ISLAMABAD: With the second round of Russia-led talks for Afghanistan’s peace process starting on Friday, Pakistan said that an additional secretary will be leading the country’s delegation at the meeting in Moscow.
“We have always maintained that the most viable solution to the conflict in Afghanistan is an Afghan-led, Afghan-owned peace process. Role of Afghanistan’s neighbors would be very important in such a process,” Dr. Muhammad Faisal, Foreign Ministry spokesman, said on Thursday.
He added that if Afghanistan’s peace and reconciliation process is supported by its neighbors and important regional countries, it “would have more chances of success”. “In this regard, it can be expected that this meeting would contribute to developing a regional consensus in support of the Afghan peace process,” he said.
In a statement released on Thursday, Russia’s foreign ministry said that invitations for the event have been sent to participating countries – namely Afghanistan, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, China, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and the United States.
“President of Afghanistan, Mohammad Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai has made a decision to send a delegation of the Afghanistan High Peace Council. For the first time, a delegation of the Taliban’s political office in Doha, Qatar, will take part in an event of this kind,” Maria Zakharova, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson, said in Moscow on Thursday.
The consultative meeting in Moscow was earlier scheduled for September 4 but was postponed after the Afghan government said it would only attend on the condition that all meetings be Afghan-led.
Pakistan turns to Russia for peace in Afghanistan
Pakistan turns to Russia for peace in Afghanistan
- Additional secretary to lead Islamabad delegation at the talks
- This will be the second round of Moscow-led consultations for the purpose
Pakistan says two astronaut candidates pass China screening for space mission
- Candidates complete medical and psychological assessments at China’s astronaut center
- Final selection for Chinese space station flight will take place after six-month training
ISLAMABAD: Two Pakistani astronaut candidates have successfully completed advanced medical, psychological and aptitude assessments in China for a human spaceflight mission, an official statement said on Saturday, bringing the country closer to sending on of them aboard a Chinese space station later this year.
The bilateral arrangement follows the signing of the Astronaut Cooperation Agreement between the two countries in February last year, which aimed to enable Pakistan’s participation in space-based activities.
The Pakistan Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO) had selected potential candidates who underwent advanced assessments at the Astronauts Center of China (ACC) and will now proceed to the next phase of training.
“The shortlisted candidates will undertake advanced astronaut training for six months at ACC,” the military’s media wing, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), said in a statement.
“Upon completion of training, one candidate will be selected for a spaceflight mission aboard the Chinese Space Station (CSS) in October / November 2026,” it added.
The program is part of Pakistan’s broader push to enter human spaceflight through cooperation with China, as Beijing expands international participation in its Tiangong space station amid growing competition in space exploration.
China has increasingly opened its space station to international collaboration.
Pakistan and China have also worked together in the past on satellite launches and lunar exploration projects.
The ISPR described the initiative as a “landmark” step reflecting strong Chinese support, saying Beijing had “selected Pakistan as the first foreign partner in its astronaut program.”
