https___www.voatibetan.com_a_taliban-seeks-recognition-for-qatar-office-direct-talks-with-us_3628311.html.xml
https___www.bbc.com_nepali_news-51730020_1.xml
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Afghanistan's Taliban has demanded official recognition for its political office in Qatar, direct talks with the United States and removal of senior members from a U.N. blacklist, describing these as preliminary steps to peacefully ending its insurgency. A Qatar-based Taliban spokesman, Sohail Shaheen, has asserted the presence of U.S.-led foreign troops in Afghanistan is the “root cause” of war and its continuation. The “foreign occupation forces” are undermining the country’s sovereignty and freedom of its politics as well as the government, he added. “That is why there is need for America and its allies to come to the table for direct talks with the Islamic Emirate (the Taliban) for negotiating an end to the occupation,” Shaheen said. If peace is the objective of the other side, he asserted, then the Taliban must be allowed to open its “Political Office” in Qatar and names of its senior members be removed from the U.N. black list. “These obstacles in the way of establishing peace cannot be simply ignored,” Shaheen said, warning that “mere slogans and statements” (by the other side) would further complicate the issue rather than promoting Afghan peace. The Taliban maintains an unofficial political office in Doha, the capital of the Gulf state, for meetings with Afghan and foreign interlocutors. The controversial facility was formally opened in 2013, but the move outraged the Afghan government, forcing Qatari authorities to stop the Taliban from officially using it. Afghan President Ashraf Ghani has also refused to give recognition to the Taliban’s office. Instead, he has intensified military operations against insurgents in Afghanistan and has even recently asked for the United Nations to declare Taliban chief Mullah Hibatullah as global terrorist The stepped up Taliban hostilities this year have allowed the insurgents to inflict heavy casualties on Afghan forces and capture more territory, diminishing hopes for any peace talks between the warring sides. Ghani's move to demand the U.N. blacklist the Taliban leader deals another blow, says Michael Kugelman of the Woodrow Wilson Center in Washington. “If Kabul is willing to so bluntly reject the Taliban’s preconditions for talks, then it’s effectively sent a signal that talks are off the table for the foreseeable future,” Kugelman told VOA. President Ghani has also been harshly critical of neighboring Pakistan for not uprooting alleged Taliban sanctuaries on its soil he says are prolonging the war and bloodshed in his country. Islamabad denies the charges. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid, however, claims its leaders have been guiding the insurgency from within Afghanistan. Speaking to VOA, he asserted that "any institutions" established to serve Afghan refugees in Pakistan have recently been relocated to mainly southern Afghan provinces, including Helmand, where most districts are controlled by insurgents. But Afghan officials dismiss the assertions and insist Pakistani authorities continue to harbor Taliban insurgents. “We reject recent claims by the Taliban that the group’s leadership council has relocated to southern Helmand province from Pakistan,” Afghan Foreign Minister Salahuddin Rabbani told NATO foreign ministers’ meeting Wednesday in Brussels. “Such claims have no merit and are aimed at diverting attention from a lack of sincere effort by some to combat terrorism effectively, and in good faith,” Rabanni said in a veiled reference to Pakistan. Pakistan’s foreign ministry spokesman, Nafees Zakaria, on Thursday again rejected the Afghan allegations as “regrettable”. “Pakistan has been doing everything for taking action against terrorist and militant groups for not allowing to use our soil. This is a matter of fact. Afghan government should engage with Pakistan in counter terrorism cooperation and border management instead of blaming Pakistan for all its problems in Afghanistan.” Zakaria went on assert that anti-Pakistan militant groups are using Afghan soil for attacks inside Pakistan and called for Kabul to take action against them.
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अफगानिस्तान द्वन्द्व: तालिबान र सरकारी सेनाबीच फेरि लडाइँ, शान्तिवार्ताप्रति सन्देह तालिबानले अफगान सेनासँग आंशिक रूपमा युद्धविराम भङ्ग गरेपछि अफगानिसस्तानमा पुन: लडाइँ सुरु भएको छ। त्यसबाट आगामी साता हुने भनिएको शान्तिवार्ताप्रति सन्देह उत्पन्न भएको छ। अधिकारीहरूका अनुसार १६ भन्दा बढी प्रान्तमा दुई पक्षबीच सङ्घर्ष भएको छ। त्यहाँ भएका घटनामा आठ विद्रोही, छ सामान्य नागरिक र आठ सुरक्षाकर्मीको ज्यान गएको बताइन्छ। अफगान सरकारले तालिबानले स्थानीय स्तरमा पुन: आक्रमण सुरु गरेको २४ घण्टामा २० जनाको मृत्यु भएको जनाएको छ। यसैबेला अमेरिकी राष्ट्रपति डोनल्ड ट्रम्पले एक तालिबान नेतासँग "धेरै राम्रो कुराकानी" भएको बताएका छन्। गत सप्ताहान्तमा अमेरिका र तालिबानबीच भएको शान्ति सम्झौतापश्चात् उनीहरूबीच टेलिफोनमा कुराकानी भएको हो। कुराकानीमा के भयो? तालिबानका एक प्रवक्ताले अमेरिकी राष्ट्रपति र मुल्ला अब्दुल गनी बरादरबीच आधा घण्टाभन्दा लामो कुराकानी भएको बताए। उनले दुवै नेताले अफगानिस्तानमा शान्ति स्थापना गर्ने इच्छा व्यक्त गरेको जानकारी दिए। तालिबानका अनुसार ट्रम्पले आफ्ना विदेशमन्त्री माइक पोम्पेओलाई अफगान राष्ट्रपति अशरफ गनीसँग कुराकानी गर्न लगाउनेछन्। त्यसो गर्दा अफगान सरकार र तालिबानबीच वार्ता सुनिश्चित हुने र शान्ति सम्झौताअनुसार योजना बनाउन सकिने उसको भनाइ छ। कैदी आदानप्रदान गर्ने विषयमा विद्यमान विवादले उक्त सम्झौतामाथि प्रश्न उठेको छ। त्यसमा अफगान सरकार प्रत्यक्ष रूपमा संलग्न छैन। विवाद किन? सम्झौताअनुसार आगामी मार्च १० सम्ममा झन्डै ५,००० तालिबान कैदी र १,००० अफगान सुरक्षाकर्मी आदानप्रदान गरिनेछ। सोही मितिमा तालिबान र अफगान सरकारबीच वार्ता सुरु हुन लागेको छ। तर अफगानिस्तानका राष्ट्रपति अशरफ गनीले आइतवार आफ्नो सरकार त्यसमा सहमत नभएको बताएका छन्। सोमवार तालिबानले यदि कैदीहरू रिहा नभए वार्ता सुरु नहुने बताएको छ। तालिबानले अफगान अधिकारीहरूसँग भेट्ने तर कैदीहरूको रिहाइबारे मात्र कुराकानी गर्ने बताएको छ।