KABUL:  /DNA/ – Western security forces on Monday exchanged fire with unidentified gunmen at Kabul airport, as US President Joe Biden sought to speed up the chaotic evacuation of tens of thousands of people from Taliban-controlled Afghanistan.

One Afghan was killed and three others were injured in a dawn firefight that according to the German military erupted between Afghan guards and unknown assailants.

German and American troops “participated in a further exchange of fire”, the German army said in a statement.

This was the latest episode in a chaotic operation overseen by the US army that has seen about 30,000 people evacuated from Afghanistan since the Taliban marched into Kabul on August 15, taking effective control of the country.

The Taliban, infamous for an ultra-strict rule during their initial 1996-2001 rule, have repeatedly vowed a softer version this time.

But terrified Afghans continue to try and flee, overwhelming the operation at Kabul airport and leading to tragic scenes in which at least eight people have died.

The Taliban’s victory ended two decades of war as they took advantage of Biden’s decision to withdraw nearly all US troops from the country.

SIR – The article “Pakistan goes to the root of Taliban support. Time to stop treating it as an ally” by Kyle Orton (telegraph.co.uk) includes the claim that Mullah Omar died in Pakistan. By all accounts, he died in Afghanistan.
In the past 20 years, more Pakistani soldiers have died in confronting terrorism than those of the United States and Nato combined. Pakistan has suffered over 80,000 casualties.
Pakistan’s intelligence cooperation has been pivotal in decimating al-Qaeda and other groups. Pakistan continues to be a generous host to over three million Afghan refugees.
It has been the consistent position of Imran Khan, the prime minister, that there was no military solution to the conflict in Afghanistan, and that dialogue was the only way forward. So Pakistan played its part in bringing the Taliban to the negotiating table. The US, the Taliban and the Ashraf Ghani government held direct talks. Failure of intra-Afghan negotiations to make headway speaks of the inflexibility of various Afghan parties, rather than any “duplicity” on the part of Pakistan.

Pakistan maintained that any withdrawal of international forces must be accompanied with a negotiated settlement. Unfortunately, the decision to withdraw forces was made without informing Pakistan.
In the last week, Pakistan has helped hundreds of diplomatic staff of several European countries and Afghans working at organisations like the World Bank and UN to evacuate safely.
Pakistan expects all stakeholders in Afghanistan to respect fundamental human rights, including the rights of women, while fulfilling their commitment to ensure that Afghan territory is not used by international terrorists against any other country.

Moazzam Ahmad KhanHigh Commissioner for Pakistan to the UK, London SW1

ISLAMABAD, AUG 23: Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid said on Monday the Afghan Taliban had reassured the government that the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) would not be given permission to operate in Afghanistan against Pakistan.

Responding to a question while addressing a press conference in Islamabad, the interior minister said some TTP members such as Maulvi Faqir Mohammad had been released by the Taliban after their takeover of Kabul on August 15, adding that the government was in “full contact” with the Taliban on the issue.

“The related authorities there have been told that those who have done terrorism in Pakistan [are controlled].

“The Afghan Taliban have reassured [us] that Afghanistan’s land will not be allowed to be used in any case by the TTP,” said Rashid.

He said Pakistan desired peace in Afghanistan since peace in one country was related to peace in the other.

The interior minister’s comments come two days after the Foreign Office said Pakistan would ask the incoming government in Afghanistan to act against the TTP.

“Pakistan has been taking up the issue of the use of Afghan soil by the TTP for terrorist activities inside Pakistan with the previous Afghan government and would continue raising the issue with the incoming government in Kabul as well to ensure that the TTP is not provided any space in Afghanistan to operate against Pakistan,” the FO spokesman had said.

The FO was questioned on the release of TTP prisoners and responded that Pakistan would “continue to oppose support for any individual or any proscribed groups that remained involved in terrorist activities inside Pakistan”.

According to a report prepared for the United Nations Security Council in July, the TTP has about 6,000 trained fighters on the Afghan side of the border.

The report had noted that “despite growing distrust, TTP and the Taliban carry on with relations mainly as before”, adding that the former supported the latter in operations against the Afghan government.