US & Taliban Should Discuss Formation of Mutually Agreeable Government, Says Khalilzad

Otunbayeva succeeds Deborah Lyons of Canada and was the President of the Kyrgyz Republic from 2010-2011.

She has over 35 years of professional experience in leadership, diplomacy, civic engagement, and international cooperation and held several senior diplomatic positions.

Otunbayeva has also served with the United Nations as Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General in the United Nations Observer Mission in Georgia (UNOMIG) (2002-2004).

While Zardari talked of common stance with Iran on Afghanistan, Pakistan’s envoy to Afghanistan has said that Islamabad will not recognise the Taliban without regional and international understanding.

Earlier, Mansoor Ahmad Khan, Pakistan's ambassador in Kabul, said that regional and international understanding is needed for Pakistan to recognise the Taliban government.

While the two countries haven’t recognised the Taliban government, they have kept close ties with the group and have accepted Taliban diplomats in their countries.

According to the local Taliban officials, Ansari’s companions have also been killed.

Zabihullah Mujahid, spokesperson of the Taliban, also confirmed that Ansari was targeted while performing Friday prayers.

The Taliban police in Herat, however, did not mention the exact number of casualties.

According to local sources, Ansari's brother and 13 of his bodyguards are also among the dead.

So far, conflicting reports have been published about the death of this Mawlawi. A source confirmed to Afghanistan International that Mawalwi Ansari's body was taken to the 600-bed hospital in Herat city.

Ansari was a loud critic of the previous government of Afghanistan and a supporter of the Taliban. Earlier in 2022, at a meeting of Taliban scholars in Kabul, he had said that "anyone standing against the current government [the Taliban government], should be beheaded".

At the Taliban’s Ulema gathering in Kabul, Ansari had declared his strong support for the Taliban.

Ansari was the Imam of Herat Gazargah Mosque. His sharp statements on the current affairs of Afghanistan and on Afghanistan’s sects were always in the news.

Despite the Taliban’s efforts for recognition, even Pakistan, which is one of the main allies of the group, has not recognised them.

Taliban claims that they have changed their policies and behaviour and have met major international demands.

The Taliban stressed that they will not allow any group to attack the territory of neighbouring countries. However, the group has not yet been able to stop the Pakistani Taliban from attacking Pakistani soldiers from Afghanistan.

In an interview with TOLOnews, Pakistan's ambassador encouraged the Taliban to embrace an "inclusive political structure". Ahmad Khan described Afghanistan as a multi-ethnic country and according to him, political stability cannot be achieved without the participation of all ethnic groups.

He also acknowledged that the legitimacy of the Taliban government is linked to human rights issues, especially the reopening of secondary schools for girls across Afghanistan.