Army chief Bajwa and US envoy hold talks to revive Afghan peace talks

THE US special envoy for Afghanistan and the commander of NATO forces in that country met Pakistan’s army chief on Monday (8) to discuss the Afghan peace process.

Pakistan is the third country that US special envoy Zalmay Khalilzad has visited in the past week ahead of the US troop withdrawal deadline in May.

Khalilzad and General Scott Miller, the head of US forces and the NATO-led non-combat Resolute Support mission, met General Qamar Javed Bajwa at Pakistani army headquarters in Rawalpindi, according to the Pakistan’s military.

“Matters of mutual interest, regional security and ongoing Afghanistan Reconciliation Process were discussed during the meeting,” a statement said. “The visiting dignitary appreciated Pakistan’s role in the ongoing peace process.”

Pakistan is seen as a key player in Afghan peacemaking and has been acknowledged by Washington for helping to bring the Taliban, in power from 1996 to 2001, to the negotiating table.

But the process has stalled amid a resurgence of violence and disputes over the agenda for negotiations, including ceasefire arrangements.

A statement from the US Embassy in Islamabad said Khalilzad had “stressed the need to accelerate progress towards a just and durable peace in Afghanistan” during meetings with Bajwa and with government officials. “Ambassador Khalilzad

emphasised Pakistan’s continued important role in the peace process, especially to help Afghans achieve a political settlement and comprehensive ceasefire,” the statement said.

The US special envoy proposed a shake-up of the process this week during visits to Kabul and the Qatari capital, Doha, the venue for negotiations, according to diplomatic sources.

Khalilzad shared a letter with Afghanistan’s president and top peace official, published in local media and verified by Reuters, which said Washington would ask the United Nations to convene foreign ministers and envoys from Russia, China, Pakistan, Iran, India and United States “to discuss a unified approach to supporting peace in Afghanistan”.

The State Department declined to confirm the letter’s veracity, but said last Sunday (7) after it was published by media that all options remain on the table for its remaining 2,500 troops in Afghanistan.

BANGLADESH wants to buy up to 40 million more doses of the AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine from the Serum Institute of India (SII), its health secretary said last Thursday (4).

Bangladesh, whose population is more than 160 million people, has already received vaccines from SII as part of an earlier deal for 30 million doses. India’s government also gifted its neighbour two million doses of the shot that SII, the world’s largest vaccine maker, is producing for many countries across the world.

“Talks ongoing. Let’s see,” health secretary Abdul Mannan said.

SII did not respond to a request for comment.

Bangladesh is also due to get a total of 68 million doses of vaccines from a WHObacked alliance, with the first shipment of around 10 million doses expected by June, Mannan said.

Currently, Beximco Pharmaceuticals Ltd is the sole distributor of the AstraZeneca vaccine in Bangladesh but the government has not yet decided who will handle future purchases from SII, Mannan said.

“We have not ordered for any additional doses. As of now, our total order is for 30 million doses,” Beximco Pharmaceuticals’ Chief Operating Officer Rabbur Reza said.

“Additional orders will depend on the government.”