ISLAMABAD: Taliban political spokesman Suhail Shaheen said on Tuesday thousands of Taliban fighters would become part of the Afghan army and other security forces after US and other foreign troops left Afghanistan following a peace deal with the United States.
The United States and the Taliban are close to an agreement to end an 18-year-long Afghan civil war. The deal is expected to be centered on a US pledge to withdraw troops in exchange for a Taliban promise not to let Afghanistan be used as a base for terrorism, officials say.
US Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad will travel to Afghanistan and Qatar from July 22 – August 1 to restart talks with the Taliban in Doha.
“We have agreed that the army will stay as an institution,” the Taliban spokesman told Arab News via telephone when asked about the fate of thousands of Taliban fighters after the peace deal. “The army is required and will remain as a base, as a foundation but reforms are needed.”
He said participants at Moscow’s intra-Afghan conference this month had also called for reforms in Afghan security institutions, adding that future intra-Afghan meetings would decide how reforms would be introduced.
“Yes of course they (Taliban) will be part of the security system. They have rendered huge sacrifices for the liberation of the country,” Shaheen said.
To another question about whether the Taliban would be part of any future political system and the government, the Taliban spokesman answered in the affirmative adding: “But they will not be the part of the present administration. There will be a new system and a new government and we will definitely be part of that.”
When asked if the Taliban could become a political party when foreign troops withdrew, Shaheen said: “Our leadership will decide about the future policy. Our top priority is to end the occupation and second, to establish an Islamic government and we will take Afghans into confidence. Our leaders will decide as to how would we work.”
He said the Taliban would allow women the right to education, jobs and business under Islamic principles, adding that they would have to observe the Islamic veil.
“There had been no curbs on women education during our previous government. But we had been in the state of war that time and had no financial resources and the priority had been to maintain security as there had been anarchy and chaotic situation that time. But we want the world to help us and we will establish good relations with the world and to solve all our problems under an Islamic system,” Shaheen said.
He said the Taliban neither recognized the present system in Kabul nor the constitution in its present form.
“We recognize the constitution as a necessity and want another constitution,” Shaheen said. “We think other institutions are also necessary but we do not recognize the present institutions and that is why we are holding intra-Afghan conferences to discuss how the constitution and institutions should be.”
When asked if the Taliban recognized the present democratic system, Shaheen said: “We believe in an Islamic system.”
He said there was a possibility the Taliban and the United Sates could “conclude certain final points” in the possible peace deal within a month and even before the Muslim festival of Eid, likely to be celebrated in Afghanistan on Aug. 11.
“I am hopeful we will reach an agreement before Eid,” he said.
To a question about US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s statement that he hoped to have a peace deal by September 1, Shaheen said he was hopeful an agreement could materialize even before that as “we want to end bloodshed and destruction in our country.”
“The ball is in their (US) court,” Shaheen said. “They should come up with a reasonable offer.”
Taliban says its fighters will join Afghan security forces after US troops leave
Taliban says its fighters will join Afghan security forces after US troops leave
- Taliban spokesman Suhail Shaheen says Taliban will be part of any future government in Kabul
- Possibility of a peace deal in the next month, even before Eid on August 11, Shaheen says
World Bank approves $400 million to expand water, sanitation services in Pakistan’s Punjab
- Project aims to improve access for 4.5 million people and curb waterborne diseases
- Program to prioritize women’s participation and climate-resilient urban infrastructure
ISLAMABAD: The World Bank this week approved $400 million for a new project to expand access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene services for around 4.5 million people in Pakistan’s most populous Punjab province, aiming to curb waterborne diseases and reduce long-term public health costs.
The project, known as the Punjab Inclusive Cities Program (PICP), is the second phase of the World Bank-supported Pakistan Urban Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Services Multiphase Programmatic Approach. It will focus on rehabilitating water supply networks, sewerage systems and wastewater treatment plants, while expanding stormwater drainage infrastructure across 16 secondary cities in Punjab.
Punjab faces persistent challenges in providing safe drinking water and adequate sanitation, with many urban households relying on contaminated sources. Weak infrastructure and limited hygiene services contribute to high rates of waterborne diseases such as diarrhea, typhoid and hepatitis, which disproportionately affect children and low-income communities.
“Reducing child stunting is essential for Pakistan’s future. Through the Punjab Inclusive Cities Program, we are investing in safe water, sanitation, and hygiene services to break the cycle of malnutrition and disease that holds back so many children from reaching their full potential,” the World Bank quoted its Country Director for Pakistan, Bolormaa Amgaabazar, as saying in a statement.
“In collaboration with the Punjab Government, the program represents a significant step forward in improving urban infrastructure and strengthening local institutions, thereby laying the foundation for healthier communities and a more prosperous Pakistan.”
Child stunting, a form of chronic malnutrition that leaves children too short for their age, is often linked to repeated infections, poor sanitation and unsafe drinking water, and remains a major public health concern in Pakistan.
Beyond water and sanitation, the project will also support solid waste management systems to improve sanitary waste disposal, extending services to an additional two million people in Punjab’s urban areas. The program will strengthen the capacity of local governments, including efforts to improve revenue generation and long-term service sustainability.
“The program complements infrastructure investments with capacity building and revenue generation, helping to ensure that service delivery is well sustained,” the statement quoted Amena Raja, Senior Urban Specialist at the World Bank, as saying.
“It will also help Punjab’s cities better withstand floods and droughts, ensuring urban development is both environmentally responsible and resilient to climate change.”
The program includes a gender-focused component, prioritizing the hiring of women in decision-making roles, establishing gender-compliant service desks and supporting skills development. It also aims to mobilize private capital to support water and sanitation services in Punjab’s secondary cities.
Pakistan has been a member of the World Bank since 1950 and has received more than $48 billion in assistance since. The Bank’s current portfolio in the country comprises 54 projects with total commitments of $15.7 billion, while its private-sector arm, the International Finance Corporation, has invested about $13 billion since 1956.
Earlier this year, Pakistan and the World Bank signed a first-of-its-kind agreement for a plan to focus $20 billion in lending to the cash-strapped nation over the coming decade on development issues like the impact of climate change as well as boosting private-sector growth.
