KABUL, Dec 11: UN special envoy Lakhdar Brahimi rejected concerns on Tuesday over the size of a proposed international security force for Kabul under a post-Taliban power-sharing deal for Afghanistan.

Brahimi, in Kabul for the first time since the Taliban fled the city a month ago, said all Afghan leaders he met had told him they would support the deployment in the Afghan capital of a United Nations-mandated force.

He also said ousted president Burhanuddin Rabbani had agreed to hand over power on Dec 22 to the designated head of the new authority, southern Pakhtoon tribal leader Hamid Karzai.

“He has repeated (his) concerns but he also committed himself in no uncertain terms to cooperation and support for this process,” Brahimi told a news conference.

SECURITY: Asked about those remarks, Brahimi said he had not discussed numbers or operational issues, but that Gen Fahim and all other leaders he met said they were fully committed to the Bonn accords “including a force mandated by the United Nations”.—Reuters

Opinion

Editorial

Judiciary’s SOS
Updated 28 Mar, 2024

Judiciary’s SOS

The ball is now in CJP Isa’s court, and he will feel pressure to take action.
Data protection
28 Mar, 2024

Data protection

WHAT do we want? Data protection laws. When do we want them? Immediately. Without delay, if we are to prevent ...
Selling humans
28 Mar, 2024

Selling humans

HUMAN traders feed off economic distress; they peddle promises of a better life to the impoverished who, mired in...
New terror wave
Updated 27 Mar, 2024

New terror wave

The time has come for decisive government action against militancy.
Development costs
27 Mar, 2024

Development costs

A HEFTY escalation of 30pc in the cost of ongoing federal development schemes is one of the many decisions where the...
Aitchison controversy
Updated 27 Mar, 2024

Aitchison controversy

It is hoped that higher authorities realise that politics and nepotism have no place in schools.