3 killed in Afghanistan last week

KABUL (Pajhwok): An American delegation visited Kabul last week, where Afghan officials urged Washington to shift from confrontation to constructive engagement with Afghanistan.

US president Donald Trump, meanwhile, again floated the idea of regaining control of Bagram Airbase, but the Islamic Emirate of Afghansitan (IEA) reiterated it will not accept the military presence of any foreign country on Afghan soil.

Key developments of last week:

• Trump again suggests taking control of Bagram Airbase.
• Jalali: Afghans have never accepted foreign military presence.
• China on Trump’s remarks: We oppose escalating violence.
• Mullah Baradar: US should engage, not confront Afghanistan.
• Otonbayeva: Nearly $13b in aid has gone to Afghanistan since 2021.
• Guterres: Banning Afghan women from UN work is “absurd.”
• Mujahid: Guterres should be more careful with his words.
• IEA: Issues with Pakistan must be solved through talks.

Casualties:

Last week, three people were killed in various incidents in Afghanistan.

In Kandahar city, the husband of a former Wolesi Jirga member, Friba Ahmadi Kakar, was killed in his home. Local authorities in Kandahar reported that a thief was killed during a clash between security forces and robbers in the city’s 12th security district.

Also, last week in Faryab’s Maimana city, a person was killed by knife wounds.

In the previous week, nine people had been killed in various incidents accorss Afghanistan.

Before the regime change in 2021, hundreds of civilians, insurgents and security forces would get killed and injured every week.

American delegation’s visit, remarks on Bagram airbase

A US delegation led by Adam Boler, the US envoy for hostage affairs, visited Kabul last week.

Zalmay Khalilzad, former US Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation, was also part of the delegation. The delegation met with Deputy Prime Minister Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar and Foreign Minister Mawlavi Amir Khan Muttaqi.

According to reports, both sides discussed Afghanistan, the region and the current situation of the world, along with political and economic relations between Afghanistan and the US.

Boler stated that the US and Afghanistan had implemented the Doha Agreement well, and both countries would exchange prisoners, respect the right to free elections and do not intend to impose anything on the Afghan people.

Mullah Baradar emphasized that the US should shift from confrontation to engagement with Afghanistan and play its role in the country’s reconstruction.

Furthermore, the Foreign Minister of Afghanistan stated that now is the right time to normalize relations between the two countries.

Following this, US President Donald Trump stated last Thursday that he was trying to take back control of Bagram Airbase in Afghanistan, because it is only an hour away from China, where nuclear weapons are manufactured.

In response to Trump’s remarks, Afghanistan’s Foreign Ministry’s senior official Zaker Jalali wrote on his X account: “The military presence has never been accepted by Afghans in history, and this possibility was entirely rejected during the Doha talks and agreement, but other forms of engagement are open.”

He added that Afghanistan and the US need to engage with each other and can have political and economic relations based on mutual respect and common interests, without any military presence in Afghanistan.

Furthermore, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian responded to Trump’s comments by saying: “China respects Afghanistan’s sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity. The future and destiny of Afghanistan should be in the hands of the Afghan people. I want to emphasize that attempts to escalate tensions and confrontation in the region are unacceptable to the people. We call on all parties to play a constructive role for peace and stability in the region.”

At the same time, Islamic Emirate officials have repeatedly stated that Afghanistan is an independent country, does not accept any foreign military presence, and will not engage in any way that would allow another country to control its territory.

Response to Guterres’ remarks

Last week, UN Secretary-General António Guterres described the Islamic Emirate’s decision to restrict Afghan women from working in UN agencies as “absurd.”

In response to his statement, Islamic Emirate chief spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said, “We strongly condemn the irresponsible remarks of the UN Secretary-General, who called the actions regarding women in Afghanistan ‘absurd’.”

He stated that the UN Secretary-General should be mindful of the meaning of his words and not use reckless language.

Mujahid added that Afghanistan’s laws and guidelines regarding women and men are based on Islamic Sharia.

Security Council meeting

Last week, during a meeting of the UN Security Council, the head of UNAMA said that the international community had provided nearly $13 billion in aid to Afghanistan since 2021. Contrary to some reports, a significant portion of this aid had been distributed without interference from Islamic Emirate officials.

Otonbayeva stated that the continued closure of girls’ schools above the sixth grade would have long-term negative consequences for Afghanistan.

According to her, a recent UN Women survey showed that most Afghans oppose the ban on girls’ education.

Afghanistan and Pakistan relations

Last week, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif stated that the IEA should clarify its position and choose between the armed groups and Pakistan.

He claimed that leaders of armed opposition groups against Pakistan were operating from Afghanistan; an accusation that the Islamic Emirate has repeatedly rejected, stating that Pakistan should resolve its own issues.

Zabihullah Mujahid told Pakistan’s Centre for Security Studies and Research that Afghanistan sought brotherly relations with Pakistan and that the problems arising between the two neighbours should be resolved amicably through talks and meetings, with appropriate and reasonable solutions found for all issues.

He added that Afghans have never sought instability in Pakistan, and the historical relations between the two countries need to be normalized and strengthened.

He added that Afghans have never wished insecurity upon Pakistan and that the historical ties between the two countries required normalisation and strengthening.

Mujahid stressed that efforts must be made to improve relations between the two countries and to foster an atmosphere of mutual trust.

Regarding the TTP, the IEA spokesman said the matter has nothing to do with Afghanistan.

He explained that TTP issue has existed since 2003 and was not new, and remained an internal matter of Pakistan, for which Islamabad must find a domestic solution rather than spoiling relations with Afghanistan over it.

sa/ma