Afghanistan Times
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AT News Report
KABUL: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Saturday summoned a senior official from Pakistani embassy in Kabul after Pakistan Prime Minster Imran Khan said that new government would soon come in Afghanistan, terming it a clear intervention into internal affairs of the country.
Foreign Minister Spokesman Sebghat Ahmadi said Pakistan Counselor summoned for clarification on the recent remarks by Imran Khan regarding establishment of a new government in the near future.
“The Government of Afghanistan expressed its grave objection on Pakistan’s government and deemed such remarks a flagrant interference in its intern affairs”,
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan said Friday that peace
in Afghanistan is “around the corner,” referring to the efforts by the United
States for a political settlement to the conflict in the country.
“Negotiations have been initiated with the Taliban. God willing, our brothers
in Afghanistan would live together in peace in coming days,” Khan told a big
public gathering in northwestern Bajaur tribal district on the Afghan border,
according to a report by the VOA.
Without elaborating further, Khan asserted the peace process
would result in stability, trade and economic prosperity for the region, and
particularly for Afghanistan to enable the war-shattered country stand on its
own feet, VOA said in the report.
“A good government will be established in Afghanistan, a government where all
Afghans will be represented. The war will end and peace will be established
there,” Khan said as quoted in the VOA report.
The remark made after US Department of State termed Taliban talks with the US
negotiators as meaningful progress.
“We’ve received reports back from Special Representative Khalilzad that they’ve had meaningful progress,” Robert Palladino, the State Department’s deputy spokesperson, told reporters at a daily briefing in Washington on Tuesday.
He said that in the fresh round of talks, the two sides were able to move to agreement in draft on the first two principles.
“In this round of talks, we were able to move to agreement in draft on the first two principles, counterterrorism assurances and troop withdrawal. And when that agreement in draft is finalized, Taliban and an inclusive Afghan negotiating team that includes the Afghan government and other Afghans to begin intra-Afghan negotiation for a political settlement and a comprehensive ceasefire,” he added.
Hours after the news broke on Qatar talks, US Special Envoy Zalmay Khalilzad said in a tweet that he wrapped up a marathon round of talks with Taliban in Doha.
Khalilzad said peace requires agreement on four issues: counterterrorism assurances, troop withdrawal, intra-Afghan dialogue, and a comprehensive ceasefire.
