DOHA: Much awaited and desperately needed peace deal between US and Taliban finally struck on Saturday in Doha in a historic ceremony.
Addressing the historic event, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Washington will closely watch the Taliban compliance to the agreement to be signed between the two parties.
He said the Taliban have shown that they have the will to be peaceful during the recent ‘reduction in violence’ period.
Representatives from fifty countries, foreign ministers of different countries including Pakistan’s Shah Mahmood Qureshi, are attending the signing ceremony of the agreement.
Pakistan, which neighbours Afghanistan, and has been a long-time ally in America’s war on terror, played a critical role in bringing the two sides to the negotiation table.
The United States and its allies will withdraw all their forces from Afghanistan within 14 months if the Taliban abide by an agreement due to be signed in Doha on Saturday, Washington and Kabul said in a joint statement.
After an initial reduction of troops to 8,600 within 135 days of Saturday’s signing, the US and its partners “will complete the withdrawal of their remaining forces from Afghanistan within 14 months… and will withdraw all their forces from remaining bases”, the declaration stated.
The Doha accord would see thousands of American troops quit Afghanistan in a phased plan after more than 18 years in return for various security commitments from the insurgents and a pledge to hold talks with the government in Kabul.
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