Afghan leader urges Taliban to respect calls for peace

By Shadi Khan Saif

KABUL, Afghanistan (AA) - Afghan President Ashraf Ghani on Monday called on the Taliban to respect public calls for peace as he inaugurated a Loya Jirga (grand consultative meeting) in the capital Kabul to discuss the fragile peace process.

An estimated 3,200 peace delegates from across Afghanistan as well as representatives of Afghan refugees in Iran and Pakistan are attending the grand consultative meeting that would deliberate on the nascent peace process for next four days.

Addressing the session, Ghani said ground realities have changed the face of the war in Afghanistan, adding young future leaders and women present at the Loya Jirga would define outlines for talks with the Taliban.

He said peace remains a top priority of the National Unity Government, and it has been transformed into a national debate over the past two years. Ghani said a number of neighboring countries particularly Pakistan has been approached to help bring peace, and change the environment of confrontation into atmosphere of peace.

The president said the raging war in Afghanistan has no justifications in line with the Sharia and urged religious scholars to highlight the significance of peace in line with the Sharia.

A number of key political figures including Ghani’s own power-sharing CEO Abdullah Abdullah, former president Hamid Karzai and former Mujahedeen leader Gulbuddin Hekmatyar as well as a number of other politicians and 12 presidential candidates have boycotted the grand consultative meeting.

The Taliban have also rejected this consultative session.