporarily deploy to Afghanistan.

President Joe Biden in April announced the withdrawal would begin on May 1, the deadline date for a full US withdrawal under an agreement reached between the former Donald Trump administration and the Taliban.

The Taliban had warned of consequences if the Biden administration fails to follow through that deadline.

About 3,500 US forces and 7,000 NATO troops will be withdrawn before September 11, the day which is the 20th anniversary of the terrorist attacks that drew America into the war in Afghanistan.

Also read:Pak imposes 10-day nationwide lockdown

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Massive Kabul blast kills 33

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

No group has claimed responsibility for the explosion as of yet….reports Asian Lite News

The death toll in the explosion that took place here on Saturday near a school has risen to 33, officials said.

Besides, 55 others who sustained injuries were taken to different hospitals, according to Afghanistan’s Interior Ministry’s spokesman Tariq Arian, DPA news agency reported.

Arian said that casualties — all of whom were civilians, most of them young girls — were likely to rise.

He confirmed that an explosion occurred at 4.27 p.m. near a school in Dasht-e-Barchi, a Shia-Hazara-populated area of the Afghan capital.

Arian said the area has been cordoned off by police, without giving further details.

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

It was not immediately clear what caused the explosion.

There was conflicting information about the possible cause, with some local media outlets initially reporting three blasts caused by rockets, while other reports suggested the explosion was caused by a car bomb.

Images on television showed backpacks strewn on the ground, bloodstained schoolbooks and people searching desperately for relatives.

Emergency, a non-governmental organisation, tweeted that one person who died and 26 people who were injured had been brought to a hospital that it runs in Kabul.

It said the victims were almost all girls between the ages of 12 and 20.

No one claimed responsiblity

There were fears that the death toll could rise further. Journalist Bilal Sarwari tweeted that at least 53 people had been killed and more than 150 were injured.

After the incident, many took to social media to condemn the killing of the civilians.

No group has claimed responsibility for the explosion as of yet.

Both the Taliban and Islamic State militant groups are active in Afghanistan.

The Taliban denied that it was involved. However, an Interior Ministry spokesperson tweeted that the Taliban was undoubtedly behind the attack.

President Ashraf Ghani also blamed the Taliban. The group had again showed that it was not only unwilling to resolve the crisis peacefully but would rather sabotage the peace process, a statement from the presidential palace said.

Also read:12 killed in Afghanistan floods

The Afghan government has been in peace talks with the Taliban since September of last year, but these have stalled.

US Ambassador to Afghanistan Ross Wilson called the attack “abhorrent” in a tweet.

He called the attack “unforgivable” and “an assault on Afghanistan’s future.”

His comments were echoed by the US State Department, which condemned the “barbarous attack,” in a statement.

“We call for an immediate end to violence and the senseless targeting of innocent civilians,” it said.

“We will continue to support and partner with the people of Afghanistan, who are determined to see to it that the gains of the past two decades aren’t erased.”

There have been growing concerns about the security situation in Afghanistan since May 1, the date that international troops officially began their withdrawal. The process is due to be completed by September 11 at the latest.

Many see this time as a test as to whether Afghan security forces, trained by US and NATO troops, are able to protect the government and provide security.

Also read:Taliban capture key district in northern Afghanistan

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‘US ignored Pak outreach for rapprochement’

Officials says the reason behind this is likely that Washington thinks Islamabad is pushing China and Russia’s agendas at the expense of US interests in Afghanistan….reports Asian Lite News

The United States has ignored Pakistan’s hopeful outreach for rapprochement, despite the critical role Islamabad played in persuading the Taliban to negotiate with Washington in Afghan peace settlement.

Despite that crucial initiative, one that aims to end America’s so-called “endless war”, US President Joe Biden has not personally spoken to Prime Minister Imran Khan since the former assumed power, citing Pakistani officials familiar with the situation, reported Asia Times.

They said when Biden assumed the US presidency in January, many in Pakistan hoped for a bilateral reset. “Three months on, there is no such rapprochement in sight as the Biden administration in Washington delivers perceived snubs rather than engaged olive branches to Islamabad.”

Officials says the reason behind this is likely that Washington thinks Islamabad is pushing China and Russia’s agendas at the expense of US interests in Afghanistan. “Washington also knows Pakistan is well-placed to manipulate the formation of a future Afghan government by dint of its proximity and connection to the Taliban.”

Also, some in Islamabad believe that Washington is expressing that displeasure through “not-so-veiled diplomatic sleights”. For instance, Biden’s Special Envoy for Climate Change, John Kerry, visited India and Bangladesh last month but eschewed a stopover in Pakistan, reported Asia Times.

Similarly, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin visited India and Afghanistan on March but opted not to land in Pakistan.

Pakistani officials quoted in news reports think that the Supreme Court’s acquittal of Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh and three associates who allegedly kidnapped and decapitated Wall Street Journal bureau chief Daniel Pearl back in 2002 put relations with Biden on the wrong foot.

Also read:Taliban capture key district in northern Afghanistan

The court released Sheikh just as Biden was taking his oath of his office in January. Washington has reportedly asked Islamabad to review its legal options after the ruling and has also suggested allowing for the US to prosecute the suspects to provide justice to Pearl’s family if for political reasons it is unable to do so in Pakistan.

Moreover, the new US administration likely wants Islamabad to demonstrate it is not a pliant proxy of China. That’s easier said than done in light of Beijing’s USD 60 billion commitment to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.

Further, Biden did not invite Khan to his government’s first virtual summit on climate change held on April 22-23. The US president invited 40 heads of state and government, including leaders of India, Bangladesh and Bhutan from the South Asian region, but sent a belated invitation to a low-profile functionary who serves as Khan’s special assistant on climate change.

While China’s economic influence looms large, Pakistan still needs Washington’s support, both to sustain disbursements of its USD 6 billion bailout package from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and to be removed from the terror-financing and money-laundering watchdog Financial Action Task Force’s “grey list”, a designation that hinders Islamabad’s participation in global financial markets.

Similarly, the FATF kept Pakistan on its grey list in February because “Pakistan must improve its investigations and prosecutions of all groups and entities financing terrorists and their associates and show that penalties imposed by courts are effective.”

The next FATF plenary review of Pakistan’s status is due in June this year. (ANI)

Also read:Taliban threatens journalists amid violence

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Taliban launches new offensives as US misses May 1 deadline

At least 11 Afghan security forces members were killed in terrorists’ attacks in eastern Afghanistan on Wednesday night, authorities confirmed on Thursday….reports Asian Lite News

Taliban have launched a new wave of offensive in several Afghan cities and are resorting to bombings and heavy weapons after the United States missed May 1 deadline to withdraw troops from Afghanistan.

Several cities around Afghanistan are witnessing the wrath of the Taliban’s attacks. The Afghan forces have suffered heavy casualties in the past few days as they fought back the terror group offensive.

At least 11 Afghan security forces members were killed in terrorists’ attacks in eastern Afghanistan on Wednesday night, authorities confirmed on Thursday.

Afghan security forces had launched airstrikes and deployed elite commando forces to the area. The insurgents had been pushed back but fighting was continuing on Tuesday and hundreds of families had been displaced, he added.

Security Council strongly condemns Afghan terror attack

“There was a thunderstorm of heavy weapons and blasts in the city and the sound of small arms was like someone was making popcorn,” The News International quoted Mulah Jan, a resident of a suburb of Helmand provincial capital Lashkar Gah, as saying.

“I took all my family members to the corner of the room, hearing the heavy blasts and bursts of gunfire as if it was happening behind our walls,” he said. Families that could afford to leave had fled, but he had been unable to go, waiting with his family in fear before the Taliban were pushed back.

Attaullah Afghan, the head of Helmand’s provincial council, said the Taliban had launched their huge offensive on Monday from multiple directions, attacking checkpoints around the outskirts of Lashkar Gah, taking over some of them.

Also read:Taliban capture key district in northern Afghanistan

US forces missed the May 1 deadline to withdraw troops. The May 1 deadline for US troops to pull out was agreed to last year under former President Donald Trump.

US President Joe Biden announced last month the decision to withdraw troops from the country starting on that May 1 deadline, with the aim of completely withdrawing from Afghanistan by September 11, which would mark the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks that sparked the war in Afghanistan, the longest conflict in American history.

The Taliban rejected President Joe Biden’s announcement that troops would stay on past the deadline but withdraw over the next four and a half months.

Last week on Thursday, White House Principal Deputy Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said that the US has begun pulling out its forces from Afghanistan.

On Monday, at least seven Afghan military personnel were killed when the Taliban set off explosives smuggled through a tunnel the group had dug into an army outpost in southwestern Farah province. (ANI)

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Taliban threatens journalists amid violence

Taliban threats came as the United States have begun drawdown of its troops in Afghanistan and violence have escalated in the country….reports Asian Lite News

Taliban have issued a threat to Afghan media outlets and have accused them of siding with Afghanistan’s intelligence agency, saying “media must be aware” to maintain their neutrality and avoid becoming the Kabul administration’s propaganda tool.

In a series of tweets on Wednesday, Taliban spokesman Zabullah Mujahid said the Kabul administration’s National Directorate of Security is directly involved in activities to distort public views, Khamma Press reported.

He said that “media must be aware” to maintain their neutrality, and that in such a sensitive situation media should avoid becoming the Kabul administration’s propaganda tool.

Taliban threats came as the United States have begun drawdown of its troops in Afghanistan and violence have escalated in the country.

Also read:Citizen journalists suffer the worse in China

Earlier in June of 2019, the Taliban had issued a threat to the Afghan media outlets saying journalists will be targeted unless news outlets stop publishing and broadcasting what they call government propaganda against the insurgents.

Since then, journalists, media professionals and staffers came under attacks and fell victims to targeted killings.

According to reports at least 20 Journalists and media workers have been the victims of Targeted attacks in the past six months including eight including four women were killed and dozens have received death threats for their work.

United Mission in a report on February 2021 said at least 11 human rights defenders and media workers were killed in targeted attacks between September 2020 to January 2021.

Taliban have launched a new wave of offensive in several Afghan cities and are resorting to bombings and heavy weapons after the United States missed May 1 deadline to withdraw troops from Afghanistan.

Several cities around Afghanistan are witnessing the wrath of the Taliban’s attacks. The Afghan forces have suffered heavy casualties in the past few days as they fought back the terror group offensive.

Taliban fighters have captured a key district in northern Afghanistan while thousands of civilians have fled their homes in the southern part of the country to escape violent attacks by the group after the withdrawal of US forces from a military base in the area, officials said on Wednesday.

The rugged Burka district in Baghlan, one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan, fell to the Taliban overnight after the militant group staged an attack on government forces, Javid Basharat, a spokesman for Baghlan’s governor, told Arab News. (ANI)

Also read:Taliban capture key district in northern Afghanistan

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Taliban capture key district in northern Afghanistan

Taliban

It comes at a time when the United States military forces are preparing to completely withdraw from the country….reports Asian Lite News

Taliban have captured a key district in northern Afghanistan while thousands of civilians have fled their homes in the southern part of the country to escape the violent attacks, according to Arab News report.

It comes at a time when the United States military forces are preparing to completely withdraw from the country.

The rugged Burka district in Baghlan, one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan, fell to the Taliban overnight after the militant group staged an attack on government forces, Javid Basharat, a spokesman for Baghlan’s governor, told Arab News.

 The ongoing conflict in Afghanistan has further intensified since the start of the withdrawal of the US-led forces from the country on May 1 as the Taliban militants have stepped up activities, officials said.

  • Taliban

According to the security officials, the Taliban has intensified activities in Helmand, Zabul, Baghlan, Herat, Farah, Faryab, Takhar and Badakhshan provinces, and scores of militants and security personnel have been killed, reports Xinhua news agency.

Confirming impetus in fighting, a spokesman for the Defence Ministry Fawad Aman told local media on Wednesday that violent incidents have increased over the past three days, adding the Taliban militants have suffered huge casualties.

Also read:‘Al-Qaeda is still active in Afghanistan’

A total of 20 security personnel and 180 Taliban militants have been killed and 87 more insurgents injured, according to the official.

Fighting has increased since May 1, the day the US administration formally started pulling out its forces from Afghanistan.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid has welcomed the foreign forces’ withdrawal but blamed the US for violation of the Doha agreement under which Washington was bound to complete the withdrawal on May 1.

Taliban militants attacked security checkpoints and killed nine soldiers in Baghlan-e-Markazi district of northern Baghlan province on Monday night, stormed security checkpoints in the neighboring Burka district on Tuesday, and overran district headquarters early Wednesday.

Police described the district collapse as “tactical retreat” while the Taliban outfit claimed victory and said the district headquarters, police head office and all administrative offices in Burka have been captured.

Taliban militants have been attempting to overrun the key city of Lashkar Gah in the south and neighboring Ghazni and Farah provinces, but failed after suffering huge casualties and leaving 39 bodies behind outside Lashkar Gah, said an army statement on Wednesday.

Mujahid has rejected the claim as groundless, insisting that the armed group has inflicted casualties on government forces, saying 10 government soldiers were killed and 15 others captured in Baghlan province on Monday.

Also read:12 killed in Afghanistan floods

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Ghani warns Taliban over refusal to negotiations

Ashraf Ghani

Ghani mentioned that the parties would have to discuss and decide on a transitional administration, which would have a short tenure…reports Asian Lite News

Stressing that every international stakeholder and Afghan people demands a “sovereign, Islamic, democratic, united, neutral” and unified Afghanistan, President Ashraf Ghani warned that “if the Taliban refuse to negotiate, they will be choosing the peace of the grave”.

Citing an article shared by Foreign Policy, Khaama Press News Agency reported Ghani saying that an Islamic system demanded by the Taliban already exists in Afghanistan and that they should demonstrate their desired end state with “clarity and detail”.

He further said that peace negotiations require a credible and neutral mediator, which the Doha talks lack and the best option for this role would be United Nations.

“The first topics of negotiation must be reaching the desired end state and putting in place a comprehensive cease-fire to bring peace and respite to the daily lives of the Afghan people and to restore credibility and faith in the peacemaking process. Because cease-fires established during peace negotiations often fall apart, however, it is critical that we have international monitoring,” he said.

Ghani mentioned that the parties would have to discuss and decide on a transitional administration, which would have a short tenure. He announced that in such an election, he would not run for office and expressed willingness to resign if his successor had a mandate for peace.

Also read:Security Council strongly condemns Afghan terror attack

Intra-Afghan Talks would face difficult challenges on whether and how the Taliban would sever ties with Pakistan, the Khaama Press reported.

“It is crucial that the Afghan government and the Taliban also agree on an approach against the Islamic State (or ISIS), al Qaeda, and other terrorist groups and that our agreement include a framework for counterterrorism that secures guarantees of support from other countries in the region and from international organizations”, Ghani said in his article in Foreign Policy.

U.S. Special Representative Zalmay Khalilzad during the talks in Doha

According to the Afghan President, a disrupted and disorderly” transition of power could menace command and control of security sectors in the country. He also noted that “uncertainty” may persuade Afghans to migrate, which could lead to another refugee crisis.

He further predicted that the Taliban will show no further ensuing interest in making a political deal and “will instead opt for continued military aggression”, Khaama Press reported.

Also read:US forces hand over key base in Afghanistan

Speaking on Pakistan, he said that the neighbouring country had miscalculated to threaten the Afghan peace process.

He remarked that Islamabad would be looking for an enmity with Afghanistan and would be deprived of enormous economical benefits that peace and regional connectivity offers if they choose to continue facilitating Taliban and other terrorist organisations.

“Pakistan would become an international pariah, as it would be left with no leverage in the aftermath of the U.S. troop withdrawal. The Pakistani government miscalculated in its response to the United States’ plan of action for Afghanistan and the region, but it is not too late for Islamabad to emerge as a partner and stakeholder in an orderly peace process,” he said in his article.

“The withdrawal of U.S. troops is an opportunity to get us closer to that end state, but only if all Afghans and their international partners commit to a clear path forward and stay the course,” Ghani concluded his remarks.

This statement comes as Washington formally started their drawdown from the war-torn country on May 1.

Biden announced earlier this month the decision to withdraw troops from the country starting on that May 1 deadline, with the aim of completely withdrawing from Afghanistan by September 11, which would mark the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks that sparked the war in Afghanistan, the longest conflict in American history.

Earlier this year, Afghanistan’s Foreign Ministry said that despite the Taliban’s claim that it seeks to maintain peace in the country, the terror outfit still maintains close ties to the terrorist outfit Pakistani Al-Qaeda and other terrorist groups. (ANI)

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