US Special Envoy Khalilzad Condemns Kabul Attack Killing Gov't Negotiator in Doha

MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 21st August, 2020) US Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad strongly condemned on Friday the recent attack in Kabul that killed Abdul Baqi Amin, the director of the Scientific Council of the Afghan Ministry of education who was also one of the negotiators at talks with the Taliban in Doha.

Amin participated in several high-level meetings with the Taliban, where a reduction of violence and women's rights were discussed. The official was killed on Wednesday in Kabul after a bomb planted in his car detonated. The attack came less than a week after an incident involving Fawzia Koofi, a member of the Afghan government's peace negotiation team, received minor injuries after being attacked by a group of people in Kabul.

"We condemn this terrorist act and offer our condolences to his family, friends and the Afghan people who yearn for peace.

The right tribute to Dr Amin is for all sides to reduce violence and immediately start intra-Afghan negotiations. There is no legitimate reason for delay," Khalilzad tweeted.

The envoy called Amin's death "tragic" and said that he was killed at the hands of "spoilers who seek to delay and derail Afghan peace."

According to media, the attacks on negotiators and right activists in recent months are aimed at intimidating the Afghan people in the run up to the intra-Afghan talks.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack so far.

The security situation in Afghanistan remains tense. Earlier in August, the Kabul administration agreed to free the remaining 400 Taliban prisoners, which is expected to pave a way for intra-Afghan talks under the US-Taliban peace deal.