KABUL (SW) – The findings of a new study showed that many of Afghanistan’s minorities believe they are left out of the intra-Afghan peace process.
The Institute for Human Rights and the Elimination of Violence and the Civil Society and Human Rights Network in Kabul released the results of their research on “Afghanistan’s Vulnerable Minorities and the Peace Process” on Sunday.
The study was conducted with 18 experts and 595 members of minority groups in 9 provinces of the country during 50 group discussions with civil society and youth organizations.
Abdul Wadud Pedram, executive director of the Institute for Human Rights and the Elimination of Violence, said these minority groups have suffered the most from the raging violence, and the government must pay attention to them. “Our initial findings show that awareness of the US-Taliban agreement, the release of Taliban prisoners in Qatar and the inter-Afghan talks is relatively high, but most of them did not participate in peace-related programs in Afghanistan,” he said. »
Representatives of the minorities shared suggestions in this regard on the occasion. They called on the Afghan government, the Taliban and the international community not to overlook their demands and reservations in connection with the peace parley.
They called on the Taliban to declare their commitments to the political rights and freedoms of all Afghan citizens without any discrimination based on ethnic, religious and linguistic basis.
Sima Samar, the state minister for human rights and international relations, said minority rights should not be violated under the pretext of war and the spread of the coronavirus.
ENDS
