KABUL (SW): A number of Masharano Jirga (upper house) members on Tuesday linked the relative peace on Eid days with the maiden session of talks with the Taliban.
Earlier in July, a Kabul government delegation met Taliban representatives in Pakistan’s tourist resort of Murre in the presence of Chinese and U.S. observers. Both the government and Taliban leadership acknowledged the meeting and expressed willingness to continuo the process.
Praising the democratic efforts for peace, senators urged upon the government to make sure next rounds of talks are held inside the country. Senator Nissar Ahmad Haris stressed that both parties of the conflict should play their due role in making the peace process an Afghan one. “Government and the Taliban should make sure that there remains no need for Pakistan or China to mediate among the Afghans”, he said.
Joining the debate, Senator Baqi Baryal said peaceful Eid-ul-Fitre was a good omen for the future. He suggested that the Eid day message by Mulla Omar proved that the Taliban are inclined for peace hence the government should seize the moment for a stable Afghanistan.
Afghanistan’s High Peace Council (AHPC) too acknowledged the importance of maiden session of talks.
Maulvi Shahzada Shahid, AHPC Spokesman said that the talks in Murre had direct impacts on the security situation in the country. He told SW that though the cease-fire was not declared in the talks but the talks did raised prospects for ultimate peace. He did not disclosed the location for the second round that is likely to take place in two weeks time.
Shahid added that the second round of talks would be held under a defined agenda.
In the first round that was held on Wednesday July 08, the government delegation comprised of Deputy Foreign Minister Hekmat Khail Karzai, former provincial governor Haji Deen Mohammad and Mohammad Natiqi, representative of the Chief Executive Office.
On behalf of the Taliban, representatives from the Queeta Shura, Haqqani network and Mulla Mansoor participated.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) disclosed on Tuesday that eight Afghan National Army (ANA) men died during the Eid while fighting the militants on different fronts.
ENDS
