Pakistans strategy in the coming days, weeks, and months would be to portray themselves as being left to fend for themselves after the withdrawal of US troops, and that they will be bearing the brunt of the fall out of a failing Afghanistan and the resultant melee and chaos, intelligence sources reveal.

Internal communication within Pakistan government circles is to play on this narrative as aggressively as possible and try and gain sympathy from the global community.

The objective is to gain ingress into the larger civilized world and be accepted as a nation that is striving to keep the world safe. They would thus draw in economic aid, long-term financial aid, get off FATF, establish a closer association with the EU and US, make a dent on the Quad, the sources said.

The Pakistan narrative of being the victim will see a build-up in the coming days and will be visible in print and electronic media as part of a massive PR exercise.

The sources said that the ISI has a clearly charted out plan for long-term sustenance of its association with the Taliban and to ensure a smoother reign of the Taliban than before. While this will be more difficult than they can perceive, they would keep some fault lines open for the mishaps by the Taliban. They would claim credit for the successes and good work of the Taliban and render the flaws to internal woes and an element of sympathy from the global community they would depend on.

They would eventually play the line that they are left to handle an apparent mess that the US and the European countries failed to control, sources added.

Pakistan National Security Adviser (NSA) Moeed Yusuf expressed concern over the worsening situation in Afghanistan on Friday, terming it “extremely bad and out of Pakistan`s control”.

Dawn news reported that while briefing the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs, he warned of an impending risk of an attack by Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan, who, he said, could enter the country disguised as refugees.

Yusuf said Pakistan was very concerned about the changing situation following the US drawdown and would be adversely affected by the growing violence and civil war in Afghanistan.

“The region`s peace is conditional on peace in Afghanistan,” he added.

Yusuf further said that the Afghan government needed to work on improving relations with Pakistan if it wanted peace in the country.

“(Also), I don`t see the US offering a financial package to Afghanistan and in that case, only Pakistan can provide a trade route to the landlocked country,” he said.

The NSA stressed that the UN Refugee Agency needed to set up camps for Afghan refugees.

Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi also briefed the committee, saying that Pakistan intended to suggest power-sharing in Afghanistan to avoid civil war.

He added that in case of a civil war in Afghanistan, Pakistan would not be able to handle the influx of refugees. He further stated that Pakistan wanted 300,000 refugees in the country to return to their own countries.

“The situation in Afghanistan is worsening and holding Pakistan responsible for the (worsening) situation was not fair,” he said.

He added Taliban had objections over Afghan President Ashraf Ghani`s participation in negotiations, adding that they were “intelligent and had grown wise” over time.

He claimed that the Taliban had changed after the Doha talks.

(Inputs from agency)

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New Delhi: Around 50 diplomats and security personnel were pulled out from the Indian consulate in Afghanistan’s Kandahar, people familiar with the development said on Sunday.

This was done taking cognisance of the deteriorating security situation in the region as the Taliban gains control of new areas around the southern Afghan city

According to the sources privy to the operation, a special aircraft of the Indian Air Force was sent on Saturday to bring back the Indian diplomats, officials and other staff members including a group of Indo-Tibetan Border Police personnel.

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India has temporarily shut the consulate in Kandahar in view of Taliban militants rapidly seizing control of a number of key areas in the region as well as in western Afghanistan triggering serious security concerns.

The Indian embassy in Kabul had on Tuesday said there was no plan to close the embassy and the consulates in Kandahar and Mazar-e-Sharif.

Later, the Ministry of External Affairs informed that India was carefully monitoring the deteriorating security situation in Afghanistan and its implications on the safety and security of Indian nationals.

“Our response will be calibrated accordingly,” External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said at a media briefing on Thursday.

Afghanistan is once again witnessing turmoil with a series of terror attacks in the last few weeks as the US maintained its position to completely withdraw its forces from Afghanistan by August-end, bringing nearly two-decades of its military presence in the war-ravaged country to an end.

Reports stated that at least two foreign missions in Mazar-e-Sharif, the capital of northern Balkh province, have closed their operation because of escalating violence in the region.

Afghan Ambassador Farid Mamundzay on Tuesday briefed Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla about the situation in Afghanistan as India became increasingly concerned over the deteriorating situation in the country.

Last week, the Indian embassy had asked all Indians visiting, staying, and working in Afghanistan to exercise utmost caution for their security and avoid all types of non-essential travel in view of rising incidents of violence.

In an advisory, the embassy warned that the security situation in Afghanistan remains “dangerous” and that terror groups have carried out a series of complex attacks including targeting civilians. Indian nationals face a “serious threat” of kidnapping, it added.

India has already invested nearly USD three billion in aid and reconstruction activities in Afghanistan, being a major stakeholder in the peace and stability of the country. The former has been supporting a national peace and reconciliation process which is Afghan-led, Afghan-owned, and Afghan-controlled.

During Afghan Foreign Minister Mohammad Haneef Atmar’s visit to India in March, External Affair Minister S Jaishankar conveyed to him that India has long-term commitment towards a peaceful, sovereign, and stable Afghanistan.

(With Agency Inputs)

Kabul: Hours after US President Joe Biden ordered his troops to pull out of the war-torn nation, the Taliban on Friday claimed to be in control of 85 percent of Afghanistan’s territory.

The Taliban claimed that its fighters had seized the border town of Islam Qala, thereby completing an arc of territory from the Iranian border to the frontier with China.

A delegation of Taliban officials in Moscow said that they controlled around 250 of Afghanistan’s 398 districts.

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Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid too confirmed the same and said that the Islam Qala border crossing was “under our full control”.

Meanwhile, the Afghan government officials in Kabul said: “efforts are underway to recapture the site”.

“All Afghan security forces including the border units are present in the area, and efforts are underway to recapture the site,” AFP quoted Afghan Interior Ministry spokesman Tariq Arian as saying.

This came as the US President had earlier said that his country’s military mission would end on August 31.

Biden, however, admitted it was “highly unlikely” Kabul would be able to control the entire country.

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“The status quo is not an option,” he said, adding that he would “not send another generation of Americans to war in Afghanistan”.

The US President said the Afghan people alone should determine their future.

New Delhi: With the United States withdrawal inching closer, Taliban continued to make quick captures of major territories in Afghanistan, putting the Afghan security forces under extreme pressure and intensifying confrontations.

In the latest move, the Taliban claimed to have entered and captured Qala-e-Naw, the first regional capital to face an all-out offensive by it. The Afghan government has flown in its commandos to push back the Taliban and take control of the provincial capital in northwestern Badghis province.

The fight between the Taliban and the Afghan commandos has entered into the second day with President Ashraf Ghani stating that his security forces had the capacity to defeat the Taliban, even after the complete withdrawal of the US troops. The locals of Qala-i-Naw were forced to either flee the city or barricade themselves in their homes as fighting continues to intensify with each passing hour.

The Taliban have launched a major assault since the US has fast paced the withdrawal of its troops. Pentagon claims that the pullout of troops from Afghanistan is 90 per cent complete. Taliban, on the other hand, have started capturing new territories and are making fast forward movements into claiming major provincial capital like Qala-i-Naw, prompting serious concerns that Afghan forces may not be able to handle the Taliban assault without the American air support.

President Ghani admitted that the transition, of the shifting of power and control from the foreign troops to the Afghan government, has entered into the most complicated stage.

“What we are witnessing is one of the most complicated stages of the transition. Legitimacy is ours; God is with us,” he said during a speech in Kabul.

The withdrawal of the US and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) troops from Afghanistan, that also after two decades, seems to have vitalised the Taliban, who now seem to be moving towards claiming complete victory over the Afghan forces and the Ghani government.

Badghis provincial capital Qala-i-Naw has come under a serious Taliban offensive in the past 48 hours, with fighting continuing and intensifying.

“The Taliban have resumed their attacks from several directions with light and heavy weapons,” said Badghis Governor Hessamuddin Shams.

“Our security forces are bravely fighting them and the enemy is being pushed back. They are fleeing. We will give a hard blow to the enemy,” he added.

This is happening at a time when Taliban delegation and the Afghan government representatives have met in Tehran in a first surprise, but significant meeting, hosted by Iran.

The Taliban is once again establishing its base in Afghanistan. In the light of events, other countries have started closing their consulates in Afghanistan now. According to information and reports received from officials, given the victory of the Taliban in the areas of northern Afghanistan, some countries have closed their consulates located in that area.

Tajikistan is securing its southern border by deploying reserve troops. According to reports from Tajikistan, about 1000 Afghan soldiers have crossed the border and fled to Tajikistan as the Taliban forces advance in the northern region.

According to a statement issued by the Tajikistan government on Monday, President Emomali Rakhmon has ordered the deployment of 20,000 reserve troops to further strengthen the border with Afghanistan.

This exodus of the Afghan army comes after the Taliban captured most of the districts in the northeastern Badakhshan province. Several districts laid down their arms without a fight, while hundreds of soldiers of the Afghan National Security and Defense Forces crossed the border and fled to Tajikistan seeking safety.

Turkish and Russian consulates in Mazar-i-Sharif, the capital of northern Balkh province and fourth-largest city in Afghanistan, have reportedly been closed. Iran said it had limited activities at its consulate in the city.

Fighting is also reported in Balkh province, but the provincial capital is relatively calm. The Balkh provincial governor’s spokesman Munir Farhad said on Tuesday that the consulates of Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, India, and Pakistan have reduced their services. He informed that Turkey and Russia have closed their consulates, and their diplomats have left the city.

The Tajik government said Afghan troops were allowed to cross the border on humanitarian grounds. However, the border posts on the Tajik side are controlled by the country’s forces and the Tajik side has had no clashes with the Taliban. Russia also expressed concern over the developments on Monday.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said there was “increased concern” about the ongoing fighting, but his country had no plans to send troops to aid the former republic.”

“We have said many times that following the withdrawal of the Americans and their allies from Afghanistan, the development of the situation in this country is a matter of growing concern,” Peskov said.

Kandahar: Amid the ongoing US troop withdrawal from Afghanistan, the Taliban on Sunday (July 5) took control of a key district in their former bastion of Kandahar. Citing officials, Geo News reported that after fierce overnight fighting with Afghan forces, the Taliban took over the Panjwai district. The group has pressed on with its campaign to capture territory across Afghanistan`s rural areas since early May when the US military began the pull-out.

The fall of the Panjwai district in the southern province of Kandahar comes just two days after US and NATO forces vacated their main Bagram Air Base near Kabul, from where they led operations for two decades against the Taliban and their Al-Qaeda allies, reported Geo News. The exit of foreign troops from Bagram Air Base, north of Kabul, has fuelled concerns that the Taliban will ramp up their campaign to capture new territory.

Bagram Air Base has great military and symbolic significance, with foreign forces previously stationed there offering vital air support in the fight against the Taliban. Afghan authorities, who have taken control of the base, said that they will use it to fight terrorism, and have already re-activated its radar system, reported Geo News.

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Over the years, the Taliban and Afghan forces have regularly clashed in and around Panjwai, with the Taliban aiming to seize it given its proximity to Kandahar city, the provincial capital. The province of Kandahar is the birthplace of the Taliban, who went on to rule Afghanistan until being overthrown by a US-led invasion in 2001.

Panjwai District Governor Hasti Mohammad said Afghan forces and the Taliban clashed during the night, resulting in government forces retreating from the area, reported Geo News. Kandahar provincial council head Sayed Jan Khakriwal confirmed the fall of Panjwai, but accused government forces of “intentionally withdrawing”.

Fighting has raged across several provinces of Afghanistan in recent weeks and the Taliban claim to have seized more than 100 out of nearly 400 districts in the country, reported Geo News. Meanwhile, Afghan officials disputed the claims but acknowledged that government troops have retreated from some districts. It is difficult to independently verify the situation.: 

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Kabul: The US embassy in Kabul has said that it would continue to operate in the country amid the increase in uncertainty as the US continues to work towards its military pullout till August end.”The US Embassy in Kabul is open & will remain open. As directed by President Biden, we will continue to have a robust diplomatic presence in Kabul to carry out the range of work we do with the government and people of Afghanistan.

We have no plans to close the Embassy,” the embassy tweeted on Monday (July 5). This comes after The Wall Street Journal had reported that US officials have intensified planning for an emergency evacuation of the embassy in Kabul due to the worsening security situation in the country.

These preparations are taking place as part of the US withdrawal of Afghanistan. Violence has escalated in Afghanistan since the Biden administration announced its decision to withdraw troops from the war-torn country. Experts believe that growing clashes between Taliban and Afghan forces are fueling fears that the country is headed into a civil war.

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“The US Embassy is constantly planning for contingencies & how to mitigate risks to our people & programs. We are aware of security challenges to operating in Afghanistan, & we will adjust our presence as necessary to address these challenges,” the embassy added.

Reiterating Biden and Secretary Blinken`s stand, the embassy added that “US military presence in Afghanistan is ending, the US Embassy will continue our diplomatic, humanitarian, and security assistance programs in Afghanistan.”

Amid a surge in Taliban offensives and attacks on civilian populations and infrastructure in Afghanistan, the US embassy on Friday called for an end to the ongoing violence, which is largely driven by the Taliban.

Earlier this week, the Taliban said in a statement that civilians and non-military foreign nationals, diplomats, embassies and workers of humanitarian organisations would not face any problems or security risks from them.However, CNN reported that there are reasons to question that statement, particularly given the fractured nature of the Taliban. 

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New Delhi: In view of the escalating violence, the Indian embassy in Afghanistan on Tuesday advised all Indians visiting, staying, and working in Afghanistan to exercise the utmost caution with regard to their security and avoid all types of non-essential travel. 

In an advisory, the embassy said the security situation in Afghanistan remains “dangerous” and that terror groups have carried out a series of complex attacks, including targeting civilians, adding that Indian nationals additionally face a “serious threat” of abduction.

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Afghanistan witnessed a series of attacks in the last few weeks as the United States looks to complete the withdrawal of its forces from the war-ravaged country by September 11, ending nearly two decades of its military presence there. 

“The security situation in Afghanistan remains dangerous in several provinces. Terror groups operating in Afghanistan have escalated violent activities and carried out a series of complex attacks in various parts of Afghanistan, including targeting Afghan defence and security forces and Afghan government institutions and even civilians,” the embassy said.

The embassy “strongly advised” all Indians to avoid all types of non-essential movements and urged them to keep essential movements as discrete as possible. The embassy also strongly advised the Indian companies operating in Afghanistan to take up necessary security measures for their Indian employees deployed at project sites.

“Indian nationals are not exceptions, and they additionally face a serious threat of kidnapping,” it said in the 13-point advisory.

“In recent weeks, targeted attacks that are on the rise in various provinces and districts, directed against government establishments and security posts, have seen civilians caught in the middle of the conflict. Incidents of roadside IED (improvised explosive device) blasts and magnetic IEDs used to target vehicles of civilians continue to be reported from many parts of the country,” it said.

In view of the heightened security threats, it said movements, especially during peak commuting hours, should also be avoided.

“While travelling on roads, maintain distance from possible targets like military convoys, vehicles of government ministries/offices, high-ranking officials, law-enforcement agencies, and avoid visiting crowded markets,” it said. The embassy also advised people to avoid visiting crowded markets, shopping complexes, mandis, restaurants and other public places.

The embassy said travelling outside the main cities should be avoided, adding that essential travel should be undertaken by air as many highways and roads are unsafe and prone to attacks.

“All Indian nationals arriving in Afghanistan are advised to register with the Embassy/Consulates on the website or by email to. Those who are already present but have not registered or updated their contact details are also requested to do so immediately,” it said.

According to official data, over 3,000 Indians are staying in Afghanistan currently.

(With agency inputs)

Amid escalating violence in Afghanistan, Pakistan’s Home Minister Sheikh Rashid has made a shocking revelation, saying families of Afghani Taliban militants live in various regions, including Islamabad’s famous areas, and are sometimes treated in local hospitals.

According to TOLOnews, Sheikh Rashid said that the Afghan Taliban families are provided with medical treatment. His statement comes at a time when Afghanistan is witnessing heavy violence during the last few weeks due to the aggressive stance of the Taliban.

Pakistan has consistently rejected allegations by Afghan leaders that the Taliban uses Pakistani soil to direct and advance insurgent activities in Afghanistan.

In an interview broadcast on Pakistan’s private TV channel Geo News on Sunday, Home Minister Sheikh Rashid said: “Families of the Taliban live here in Pakistan’s areas like Rawat, Lohi Bher, Bahara Kahu, and Tarnol.”

The areas mentioned by the minister are famous suburbs of the capital city of Islamabad. “Sometimes, the bodies of their soldiers are brought to the hospitals, and sometimes they come here for treatment,” Rashid told the channel.

Pakistan has often been accused of harbouring and supporting Afghani Taliban militants. They have been fighting with the Afghanistan government for the last two decades. It is rare for Pakistan’s elite ministers and senior politicians to acknowledge this.

Kabul: A significant part of the Al-Qaeda leadership resides in the Afghanistan and Pakistan region, including the group`s leader Ayman al-Zawahiri, who is “probably alive but too frail to be featured in propaganda,” according to a United Nations report.

The findings on the status of Taliban-controlled and contested districts were presented last week by the Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team.

The 18 member states report, issued last Friday (June 4), said that large numbers of Al-Qaeda fighters and other foreign extremist elements aligned with the Taliban are located in various parts of Afghanistan.

This comes as foreign troops withdraw from Afghanistan and plan to leave completely by September 11.

According to the UN report, ties between the two groups remain close, based on ideological alignment, relationships forged through common struggle and intermarriage.

The Taliban has begun to tighten its control over Al-Qaeda by gathering information on foreign terrorist fighters and registering and restricting them.

The group`s leader, Aiman Muhammed Rabi al-Zawahiri, is believed to be located somewhere in the border region of Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Previous reports of his death due to ill health have not been confirmed. “One Member State reports that he is probably alive but too frail to be featured in propaganda.”

According to the UN report, Al-Qaeda, including Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent, is reported to number in the range of several dozen to 500 persons. Al-Qaeda core`s membership is of non-Afghan origin, consisting mainly of nationals from North Africa and the Middle East.

Although the member states assess that formal communication between senior Al-Qaeda and Taliban officials is currently infrequent, one member state reported that there is regular communication between the Taliban and Al-Qaeda on issues related to the peace process.

Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent operates under the Taliban umbrella from Kandahar, Helmand (notably Baramcha) and Nimruz Provinces.

The group reportedly consists of primarily Afghan and Pakistani nationals, but also individuals from Bangladesh, India and Myanmar, the report added.

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Kabul: Referring to the media reports that the United States has sought to use military bases in Pakistan, the Taliban on Friday (May 27) warned Washington against maintaining surveillance in Afghanistan and said it will lead to “more bloodshed” in the country.

The Doha agreement has been “repeatedly” violated by the US and that it has led to the continuation of violence in Afghanistan, the Taliban statement added, as quoted by TOLOnews.

The US has rejected claims on violation of the Doha agreement amid its ongoing drawdown from Afghanistan.

Referring to some media reports, the terrorist group said that the US will keep its presence along the Durand Line for surveillance using Pakistan`s territory and airspace.

This will mean that the US will maintain its presence in Bagram and Shindand bases in Afghanistan and that if this happens, the Taliban “will continue their jihad” as in the past, the statement said.

The terrorist group went on to warn Pakistan not to facilitate the continuation of “Afghanistan`s occupation;” otherwise, it will be “a mistake” and a “big blunder”.

On Tuesday (May 25), Pakistan Foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said in the Senate that Pakistan would not provide its military bases to the United States for future counter-terrorism operations in Afghanistan and also not allow drone attacks inside Pakistan.

The foreign minister also rejected as unfounded the reports of providing the US, bases in Pakistan, making it clear that Prime Minister Imran Khan would never provide its bases to the US, nor would allow drone attacks inside Pakistan, reported The News International.

“I want to assure the House that Pakistan is in safe hands,” he remarked.

The remarks came after a Pentagon official said that Pakistan had allowed the US military to use its airspace and given ground access so that it could support its presence in Afghanistan.

Responding to the concerns of a senator, the Qureshi had said, “Because what we were fearing and we still fear and are concerned that a vacuum created in Afghanistan can drag or suck the country back into the decade of 1990s”.

Qureshi contended that as the US planned to withdraw its remaining troops from Afghanistan by September 11, Pakistan would continue playing its role for the advancement of the peace process in that country, reported The News International. 

Kabul: Amid the final US drawdown from Afghanistan, more than 8,000 families have been displaced in at least five provinces as fighting intensifies between the Afghan security forces and the Taliban.

Scores of families are facing a shortage of shelter, access to health services, education and other facilities for a normal life, TOLOnews reported citing displaced persons.

Afghanistan has seen a spike in the incidents of violence in recent weeks, leading to casualties of Afghan security forces and civilians. US withdrawal is underway and set to complete by September 11.

According to a report, heavy clashes is continuing in the five provinces including Baghlan, Helmand, Kunduz, Kandahar and Laghman, over the last few weeks.

“8,500 families have been displaced. Of the figure, 3,500 families have been displaced due to the fresh spat of violence,” said Sharifullah Shafiq, the head of the refugees and repatriations directorate in Baghlan province.

The Afghan government has pledged to address the needs of the displaced families.

“We have planned to help our countrymen who have been displaced from their homes. We are working with foreign NGOs to address their needs,” said Sayed Abdul Basit Haidari, a spokesperson for the Afghan Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation.

On Thursday (May 20), a Pentagon release said that after the US withdrawal, any number of possibilities might arise, including a takeover of the country by the Taliban or a defeat of the Taliban by the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces.

“I will acknowledge the range of potential outcomes in the months as we go forward,” Brig. Gen. Matthew Trollinger, the deputy director of politico-military affairs for the Middle East, on the Joint Staff, said.

“I will say the ANDSF (Afghan security forces) — they`re a capable force. They have capable ground, air and special operations forces, and here, very recently, they`ve effectively both defended against Taliban attacks as well as gone on the offensive to disrupt Taliban activities.” 

 

Kabul: In an airstrike by Afghan Air Force (AAF) on Monday (May 17) at least 19 Taliban terrorists, including four key members and three Pakistani nationals, were killed in Faryab province. Afghan military`s 209th Shaheen Corps confirmed the news on Tuesday (May 18).

According to their statement, the Taliban were killed in an AAF air raid on a Key Taliban base in the Khwaja Namusi area of Pashtun Kot district in Faryab province on Monday (May 17) evening, reported The Khaama Press.

The statement added that among the dead were “Zainullah” known as Khalid Taliban shadow district governor for Almar district, “Noorul-Haq” designated Taliban district governor for Bala-Murghab district, “Mullah Asadullah Turkman” Taliban`s military commission chief for Andkhoi district, and “Mullah Raihan” a Taliban leader.

According to the statement three Pakistani nationals in the ranks of the Taliban were also killed in the airstrike, reported The Khaama Press.

15 others including Mullah Shoaib Taliban`s military chief for Faryab province were wounded following AAF airstrikes in the region, and 17 different types of vehicles belonging to the Taliban terrorists were also destroyed.

The airstrikes were conducted while senior Taliban commanders and military officials from several districts had gathered to plan their offensives on various parts of the Faryab province, the statement said.

So far, the Taliban has not commented on the air raid mission conducted by the Afghan Air Force, reported The Khaama Press.

This comes as security sources in Herat province said Feroz Ahmad head of the police for Torghundi district was killed in clashes between the Taliban and government forces.

Abdul Ahad Walizada, a spokesman for Herat police HQ told media that the incident took place on Monday (May 17) night, reported The Khaama Press.

According to Walizada, four Taliban terrorists were also killed during the skirmish.

Moreover, local sources indicated a National Directorate of Security (NDS) member was killed and two others were wounded in a Taliban attack in the Imam Sahib district of Kunduz province.

A member of Kunduz provincial council, Khaliludin Hakimi said that the incident happened on Monday (May 17) night.

Security officials in the region confirmed the Taliban attack but did not provide further details. The Taliban have not yet commented on the incident.
 

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Kabul: The Afghan government is ready to fight against the Taliban after the full withdrawal of foreign troops from the country, said President Ashraf Ghani as the US announced the completion of up to 20 percent troops from the war-torn country.

“The threat of terrorism has changed. It has not disappeared. We are all agreed on this,” Ghani said in an interview with American public broadcasting service PBS on May 17.

“The US is committed to support things, providing support. This is financial, in the security area, in the economic area, in the humanitarian area, because the US, fortunately, shares the values of supporting the gains of the last 20 years. And our discussion is enormously productive.”

The United States’ military withdrawal from Afghanistan is up to 20 percent complete, US Central Command (CENTCOM) said on Monday (May 17).

“US Central Command estimates that we have completed between 13-20 percent of the entire retrograde process. We expect to be able to provide weekly updates on the progress of the retrograde,” the combatant command responsible for the Middle East and parts of Central Asia said in a statement.

Taliban terrorists have intensified activities since the formal start of the US-led forces pull out from Afghanistan on May 1.

The US aims to complete the withdrawal by September 11. Ghani has recently held talks with influential political leaders, including the reconciliation council chief Abdullah Abdullah and former president Hamid Karzai, to build a consensus around peace and form a high-level state council.

The US entered Afghanistan ostensibly to eliminate and destroy the Al-Qaeda terror group under its “war on terror” military campaign.

However, the effort morphed into an extended attempt to establish democracy on Afghan soil, Sputnik reported.

During the intervening years, the Taliban regrouped and gained control of large parts of the nation in what has become America`s longest war that lasted over two decades and led to cost up to USD 1 trillion.

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Doha: Amid the final drawdown of US troops from Afghanistan, the Taliban has agreed to begin substantive talks with the Republic team in Doha in the coming days, which would end the peace process stalemate.

According to Tolo News, the Taliban group plans to attend the Istanbul summit but wants the end negotiations to take place in Doha. The negotiating teams met in Doha on May 14 after a long pause.

Sources familiar with the meeting said the Taliban has asked to maintain the Doha negotiations–with serious discussions– but they want the final outcome to be achieved in Doha, not in Istanbul.

“I think that this will open the way for an Istanbul conference where the Taliban will attend. They might make the agenda based on who in the Afghan government team will attend, not based on the US agenda,” said Sayed Akbar Agha, a former Taliban commander said to Tolo news.

The Republic team said that efforts in Doha and Istanbul will help achieve results in the negotiations, but they stressed that the Taliban`s commitment is key.

“A meeting will be meaningful when the attendees include decision-makers and when there is a commitment for decision making. Only participation of high-ranking leaders can affect the current Doha process,” said Fawzia Koofi, member of the negotiating team of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan.

Meanwhile, a delegation representing the Taliban led by Shai Abdul Hakim Haqqani has been in Pakistan over the last 20 days discussing with the leadership of the group the details of attending the Istanbul summit and the withdrawal of international troops from Afghanistan.

“Pakistan`s influence on the Taliban and the possible encouragement from Pakistan of course has an impact,” said Mohammad Amin Waqad, former deputy head of the High Peace Council, as reported by Tolo news.

President Ashraf Ghani has emphasised the need for a decision on peace by the regional players, and for Europe`s much-needed role to “get Pakistan on board” on the ongoing peace talks with the Taliban.

“Peace will primarily be decided upon regionally, and I believe we are at a crucial moment of rethinking. It is first and foremost a matter of getting Pakistan on board. The US now plays only a minor role. The question of peace or hostility is now in Pakistani hands,” Ghani told the German news website, Der Spiegel, in an interview.

Over Pakistan`s influence on the Taliban, Ghani said, “Pakistan operates an organized system of support. The Taliban receive logistics there, their finances are there and recruitment is there.”

“The names of the various decision-making bodies of the Taliban are Quetta Shura, Miramshah Shura, and Peshawar Shura – named after the Pakistani cities where they are located. There is a deep relationship with the state,” he added.

The negotiations in Doha were stalled after the announcement of a delay in US forces’ withdrawal in Afghanistan from the original May 1st deadline. 
 

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Washington: The 2020 International Religious Freedom Report released by the United States on Wednesday (May 12) revealed that terrorist groups in Afghanistan continued to target specific religious and ethnoreligious groups.

During the year 2020, Sikhs, Hindus, Christians, and other non-Muslim minorities reported continued harassment. Members of the Hindu community reported that they faced fewer cases of harassment than Sikhs, which they ascribed to their lack of a distinctive male headdress.

According to minority religious leaders, the decreasing numbers of Sikhs, Hindus, and other religious minorities had only a few remaining places of worship.

According to the Sikh and Hindu Council, there were a total of 70 gurdwaras and mandirs (Hindu temples) remaining in the country, although they did not specify how many of each.

In 2020, United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) documented a reduction from 2019 in civilian casualties from attacks targeting places of worship, religious leaders, and worshippers.UNAMA recorded 19 attacks targeting places of worship, religious leaders, and worshippers, compared with 20 attacks in 2019. The attacks caused 115 civilian casualties (60 deaths and 55 injured), compared with 236 civilian casualties (80 deaths and 156 injured) in 2019.

UNAMA continued to report high levels of ISIS-Khorasan (ISIS-K) directed, sectarian-motivated violence, primarily targeting the Shia Muslim, mostly ethnic Hazara, population.

It documented 10 incidents of sectarian-motivated violence against Shia Muslims, Sufi Muslims, and Sikhs, resulting in 308 civilian casualties (112 killed and 196 injured), compared with 2019 when there were 10 incidents resulting in 485 civilian casualties (117 killed and 368 injured).

Several major attacks against the Shia Hazara community occurred during the year.

The Taliban continued to kill religious leaders and threaten them with death for preaching messages contrary to the Taliban`s interpretation of Islam or its political agenda.

In several cases, the responsibility for attacks on pro-government religious leaders was unclear. In these instances, although no individual or group claimed responsibility, local authorities said they suspected that ISIS-K or, the Taliban were responsible.

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Kabul: As many as 15 suicide attacks and dozens of other attacks have been carried out in the country by the Taliban since the start of Ramzan on April 13, the Ministry of Interior Affairs of Afghanistan said on Tuesday (May 11).

A total of 255 civilians were killed and 500 more were wounded in the attacks during this period and the Taliban were responsible for 200 blasts and 15 suicide bombings during Ramzan, TOLOnews reported the interior ministry as saying.

“I thank all security forces. They prevented over 800 incidents and arrested over 800 terrorists who will be trailed and law will be implemented,” Afghan President Ashraf Ghani said on Tuesday (May 11).

The number of civilian deaths increased by 20 percent during the last month (April 13 to May 12) compared to a month before, according to the data obtained by TOLOnews.

This comes after the Taliban on Sunday (May 9) night announced that they would observe a three-day ceasefire for the festival of Eid. Later on Monday (May 10), Afghan President Ashraf Ghani also instructed all Afghan forces to observe the ceasefire during Eid.

US Special Representative Zalmay Khalilzad on Tuesday (May 11) had welcomed the announcements by the Taliban and the Afghan government to uphold a ceasefire in the country during the festival of Eid.

“I welcome the announcements by the Taliban and the Afghan government to observe an Eid ceasefire. Violence has been horrific in recent weeks, and the Afghan people have paid the price,” Khalilzad tweeted.

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. 
 

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Kabul: In separate roadside bomb blasts in Zabul and Parwan provinces at least 13 civilians were killed and 37 wounded on Sunday (May 10). Citing Interior Ministry, Tolo News reported that in Zabul, 11 civilians were killed and 28 more were wounded in a roadside bomb blast that targeted a passenger bus in Shahr-e-Safa district in the province on Sunday (May 10) evening.

The blast happened in the Muskan Camp area in the district after a bus was targeted by a roadside bomb, the ministry said, adding that “the bomb was placed by the Taliban.”

Taliban has not commented on the blast, reported Tolo News. Meanwhile, two civilians were killed and nine more were wounded in a roadside bomb blast that targeted a bus in the Pul-e-Matak area in Parwan province on Monday morning, health officials said.

“The wounded were taken to nearby hospital,” said Dr. Qasim Sangin, head of Parwan hospital.

“Women and children are among the wounded.”No group including the Taliban has so far claimed responsibility for the blast.

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Kabul: The death toll from an explosion outside a school in Afghanistan`s capital Kabul has risen to 58, Afghan officials said on Sunday, with doctors struggling to provide medical care to at least 150 injured.

The bombing on Saturday evening shook the city`s Shi`ite Muslim neighbourhood of Dasht-e-Barchi. The community, a religious minority in Afghanistan, has been targeted in the past by Islamic State militants, a Sunni militant group.

An eyewitness told Reuters all but seven or eight of the victims were schoolgirls going home after finishing studies.

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani on Saturday blamed the attack on Taliban insurgents but a spokesman for the Taliban denied involvement, saying the group condemns any attacks on Afghan civilians.

Families of the victims blamed the Afghan government and Western powers for failing to put an end to violence and the ongoing war.

Bodies were still being collected from morgues as the first burials were conducted in the west of the city. Some families were still searching for missing relatives on Sunday, gathering outside hospitals to read names posted on the walls, and checking morgues.

“The entire night we carried bodies of young girls and boys to a graveyard and prayed for everyone wounded in the attack,” said Mohammed Reza Ali, who has been helping families of the victims at a private hospital.

“Why not just kill all of us to put an end to this war?” he said.

The violence comes a week after remaining U.S. and NATO troops began exiting Afghanistan, with a mission to complete the drawdown by September 11, which will mark the end of America`s longest war.

But the foreign troop withdrawal has led a surge in fighting between Afghan security forces and Taliban insurgents with both sides trying to retain control over strategic centres.

Kabul: A bomb exploded near a school in a majority Shiite district of west Kabul on Saturday (May 8), killing at least 25 people, many of them young students, Afghan government spokesmen said. The Taliban condemned the attack apparently aimed at civilians and denied any responsibility. 

Ambulances were rushing to evacuate wounded from the scene of the blast near Syed Al-Shahda school, in the Shiite majority neighbourhood of Dasht-e-Barchi, Interior Ministry spokesman Tariq Arian said. 

While no one has claimed responsibility for the bombing, previous, often brutal attacks in this neighbourhood have been claimed by the Afghan Islamic State affiliate. 

The radical Sunni Muslim group has declared war on Afghanistan’s minority Shiite Muslims. Washington blamed IS for a vicious attack last year in a maternity hospital in the same area that killed pregnant women and newborn babies.

In Dasht-e-Barchi, angry crowds attacked the ambulances and even beat health workers, said Health Ministry spokesman Ghulam Dastigar Nazari. He implored residents to cooperate and allow ambulances free access to the site.

Images circulating on social media purportedly showed smoke rising above the neighbourhood.  At one nearby hospital, Associated Press journalists saw at least 20 dead bodies lined up in hallways and rooms, with dozens of wounded people and families of victims pressing through the facility.

Outside the Muhammad Ali Jinnah Hospital, dozens of people lined up to donate blood, while family members checked casualty posted lists on the walls. Both Arian and Nazari said that at least 50 people were also wounded and that the casualty toll could rise. The attack occurred just as the fasting day came to an end. 

No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, and Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid told reporters in a message that only the Islamic State group could be responsible for such a heinous crime. Mujahid also accused Afghanistan’s intelligence agency of being complicit with IS, although he offered no evidence.

The Taliban and the Afghan government have traded accusations over a series of targeted killings of civil society workers, journalists and Afghan professionals. While IS has taken responsibility for some of those killings, many have gone unclaimed.

IS has previously claimed attacks against minority Shiites in the same area, last year claiming two brutal attacks on education facilities that killed 50 people, most of the students.  Even as the IS has been degraded in Afghanistan, according to government and US officials, it has stepped up its attacks particularly against Shiite Muslims and women workers.

Earlier the group took responsibility for the targeted killing of three women media personnel in eastern Afghanistan. The attack comes days after the remaining 2,500 to 3,500 American troops officially began leaving the country. They will be out by Sept. 11 at the latest. The pullout comes amid a resurgent Taliban, who control or hold sway over half of Afghanistan. 

The top U.S. Military officer said Sunday that Afghan government forces face an uncertain future and possibly some ‘bad possible outcomes’ against Taliban insurgents as the withdrawal accelerates in the coming weeks.

(Inputs from PTI)

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Washington: US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin said on Thursday (May 6) the process of removing all contractors from Afghanistan working with the United States was underway as part of President Joe Biden`s withdrawal of forces from the country.

The remarks are the clearest indication yet that Biden`s April order to withdraw all U.S. forces from Afghanistan by Sept. 11 extended to U.S.-funded contractors.

Asked whether the Pentagon had issued orders to withdraw not just American troops but also contractors, Austin said: “We`re going to responsibly retrograde all of our capabilities that we are responsible for and the contractors fall in that realm as well.”

Speaking with reporters, Austin said the contractors could, however, renegotiate their contracts in the future.

As of April, there were nearly 17,000 Pentagon contractors, including about 6,150 Americans, 4,300 Afghans and 6,400 from other countries.

The departure of thousands of contractors, especially those serving the Afghan security forces, has raised concerns among some U.S. officials about the ability of the Afghan government and military to sustain critical functions.

`NOT A FOREGONE CONCLUSION`

Austin said the drawdown was going according to plan so far.

But Afghan security forces are locked in daily combat with the Taliban, which has waged war to overthrow the foreign-backed government since it was ousted from power in Kabul in 2001.

In just two days, the Taliban captured a second district in the northern province of Baghlan on Thursday (May 6).

The Afghan government says the Taliban have killed and wounded more than 50 troops in attacks in at least 26 provinces during the last 24 hours, while its forces killed dozens of Taliban over the same period.

The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Mark Milley, said there had been sustained levels of violent attacks against Afghan security forces but none against U.S. and coalition forces since May 1.

Milley, in the same news conference, said it was too early to speculate on how Afghanistan would turn out after the withdrawal of U.S. forces given that Afghanistan had a significantly sized military and police force and the Afghan government was still cohesive.

“It is not a foregone conclusion, in my professional military estimate, that the Taliban automatically win and Kabul falls or any of those dire predictions,” Milley said.

Kabul: Despite the Taliban`s claim that it seeks to maintain peace in Afghanistan, Kabul on Monday (May 3) revealed that the terror outfit still maintains close ties with Al-Qaeda.

The Afghan government said that the roots of the al-Qaeda network are still alive in Afghanistan and the group still poses a threat to the country and the world and is collaborating with the Taliban, reported The News International.

“Al-Qaeda is still active in Afghanistan, Al-Qaeda was not owned by bin Laden,” said Atiqullah Amarkhil, a former military officer.

Osama Bin Laden, the founder of the militant terrorist organisation al-Qaeda, was killed by US security forces in Abbottabad on May 2, 2011.

He was shot in the head, during the firefight in the compound in Pakistan, where he was taking shelter.

“Right now, al-Qaeda and Talib are not two different ideologic topics; they are beyond that as they have intermarried within their families,” National Directorate of Security (NDS) chief Ahmad Zia Saraj said last week, reported The News International.

But the Taliban has dismissed any type of relations with al-Qaeda.

The US presence in Afghanistan over the last 20 years was due to the existence of al-Qaeda.

President Joe Biden last month said the US has achieved its objectives in the Afghanistan war, reported The News International.

Terming war on terror as America`s longest war, Biden said: “Now, as a result of those efforts, as we bring to an end America`s longest war and draw down the last of our troops from Afghanistan.”

The United States has begun pulling out its forces from Afghanistan.

Biden announced earlier this month the decision to withdraw troops from the country starting May 1, with the aim of complete withdrawal 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. 
 

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