Afghanistan Times
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By Akhtar M. Nikzad-KABUL: Amid efforts to encourage Taliban to peace talks, the Labor and Development Party (LDP) believes that government’s endeavors in this regard are ineffective and cannot ensure peace and stability in the country.
Head of the party Nawid Zulfaqar said Monday that peace with Taliban would “never” ensure constant security and stability in the country because the “sworn Taliban” are not interested to negotiations with the government.
He said that people are thirsty for peace and stability, but they never permit government to initiate talks with Taliban insurgents who tyrannically murder innocent people by terrorist attacks.
“Taliban cruelly murder innocent people; behead civilians on travel and organize terrorist attacks against security forces. Therefore, peace with such criminal group is unacceptable for people,” he mentioned.
The government had earlier marked that it would conduct peace talks with those Taliban who accept the constitution and condemn terrorism and extremism.
Efforts are still followed by the Quadrilateral Coordination Group (QCG) of Afghanistan, Pakistan, the United States and China. Today (Tuesday) the fourth meeting of the QCG is scheduled to be held in Kabul.
Afghan government is hopeful for the QCG to explore ways for holding direct peace talks between representatives of government and the Taliban delegations in the fourth round of peace meeting.
On the other hand, Zulfaqar said the government did not succeed to have direct talks with Taliban since the High Peace Council was formed in 2010, which also resulted to insecurities in the country.
He stressed that the international community donated millions of dollars to the council to facilitate reconciliation process, but all the aids were wasted for the payment and privileges of dozens of the council members.
He asked the government to revoke the peace council and stop “fake” talks with Taliban. “People never support peace with sworn enemies of the humanity because they are in the hands of Pakistan intelligence agency.”
He asked the government to hold an international consensus about reconciliation process and put pressure on Pakistan to refrain supporting Taliban.
On Sunday, President Ashraf Ghani appointed jihadi leader Pir Sayed Ahmad Gilani as the new chairman and former Vice President Karim Khalili as deputy chief of peace council.
The new appointments took place in response to the international donors who announced suspension aids to the council due to lack of the leadership.
The Quadrilateral Coordination Group is to specify the date of direct talks with Taliban in at a time that the army withdrew from Musa Qala and Nawzad districts of Helmand province and fighting is going on in various parts of the country.
