AT-KABUL: US Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Dr. Zalmay Khalilzad on Tuesday held separate meetings with Afghan and UN officials, where he discussed fresh development made during talks with the Taliban group in Qatar. During meetings he said that no one had a monopoly on the diplomacy of peace and …
Read More »Nine drug peddlers arrested in Kabul
KABUL: Police in Kabul said Tuesday that it has arrested nine drug peddlers in an anti-narcotics raid in Kabul city, a clampdown that began almost a month ago against drug kingpins and peddlers in the capital. Kabul Police said in a statement that Counter Narcotics Police launched raids in 1st, …
Read More »Dobbins says US, Taliban reached ‘agreement in principle’
AT Monitoring Desk KABUL: Top American envoy said that US and the Taliban group reached “agreement in principle” on various important issues for a peace deal that could end the longest war in Afghanistan. Former US Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan James Dobbins says the deal is ‘a hopeful …
Read More »A welcome peace deal must not sacrifice hard-won progress
Statement in reaction to Afghanistan peace talks – by Jan Egeland, Secretary General of the Norwegian Refugee Council. “As humanitarian workers in Afghanistan we welcome any negotiated solution that can end decades of brutal conflict in Afghanistan. There is no military solution to this bitter conflict, but although the international …
Read More »300 women complete civil service internship program
AT-KABUL: The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Promote: Women in Government (WIG) project hosted a graduation ceremony to recognize 300 female interns who completed the projects’ year-long internship program. USAID Promote’s internship programs equip qualified Afghan women with the knowledge and experience to join the Afghan civil service. In …
Read More »Afghanistan to send first cargo to India through Chabahar Port
KABUL: Afghanistan will initiate trade through Iran’s Chabahar Port with the first transit cargo to be shipped to India next month using the international customs transit system (TIR system). According to Marine Link, Husne Mubarak Azizi, head of foreign affairs and Ministry of Transport of Afghanistan said that the country is preparing to …
Read More »Ghani calls for serious Taliban talks, vows to restore peace
By Farhad Naibkhel KABUL: After marathon negotiations between the insurgent Taliban and the United States in Qatar last week, President Ashraf Ghani on Monday called on the Taliban to shun violence and engage in direct peace talks with his government. This comes a day after the US special peace envoy …
Read More »Political party urges ‘intra-Afghan peace talks’
KABUL: ‘Mehwar-e-Mardum’ political party has called for an immediate launch of direct peace talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban in bid to negotiate a way to save Afghanistan from its ongoing chaos. The political party in a statement welcomed the week-long negotiations between Washington and the insurgents in …
Read More »Afghan Special Forces free 38 prisoners from Taliban jail
KABUL: An Afghan special forces raid freed 38 members of security forces from a Taliban jail in the volatile central-eastern province of Ghazni, the military said on Monday. The rescue happened during a raid on a Taliban prison Sunday night in the area between Spin Klay and Ghat Klay villages …
Read More »Watchdog slams peace negotiators for ‘sidelining’ media
KABUL: NAI, a non-government body monitoring activities and rights of media outlets, says that the media had been marginalized during talks held between US and Taliban officials over peace process. The watchdog said Monday that the two negotiating parties should have paid attention to media freedom and achievements gained regarding …
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