MOSCOW (SW) – The Taliban representative in Moscow conference, Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanekzai, has said that the main obstacle in the peace is the presence of foreign troops in Afghanistan.
He told the moot the political office in Qatar was set up to prevent the United States from having an excuse that the Taliban are not seeking a peaceful solution to the conflict. The head of the Taliban mission at the Moscow meeting said that the group is not considering the monopoly of power and want an all-out Islamic system in Afghanistan.
Stanekzai insisted that peace is not just a matter of speech and slogan. In his speech, he called the Afghan government ‘a puppet’ and called Afghanistan an occupied country by the United States. He demanded removal of his comrades from the blacklist, and wanted the prisoners be released as soon as possible. He added these steps are urgent for confidence building.
The Taliban leader demanded the government to immediately stop the ‘propaganda against this group’. According to him, a number of ‘intelligence agencies’ are defaming them. According to him, the closing down of schools, damaging public and private property is not their work.
Stanikzai stressed peace is directly related to the withdrawal of US forces from Afghanistan. He insistd that the "Kabul Administration" is not acceptable to them because it is dictated by the West. According to him, the Constitutional is unacceptable as the Kabul administration itself is in breach of this law.
He added after the withdrawal of foreign troops from Afghanistan and the provision of peace, the Taliban want positive relationship with the world. Women's rights are among other issues that the Taliban representative highlighted. He said that in the past decade-and-half, ‘immorality’ has been propagated in the name of women’s rights. He added that the Taliban are committed to all Islamic and human rights of women.
Younis Qanuni, former vice president, said the war is not a solution to peace. He said the Afghan government should send a delegation to attend the conference to talk with the Taliban. He emphasized that the time of tyranny and monopoly over power has come to an end.
He mentioned the Bonn Conference as the beginning of a new chapter, and the end of two decades of war in Afghanistan. He called the Constitution as the best and most Islamic law in the region. However, he insisted that the Constitution can always be reformed.
Qanuni said that not all people in Afghanistan see the country under occupation. “This is also the case for the Mujahedin who have spent their lives in the battle with the former Soviet Union for years”. He said that the reason for the presence of foreign troops in Afghanistan is the imposed war.
He called the establishment of state and judicial institutions and the formation of security forces as defendable achievements, but said that without a doubt in the event of a Taliban's green light for peace, reforms will be inevitable.
Mohammad Mohaqiq, the deputy CEO and head of the Wahdat party, said the presence of a delegation from Afghanistan alongside the Taleban does not mean formation of a front against anyone. He called on the Afghan government to join the process, and asked the Taliban to be flexible with the government's presence.
Mohaqiq emphasized that the war in Afghanistan has no legal and Sharia justification.
Atta Mohammad Noor, CEO of the Jamiat-e-Islami party, said peace in Afghanistan can guarantee peace in the region and the world. He said that the cease-fire, national interests and the timetable for the withdrawal of foreign forces from Afghanistan are the major issues that should be discussed. He invited the Taliban to join the peace process and thus enter into power through democratic methods.
He mentioned the achievements of the past decade as a red line, and said peace requires sacrifices. He demanded to establish an interim authority while maintaining the current structure of the country so that the Taliban can enter power by holding elections.
Hamid Karzai and Fawzia Kofi also addressed the moot. The Moscow conference would conclude tomorrow.
The Afghan government has not participated in the meeting, and has also insisted that such meetings do not help with peace building in Afghanistan. The meeting comes after a six-day meeting between the US Special Representative for Afghanistan, Zalmay Khalilzad, and the Taliban in Qatar.
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