Stalled Negotiations Over Release Of Three Americans Detained By Taliban

According to Pakistani army officials, these operations began on April 21 in the border areas with Afghanistan.

The media wing of the Pakistan army announced on Wednesday that their security forces have killed 29 terrorists along the Afghanistan border over the past month.

Pakistan considers these operations part of a broader effort to curb the influence of "terrorists" who target security forces and civilians in Pakistan.

This comes as last week, Pakistani security forces clashed with the Taliban in the border region of Dand Wa Patan. The clashes ended after five days with the mediation of local elders from both sides of the border.

The media unit of the Pakistan Army also stated that they have repeatedly asked the Taliban in the past to assure effective management of the border areas.

In recent months, Pakistani officials have frequently accused the Taliban of harbouring Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) following an increase in terrorist attacks in the country.

Pakistan claims that terrorist attacks in the country are planned and organised from Afghanistan soil, but the Taliban have consistently rejected these claims, stating that armed groups opposing the Pakistani government are not present in Afghanistan.

On his X social media account, Abdullah wrote that during this meeting, they discussed and exchanged views on the "current situation of the country and the third Doha meeting”.

In the picture shared by Abdullah, Raffaella Iodice, Chargé d’Affaires of the European Union Delegation to Afghanistan; Robert Chatterton Dickson, Chargé d'Affaires of the UK Mission to Afghanistan, and Ricardo Losa, Spanish Ambassador to Afghanistan, are present.

The Chairman of the High Council for National Reconciliation of the former Afghan government did not provide details about his discussions with the European diplomats regarding the third round of the Doha meeting.

In the note published by Abdullah, he mentioned that he asked the European diplomats to increase humanitarian aid to the flood victims in Afghanistan.

The United Nations announced on Wednesday that the third round of the Doha meeting, with the participation of special representatives from various countries for Afghanistan, will be held on the June 30 and July 1.

During his meeting with Abdul Ghani Baradar, Taliban’s Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs, Al-Khulaifi said that Qatar hopes that the third Doha meeting will come to a conclusion with the presence of the Taliban representative.

The press office of this Taliban official wrote in a statement on Thursday that Baradar met with him in his office.

The office of Mullah Baradar, quoting Al-Khulaifi, wrote that such meetings "will not yield results" without a Taliban representative.

According to Al-Khulaifi, Qatar has made its position clear to the United Nations on this matter.

The Taliban's Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs also stated that without the presence of a Taliban representative, the international conference on Afghanistan will not reach any conclusion. This Taliban official emphasised that the Taliban's position should be respected in such meetings.

The third Doha meeting is scheduled to be held on June 30 and July 1.

In the previous two Doha meetings on Afghanistan, hosted by the United Nations, a Taliban representative was not present. The United Nations hopes that a representative from the group will participate in the third meeting.

Meanwhile, the Taliban's Political Commission held a meeting on Thursday, chaired by Abdul Kabir, the Taliban's Deputy Prime Minister for Political Affairs, to discuss the upcoming Doha meeting.

The United Nations has slated the third session of this meeting for June 30 and July 1.

According to a statement from the Taliban Prime Minister's office on Thursday, the discussion at the Sepidar Palace also covered the current situation in Afghanistan and the region, focusing on delivering humanitarian aid to those in need.

Previously, the UN had declared that the meeting would feature special representatives for Afghanistan, with the aim to "enhance structured and consistent international engagement with Afghanistan”.

The UN Deputy Secretary-General, Rosemary DiCarlo, extended an invitation to Taliban officials during her visit to Kabul.

Abdul Kabir emphasised that their participation hinges on the acceptance of the Taliban's positions. He assured DiCarlo that Afghanistan is completely under Taliban control, asserting that the country "has one emir and is obedient to him”.

The appointment of a UN special representative for Afghanistan will likely be a key discussion point at the meeting, which partly explains the Taliban's reluctance to participate previously. The Taliban have repeatedly argued that with UNAMA already present, there is no necessity for a new UN representative.

Furthermore, the Taliban had previously demanded to be the sole representative of Afghanistan at the last Doha meeting, a condition that the UN did not agree to, resulting in their absence.

Today, May 22, marks the second day of the funeral ceremonies for Raisi and his companions.

On Wednesday, Baradar’s office announced on the X social media platform about the officials' trip to Tehran. The first round of the official funeral ceremonies for Raisi and his companions began on Tuesday morning in Tabriz. Their bodies were then transferred to Tehran.

During Wednesday's ceremony, the bodies will be moved to Tehran's Mosalla mosque, where another ceremony will be held. On Thursday morning, the funeral ceremony will take place in South Khorasan province, after which the bodies will be transferred to Mashhad city.

The death of Raisi and his companions in a helicopter crash on the way to Tabriz has sparked widespread reactions around the world.

Previously, Mohammad Hassan Akhund, the Taliban's Prime Minister, expressed deep sadness and sorrow over the death of Raisi, the President of Iran, and his companions in a statement.