WASHINGTON: Washington and allies were hoping peace talks between the Afghan Taliban and the Kabul government would also yield an agreement between Afghanistan and Pakistan that neither side’s territory would be used to attack the other, the Special Representative for Afghanistan said on Tuesday, as the insurgents and Kabul remained divided on even basic issues 10 days into talks meant to end two decades of war.
Afghanistan has for years accused Pakistan of supporting Taliban militants. Pakistan denies doing so and in turn accuses Afghanistan of supporting militants fighting Islamabad, which Kabul denies.
“We’re hoping that by the time that these other negotiations are over, we could also achieve success in that regard,” special envoy Zalmay Khalilzad told a House of Representatives hearing, referring to a deal between Kabul and Islamabad.
The level of violence in Afghanistan is unacceptably high and the United States expects further setbacks during talks, Khalilzad said: “By any measure, current levels of violence are too high … We know that reductions are possible.”
Despite difficulties, the talks are the best hope for peace in years and come as a result of a February pact between the Taliban and United States, allowing US forces to withdraw in exchange for Taliban promises on terrorism.
But the militant group has refused to agree to a cease-fire and the war grinds on.
In recent months, the Taliban has pledged to respect women’s rights under sharia but many educated women who have come of age since the Taliban were ousted in 2001 for harboring Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin laden have doubts.
During the hearing, Democrats asked Khalilzad about the possibility that after 20 years of war, billions of dollars and thousands of deaths, the withdrawal of US forces could end education for Afghan girls.
“I want to assure the Afghan women that we will be with them,” Khalilzad said.
Since the spotlight faded from the lavish September 12 opening ceremony for the talks in Qatar, the two sides have only confirmed that they are diametrically opposed on virtually every issue.
“While we have reasons to be hopeful, we are under no illusions about the challenges ahead. ... We expect that there will be setbacks and obstacles,” Khalilzad said.
The United States is expected to reduce troop levels to 4,000 to 5,000 in the coming months and will look at further reductions based on conditions.
David Helvey, who is performing the duties of assistant secretary of defense for Indo-Pacific security affairs, told the subcommittee hearing the Pentagon was carrying out “prudent planning” to withdraw all US troops from Afghanistan by May 2021 if conditions were met.
He added that for now Defense Secretary Mark Esper had not issued any orders to go below 4,000 troops.
Hopeful Afghan peace talks will yield Islamabad-Kabul agreement against violence — Khalilzad
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Hopeful Afghan peace talks will yield Islamabad-Kabul agreement against violence — Khalilzad
- US special representative on Afghan peace says Washington looking forward to Pak-Afghan agreement that neither side’s territory would be used to attack the other
- Afghan government and Taliban remain divided on even basic issues 10 days into peace talks meant to end two decades of war
Pakistan minister calls for integrating ocean awareness into education to preserve ecosystems
- Pakistan’s maritime sector posted a record $360 million profit in 2025 following a year of sweeping reforms
- Junaid Anwar Chaudhry says education equips youth to make informed decisions, contribute to blue economy
KARACHI: Pakistan’s Maritime Affairs Minister Junaid Anwar Chaudhry has urged integrating ocean awareness into formal education systems and empowering youth as active partners in order to preserve marine ecosystems, his ministry said on Saturday.
Chaudhry said this at a meeting with Minister of State for Education and Professional Training, Wajiha Qamar, who called on him and discussed strategies for enhancing marine education, literacy, and youth engagement in sustainable ocean management.
Pakistan’s maritime sector posted a record Rs100 billion ($360 million) profit in 2025 following a year of sweeping reforms aimed at improving port efficiency, cost-cutting, and safeguarding marine ecosystems to boost the blue economy.
“Understanding our oceans is no longer optional, it is essential for climate resilience, sustainable development, and the long-term health of our maritime resources,” Chaudhry said, highlighting the critical role of marine literacy.
The minister said education equips youth to make informed decisions and actively contribute to marine conservation and the blue economy, urging inclusion of marine ecosystems, conservation and human-ocean interactions into curricula, teacher training and global citizenship programs.
“Initiatives like ‘Ocean Literacy for All’ can mainstream these elements in national policies, school programs, and community workshops to build proactive citizenship on marine challenges,” he added.
Ocean Literacy for All is a UNESCO Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission–coordinated global initiative under the UN Ocean Decade (2021–2030) that promotes ocean awareness, education, and conservation.
Chaudhry announced reforms in maritime education, including granting degree-awarding status to the Pakistan Marine Academy, and the establishment of the Maritime Educational Endowment Fund (MEEF) to provide scholarships for deserving children from coastal communities.
“The scholarship program promotes inclusive development by enabling access to quality education for youth from over 70 coastal and fishing communities, particularly in Sindh and Balochistan,” he said.
The discussions underscored raising awareness about oceans, coastal ecosystems and marine resources, according to the Pakistani maritime affairs ministry. Both ministers stressed the need to integrate climate and marine education from classrooms
to community programs, addressing risks like rising sea temperatures, coastal erosion, biodiversity loss and pollution.
“Incorporating marine science and ocean literacy into curricula can help students connect local challenges with global trends,” Qamar said, underscoring education’s transformative power in building social resilience.
The meeting explored translating complex marine science into accessible public knowledge through sustained, solution-oriented awareness campaigns, according to the maritime affairs ministry.
With coastline facing pressures from climate change, pollution, and overexploitation, the ministers called for a coordinated approach blending formal education, informal learning and youth-led advocacy.
“A joint effort by the Ministries of Maritime Affairs and Education can cultivate an ocean-literate generation, transforming vulnerability into resilience and ensuring the long-term sustainability of coastal and marine ecosystems,” Chaudhry said.
