Over the past few months, US Special Representatives for Afghan Reconciliation Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad is visiting Pakistan and discussing with Pakistan’s military leadership matters pertaining to regional stability and ongoing Afghan peace process. He called on Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa the other day and held discussion on regional security, the Afghan peace process and border management. Khalilzad appreciated Pakistan’s efforts aimed at restoring peace to Afghanistan.
The US point-man on Afghanistan is coming to Islamabad every month since September and holds discussion with Pakistan’s military leadership on progress in Afghan peace process. In the last month meeting, he was accompanied by the Commander Resolute Support Force, General Austin Scott Miller. In October, Khalizad had expressed anguish over the distressingly high level of violence in Afghanistan and cautioned that it could derail the ongoing peace talks between the Kabul government and the Taliban. In a statement issued in Washington, Ambassador Khalizad said,” Unfortunately charges of violation and inflammatory rhetoric do not advance peace”. He had urged for strict adherence to all articles of US-Taliban Doha agreement and US-Afghanistan Joint Declaration, which envisage commitment to gradually reduce violence. His warning came after the Taliban offensive against Afghan government forces in Helmund Province. The fighting around the capital Lashkargah compelled 35,000 civilian to flee from the city. It also roused anger among the people to take up arms for self defence.
The Afghan stakeholders involved in peace process have so for demonstrated an oblivious attitude towards the genocide of innocent people by ISIS Khorasan. They are attacking mosques and educational institutions of particular community in the Afghan Capital Kabul. The Hazara community is the victim of ethnic cleansing. A massive suicide bombing outside the Kawsar-e-Danish Education Center in west Kabul on October 24; killed 30 students in the age group of 15-26 years, and injured more than 70 people. The ISIS had claimed the responsibility of the attack. Two gunmen of the same terrorist organisation
stormed the Kabul University Campus on November 2, took several students hostage and battled with security forces for hours during which 22 students were killed and 22 were wounded. The incident occurred at a time when Iran’s ambassador to Afghanistan was attending a book fare ceremony in the University.
ISIS fighters had arrived Afghanistan in 2015 on unmarked helicopters. India is sponsoring ISIS and other militant groups for terrorist activities in Pakistan and other countries of the region including Central Asian States, China, Iran and even Russia. These countries are worried about the presence of sanctuaries of ISIS and other terrorists’ outfits under its umbrella inside Afghanistan and their spell-over effect on other countries, which will endanger the security and stability of this region. In his opening remarks at Afghanistan Peace Conference held in Moscow on November 9, 2018, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov had emphasised the threat posed by ISIS in Afghanistan, which relies on foreign sponsors in a bid to “turn Afghanistan into a springboard for its expansion in Central Asia.”
President Trump has announced to withdraw all withdraw all American troops from Afghanistan before Christmas. The Taliban has welcomed it despite the threat of ISIS to the return of peace to Afghanistan. On the contrary, Prime Minister Imran Khan had warned against the withdrawal of international forces before an inclusive settlement of Afghan conflict is reached. Let us hope that before the drawdown of its troops, the US will design and lead Syria-Iraq style military operation for wiping out ISIS and other terrorist groups in Afghanistan. Moreover, the Afghan political groups must give space to each other to reach a broad-based political settlement and thwart the designs of spoilers of Doha Peace agreement.https://thefrontierpost.com/afghan-peace/
Afghan peace: edit in The Frontier Post / November 3, 2020
Over the past few months, US Special Representatives for Afghan Reconciliation Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad is visiting Pakistan and discussing with Pakistan’s military leadership matters pertaining to regional stability and ongoing Afghan peace process. He called on Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa the other day and held discussion on regional security, the Afghan peace process and border management. Khalilzad appreciated Pakistan’s efforts aimed at restoring peace to Afghanistan.
The US point-man on Afghanistan is coming to Islamabad every month since September and holds discussion with Pakistan’s military leadership on progress in Afghan peace process. In the last month meeting, he was accompanied by the Commander Resolute Support Force, General Austin Scott Miller. In October, Khalizad had expressed anguish over the distressingly high level of violence in Afghanistan and cautioned that it could derail the ongoing peace talks between the Kabul government and the Taliban. In a statement issued in Washington, Ambassador Khalizad said,” Unfortunately charges of violation and inflammatory rhetoric do not advance peace”. He had urged for strict adherence to all articles of US-Taliban Doha agreement and US-Afghanistan Joint Declaration, which envisage commitment to gradually reduce violence. His warning came after the Taliban offensive against Afghan government forces in Helmund Province. The fighting around the capital Lashkargah compelled 35,000 civilian to flee from the city. It also roused anger among the people to take up arms for self defence.
The Afghan stakeholders involved in peace process have so for demonstrated an oblivious attitude towards the genocide of innocent people by ISIS Khorasan. They are attacking mosques and educational institutions of particular community in the Afghan Capital Kabul. The Hazara community is the victim of ethnic cleansing. A massive suicide bombing outside the Kawsar-e-Danish Education Center in west Kabul on October 24; killed 30 students in the age group of 15-26 years, and injured more than 70 people. The ISIS had claimed the responsibility of the attack. Two gunmen of the same terrorist organisation
stormed the Kabul University Campus on November 2, took several students hostage and battled with security forces for hours during which 22 students were killed and 22 were wounded. The incident occurred at a time when Iran’s ambassador to Afghanistan was attending a book fare ceremony in the University.
ISIS fighters had arrived Afghanistan in 2015 on unmarked helicopters. India is sponsoring ISIS and other militant groups for terrorist activities in Pakistan and other countries of the region including Central Asian States, China, Iran and even Russia. These countries are worried about the presence of sanctuaries of ISIS and other terrorists’ outfits under its umbrella inside Afghanistan and their spell-over effect on other countries, which will endanger the security and stability of this region. In his opening remarks at Afghanistan Peace Conference held in Moscow on November 9, 2018, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov had emphasised the threat posed by ISIS in Afghanistan, which relies on foreign sponsors in a bid to “turn Afghanistan into a springboard for its expansion in Central Asia.”
President Trump has announced to withdraw all withdraw all American troops from Afghanistan before Christmas. The Taliban has welcomed it despite the threat of ISIS to the return of peace to Afghanistan. On the contrary, Prime Minister Imran Khan had warned against the withdrawal of international forces before an inclusive settlement of Afghan conflict is reached. Let us hope that before the drawdown of its troops, the US will design and lead Syria-Iraq style military operation for wiping out ISIS and other terrorist groups in Afghanistan. Moreover, the Afghan political groups must give space to each other to reach a broad-based political settlement and thwart the designs of spoilers of Doha Peace agreement.https://thefrontierpost.com/afghan-peace/
Published in Afghanistan, Pak Media comment and Pakistan