12 February - 14 April, 2020

• Pakistan, Afghan bilateral forum to meet soon
  Islamabad and Kabul will soon hold the next session of Afghanistan-Pakistan Action Plan for Peace and Solidarity (APAPPS), a bilateral forum set up in May 2018 as part of efforts not only to remove mistrust but also improve ties between the two neighbours.The agreement to arrange the next meeting of APAPPS was reached during a telephonic conversation between Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi and his Afghan counterpart, Hanif Atmar.
  Atmar was recently appointed as acting Afghan Foreign Minister by President Ashraf Ghani. He is one of the influential figures in Afghanistan as he previously served as the country’s interior minister as well as national security adviser.
  A statement issue by the Foreign Office said Qureshi congratulated Atmar on his recent appointment and expressed hope that during his tenure, there would be enhanced interaction between the foreign ministries of the two countries.
  Prospect of enhancing bilateral relations in all areas were discussed. Qureshi reiterated the importance of existing bilateral mechanisms. He hoped that the next session of APAPPS would be held soon which would help further strengthen bilateral cooperation in various fields. ( Express Tribune, 20 April, 2020)
• Taliban calls for Islamic emirate in Afghanistan, drafts a charter with rules
  The draft charter calls for establishing an Islamic emirate, has 149 articles on a broad range of topics including how laws will be passed, and states the Islamic emirate is not obliged to implement UN laws that contradict Islamic values. The Taliban have drafted a charter with rules for the future governance of Afghanistan that virtually envisages a return to the era when the terror group was in power in Kabul during 1996-2001, according to a media report on Tuesday. The draft charter, which was shared with ToloNews channel by a senior Afghan government official, calls for establishing an Islamic emirate, has 149 articles on a broad range of topics including how laws will be passed, and states the Islamic emirate is not obliged to implement UN laws that contradict Islamic values. The development comes at a time when there is growing concern within government circles in India and other neighbouring countries that the Taliban, long accused of having strong ties with Pakistan’s military establishment, are trying to take advantage of the Covid-19 crisis to push through their agenda. (Hindustan Times, 14 April, 2020)
Top US negotiation team, army chief discuss Afghan reconciliation process
The US chief negotiator and the top American commander in Afghanistan visited Islamabad on Tuesday and discussed Afghan peace process with Pakistan’s top military leadership.“Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad and Resolute Support Mission Commander General Austin Scott Miller visited Islamabad on April 14,” a statement issued by the US embassy in Pakistan said.“In the meeting with Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa, Ambassador Khalilzad and General Miller discussed the United States’ ongoing efforts for a sustainable peace in Afghanistan,” the communique added. Pakistan’s military leaders reaffirmed their support for US efforts and renewed their commitment to act to advance a political settlement to the conflict, according to the statement. (Express Tribune, 14 April, 2020)
• Taliban set to release 20 Afghan government prisoners
  Taliban announcement comes after at least 300 of their members released over last few days by Kabul as part of a swap. The Taliban is set to release 20 Afghan government prisoners in the southern Afghan city of Kandahar - the first handover by the armed group since the beginning of a peace process."Today, 20 prisoners of the Kabul administration will be released," Taliban spokesman Suhail Shaheen said on Twitter, adding that the group would be handed over to representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross. (AlJazeera, 12 April, 2020)
• Afghanistan's peace process is in danger of unravelling
  The COVID-19 crisis and the Ghani-Abdullah dispute could bring down the fragile peace in the country.Those of us who witnessed United States officials and Taliban representatives shake hands on February 29, 2020, were inspired by the political will for peace that we witnessed. Yet many of us have also recognised the inevitable difficulties in implementing the agreement concluded in Doha. But what we could not have anticipated was the two crises which would simultaneously threaten to derail the entire Afghan peace process: the Afghan presidential election dispute and the COVID-19 pandemic. So far, Afghanistan has registered 170 cases of COVID-19 and four deaths. While these numbers are low compared with what is reported from the worst-affected countries such as Italy, Spain, Iran, and the United States, given the limited testing capacity in Afghanistan, it is feared that the true scope of the outbreak is much bigger. ( Aljazeera, 31 March, 2020)
• Govt. says peace team ‘final’
  After the Taliban group has rejected to sit in talks with Kabul peace delegation, the Ministry of State in Peace Affairs emphasized that the delegation has been finalized after comprehensive consultations with several influential figures and that there would be no change in it. Spokesperson for the ministry, said, “Comprehension and People’s inclusion have been considered in the formation of the delegation.” The Taliban have opposed the Afghan government’s peace delegation, saying that it has not been a comprehensive negotiation team and they would not sit in talks with them. The Taliban’s Spokesman, Zabiullah Mujahid on his twitter said that Afghan government would be a part of the intra-Afghan talks along with other Afghan sides. In reaction to the militant stand regarding the negotiation team, the European Union’s envoy for Afghanistan, Roland Kobia said that opponents are not chose in war like in peace. “If you want a say in the composition of the other Negotiating Team, fine but then you should accept they have a say in yours too, to check if it is fully representative of your society. Where are the women for example?,” he wrote on his twitter. (Afghanistan Times, Kabul, March 30, 2020 )
• Pompeo wants Afghan warring leaders to unify
  The U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo touted the government of Afghanistan’s team of peace negotiators and called on warring Afghan leaders to try to form an all-inclusive government. Pompeo in a tweet touted the Afghan leaders for preparing an inclusive negotiating team to make intra-Afghan negotiations successful. He also ‘applauded’ Kabul’s commitment to begin releasing prisoners. “I also applaud your commendable effort to set conditions for peace and reconciliation,” he said. US Secretary of State urged the warring Afghan leaders to show the same commitment with which they forged the peace team to the effort to form an inclusive government. “This step plus decisions already taken can help all Afghans realize a brighter future,” he said. (Afghanistan Times, Kabul, March 30, 2020)
• US cuts aid by $1bn amid political impasse
  US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Monday announced a $1bn cut in American aid to Afghanistan after he failed to convince President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani and his political foe to end a feud that has helped jeopardize a US-led peace effort. “The United States also is prepared to cut another $1bn worth of assistance in 2021 and is conducting “a review of all of our programs and projects to identify additional reductions and reconsider our pledges to future donor conferences for Afghanistan,” Pompeo said in a statement. Pompeo’s statement came as he flew home from a fruitless day-long effort in Kabul to end competing claims to the presidency by President Ghani and his rival Abdullah Abdullah and win their agreement to form “an inclusive government.” The harshly worded announcement at the end of the mission he undertook despite the spreading global coronavirus pandemic underscored how badly stalled the US-led effort to end America’s longest war and decades of strife in Afghanistan has become.( Kabul Times, Kabul, March 25, 2020)
• Imran Khan Congratulates Ghani for Taking Oath as President of Afghanistan
  Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan congratulated Ashraf Ghani for taking oath as the President of Afghanistan. “I want to congratulate Afghanistan’s President Ashraf Ghani & look forward to working with him. Pakistan will do everything it possibly can to bring peace and stability in our region,” Khan said in a Twitter post. Ghani took oath of the office during a ceremony in ARG Presidential this afternoon. The ceremony was disturbed rocket attack which the ISIS Khurasan, an offshoot of the Islamic State, claimed responsibility for. The security officials said four rockets landed close to ARG Presidential Palace which slightly wounded a police officer. Meanwhile, Abdullah Abdullah took oath of the office during a parallel presidential inauguration this afternoon. (Daily Outlook, Kabul, March 11, 2020)
• China Felicitates Ashraf Ghani on Election as President of Afghanistan
  China Tuesday congratulated Ashraf Ghani on his election as President of Afghanistan and said, “China respects Afghan people’s independent choice and decision on the future of their nation.” “We congratulate Mr. Ghani on his election as president,” Chinese Foreign Ministry’s Spokesperson Geng Shuang said during his regular briefing held here. He called on parties in Afghanistan to bear in mind the interest of their nation and people consolidate consensus and accelerate the process of reconstruction and peace. “We are willing to work with the new administration and people in all sectors to promote friendly relations between our two countries for the benefit of our people,” he added. He remarked that now the situation in Afghanistan was at a crucial stage as Afghan Taliban and the US had signed a peace agreement. He hoped that inter-Afghanistan negotiations would be held soon and Afghan people were now facing the precious opportunity of conclusion of a four-decade-long war, adding, “But there are also severe challenges.” The spokesperson also hoped that the international community would respect the Afghan people’s will and continue to support inter-Afghan peace and reconciliation. “We also call on the foreign armies to withdraw in orderly and responsible manner to ensure a transition to avoid terrorist organization’s expansion,” he added. Afghan President Ashraf Ghani was re-elected as President of Afghanistan for the next five years during the presidential election held in September 2019. He was sworn-in as the president in the Afghan capital Kabul on March 9. (Daily Outlook, Kabul, March 11, 2020)
• Intra-Afghan talks delayed
  In the midst of political strife among the Afghan leaders on power sharing and the fragile peace talks, the Taliban – with whom the Afghan government is supposed to sit and talk over future landscape of the country – has said on Monday that the intra-Afghan talks may not be held on due time. The group citing the oath-taking ceremony of the two top leaders, President Ashraf Ghani and Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah – who on Monday announced the parallel government – has termed it as a reason for the possible delay in talks between the Afghan sides. The US and Taliban had peaked a peace deal over a week ago in Doha, the capital city of Qatar, to pave the practical steps for troop drawdown in Afghanistan and bring the Afghans on one table, where they would discuss the fate of their country. But the Afghan government and Taliban are still in an unabated reluctant phase regarding the peace process. After the US-Taliban peace deal, the militants have warned of continuation their attacks against the Afghan Security Forces, however before the agreement, the conflict sides had agreed on a one week reduction in violence. The Taliban have been insisting on releasing their 5,000 prisoner as a precondition before the intra-Afghan talks. But the US Administration has constantly called on the Afghan government and politicians to form a comprehensive delegation to continue the peace talks with the Taliban. Looking at the current tensions between Ghani and Abdullah over presidency, the Taliban’s Spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid has said that he doesn’t “think that the Afghan government could implement the prisoner exchange process.” (Afghanistan Times, Kabul, March 10, 2020)
• Kabul Condemns Pakistan FM’s ‘Irresponsible’ Remarks on ‘Internal Matters’
  KABUL - Afghanistan's Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday it strongly condemns Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi's "irresponsible" remarks on its "internal matters," The ministry didn’t made it clear which statement by Qureshi it was referring to. In his latest statement, Qureshi called on the Afghan government to abide by a prisoner swap clause in the US-Taliban deal. "The US-Taliban agreement says that there will be an exchange of prisoners," said Qureshi. "President Ghani should ask the US for an explanation of the agreement." Afghan Foreign Ministry in a statement said that it had lodged protest with Pakistan over Qureshi’s recent remarks on its internal matters. Afghan government believes that Pakistan should take practical steps on strengthening bilateral relations by resorting to policies of good neighborhood and prevent irresponsible remarks on Afghan affairs, the statement said. It said that such remarks would not be effective in improving relations between the two countries and rather would create an atmosphere of mistrust (Daily Outlook, Kabul, March 5, 2020)
• We Demand an Honorable Peace, Not an Inglorious Treaty
  A landmark U.S.-Taliban peace agreement has raised hopes for peace in Afghanistan. ‘Solidarity council of political parties’ on Tuesday welcomed the peace deal and said that they want an honorable and lasting peace rather than an inglorious treaty. Republicans Party chief, Habibullah Sanjar, in a gathering in Kabul said that the Taliban’s statement regarding forgiving the people of Afghanistan is absurd, arguing that it is the Afghan nation who is to forgive the Taliban. “We have not perpetrated the atrocities to be pardoned by them. They have cast agony upon us, but the Afghan nation is so generous to have invited them to the table of negotiations,” he said. The council issued a statement, asking the government to safeguard the achievements of the past 18 years including the Republic system, the Constitution, women’s rights and freedom of speech. A seven-day period of reduced violence began last Friday night in which neither side attacks. The period includes a moratorium on the roadside explosive devices, rockets and suicide bombers that have been the Taliban trademark and continued as recently as last month. If the weeklong mull is declared a success, U.S. and Taliban leaders will sign a deal in Doha, Qatar, on February 29 that begins the drawdown of American troops in exchange for Taliban vows to fight terrorism and stop attacks against the United States. (Afghanistan Times, Kabul, March 4, 2020)
• Kabul-Taliban Negotiations Will Prioritize Ceasefire
  A long-sought-after negotiation between the Afghan government and the hardline Taliban is expected in less than ten days, with both sides obligated to discuss ceasefire to end almost two decades of unrest. Washington and the Taliban signed a peace agreement Saturday in Qatar, in which the Taliban have agreed to launch intra-Afghan negotiations on March 10. The government of Afghanistan will engage in talks with the Taliban to discuss the date and modalities of a comprehensive ceasefire, including joint implementation mechanisms. The arrangements will be announced along with the completion and agreement over the future political roadmap for Afghanistan. Guarantees and enforcement mechanisms preventing the use of Afghan soil by any group or individual against the security of the United States and its allies constitute an important part of the deal. Another salient feature involves guarantees, enforcement mechanisms and announcement of a timeline for the withdrawal of all foreign forces from Afghanistan. The peace agreement includes a 14-month deadline for withdrawal of all U.S. forces from Afghanistan, political settlement resulting from intra-Afghan dialogue, a permanent and comprehensive ceasefire, and guarantees to prevent the use of Afghan soil by any terrorist groups against the security of the US and its allies. The historic deal was signed by US Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad and the Taliban’s chief negotiator Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar in Doha, Qatar – which was the base of marathon talks for 18 months. The protracted negotiations led by the chief US negotiator culminated into a “weeklong reduction in violence” last week which saw a drastic decline in fighting and guerilla warfare. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called on the Taliban to honour its commitments. “I know there will be a temptation to declare victory, but victory for Afghans will only be achieved when they can live in peace and prosper,” he said at the Doha ceremony. The peace deal also proposes the release of 5,000 Taliban members from prison. A negotiating team was sent last week to Doha to speak to the Taliban about the group’s demand to set 5,000 of their prisoners free – a demand Kabul has shrugged off before intra-Afghan dialogue. (Afghanistan Times, Kabul, March 2, 2020)
• Taliban violates violence reduction promise in Kandahar
  Amid a one-week reduction in violence between Afghan, US forces and the Taliban fighters, the security officials in southern Kandahar said that the Taliban had violated the agreement, setting attacks on three districts of the province. Provincial Police Spokesman Jamal Nasir said the Afghan Security Forces have stayed committed to the agreement. “The conflicting side has broken the agreement and carried out attacks on Shorabak, Shahwali-Koot and Maroof districts.” He said the militants have also conducted several attacks on security forces convey. Thought the Afghan security forces observe the violence reduction, Barakzai said that militants would face strong reaction if they didn’t put a halt into attacks. The US and Taliban, after almost one and half years of negotiations with the Taliban, had reached a deal over a weeklong reduction in violence instead of a ceasefire agreement – which the Afghan government had emphasized on as a precondition for US and Taliban peace deal. If the Taliban hold on the cooling off for the rest of the week, US President Donald Trump said that he would sign the peace agreement with the Taliban – a deal that pave the ground for intra-Afghan-talks and a gradual drawdown of American troops. (Afghanistan Times, Kabul, February 26, 2020)
• Khalilzad Meets Pakistan Prime Minister, Briefs on Peace Talks
  US peace envoy for Afghanistan, Zalmay Khalilzad, met with Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan and briefed about the latest developments in the Afghan peace and reconciliation process, Pakistan’s Dawn news reported. Reiterating Pakistan’s commitment to a peaceful, stable and democratic Afghanistan, Imran Khan said Islamabad welcomed the recent progress in peace talks between the US and Taliban, it said. Khalilzad also called on Chief of the Army Staff Gen. Qamar Bajwa at the General Headquarters. “During the meeting matters of mutual interest including overall regional security situation and ongoing Afghan reconciliation process were discussed,” according to Pakistan military media, ISPR. (Daily Outlook, Kabul, February 19, 2020)
• Government to Back Every Step to Bring Peace to Afghanistan
  The government would support every initiative, whether it’s bilateral or multilateral, that would be aimed at bringing peace and stability in Afghanistan, said Andleeb Abbas, Parliamentary Secretary for Foreign Affairs. She was speaking at a multilateral dialogue on the future of the Afghan peace process with attendees from Afghanistan, Pakistan, China, the US, the UK, and Denmark organised by the Royal Danish Defense College (RDDC) and the Centre for Research and Security Studies (CRSS). The event was attended by many notables, including the Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Yao Jing, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister of Pakistan on the National Security Division, Dr Moeed Yusuf, and the Ambassador of Denmark to Pakistan Rolf Holmboe. The Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan, Yao Jing, appreciated Pakistan’s efforts in moving the process forward and reiterated China’s support for a political solution to the Afghan conflict. “Peace in Afghanistan is of key importance to the region, especially Pakistan, as Afghanistan remains the heart of Asia,” he added. He stated that China would contribute to any peace agreement through a variety of mechanisms, as the process has reached a serious phase, and concluded that the people of Afghanistan deserve peace and stability through a process led and owned by Afghans to ensure success. Special Assistant to the prime minister of Pakistan on the National Security Division, Dr Moeed Yusuf said that Pakistan has been concertedly pushing for a political and amicable solution. (THE NEWS) (Daily Outlook, Kabul, February 16, 2020)
• Government to Back Every Step to Bring Peace to Afghanistan
  The government would support every initiative, whether it’s bilateral or multilateral, that would be aimed at bringing peace and stability in Afghanistan, said Andleeb Abbas, Parliamentary Secretary for Foreign Affairs. She was speaking at a multilateral dialogue on the future of the Afghan peace process with attendees from Afghanistan, Pakistan, China, the US, the UK, and Denmark organised by the Royal Danish Defense College (RDDC) and the Centre for Research and Security Studies (CRSS). The event was attended by many notables, including the Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Yao Jing, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister of Pakistan on the National Security Division, Dr Moeed Yusuf, and the Ambassador of Denmark to Pakistan Rolf Holmboe. The Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan, Yao Jing, appreciated Pakistan’s efforts in moving the process forward and reiterated China’s support for a political solution to the Afghan conflict. “Peace in Afghanistan is of key importance to the region, especially Pakistan, as Afghanistan remains the heart of Asia,” he added. He stated that China would contribute to any peace agreement through a variety of mechanisms, as the process has reached a serious phase, and concluded that the people of Afghanistan deserve peace and stability through a process led and owned by Afghans to ensure success. Special Assistant to the prime minister of Pakistan on the National Security Division, Dr Moeed Yusuf said that Pakistan has been concertedly pushing for a political and amicable solution. (Daily Outlook, Kabul, February 17, 2020 )
• There Are Attempts of Sabotaging Afghan Peace Process: Hekmatyar
  KABUL - Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, the leader of the Hizb-e-Islami political party said Saturday that as US-Taliban talks have reached a vital stage, there is no sign of a political consensus within the country. Speaking at a gathering in Herat marking the anniversary of the former Soviet Union withdrew from Afghanistan, Hekmatyar said that some people are trying to harm the peace process. It comes as the United States and the Taliban have agreed to a temporary truce that, if successful, would open the way for a deal that would bring American troops home from Afghanistan and end 18 years of war, Associated Press reported. According to the report, the peace deal would call for negotiations between Afghans on both sides of the conflict to start next month, an eventual countrywide cease-fire and a commitment from the Taliban not to harbor terrorist groups like al Qaida, while setting a timetable for the withdrawal of U.S. troops. However, the Afghan government said that an inclusive negotiator team has been formed, but Hekmatyar said that the Afghan politicians have been kept in dark regarding the formation of such a team. Hekmatyar said all laterals should be involved in the negotiation, suggesting a comprehensive team comprised of the three leading electoral tickets – Ashraf Ghani, Abdullah Abdullah, Gulbuddin Hekmatyar – and Hamid Karzai, the former president of Afghanistan, should be formed. “If we fail to take advantage of the opportunity, we will face the same consequences that we had faced following the withdrawal of Soviet forces from Afghanistan,” said Hekmatyar stressing, “it could not be in favor of anyone.” Meanwhile, Anwarul Haq Ahadi, the former Finance Minister and a front-row supporter of Abdullah Abdullah-led electoral team said that the team should be consist of government-based figures as well as Afghan politicians so that they sit in direct talks with the Taliban. (ATN) (Daily Outlook, Kabul, February 17, 2020 )
• NATO supports US efforts to end war in Afghanistan
  KABUL: The NATO Chief Jens Stoltenberg has said that NATO is fully support US peace efforts in Afghanistan. In a pre-ministerial press conference on Tuesday ahead of the meetings of NAOT Defense Ministers in Brussels, Stoltenberg said “We fully support the efforts led by the United States to end the conflict and to achieve a peaceful solution. “We will conclude the ministerial by meeting with all nations contributing to our training mission in Afghanistan. Our Resolute Support Mission is making a difference. Despite the challenging circumstances, the brave Afghan security forces are getting stronger. And they are helping create the conditions for peace,” he told the newsmen. Allies are consulting closely on the way forward. The US Special Representative, Ambassador Khalilzad, was recently here to discuss the latest developments, he added. “I expect ministers will address the peace process and how our Resolute Support Mission can best support it. The Taliban must understand they cannot win on the battlefield. They must commit to a reduction in violence, and show that they are genuinely committed to a peaceful future for Afghanistan,” he furthered. (Afghanistan Times, Kabul, February 12, 2020 )