HIA, Taliban, peace council meet in Japan

KABUL Afghanistan (HIA) led by Gul Buddin Hikmatyar, on Wednesday started a trilateral meeting in Kyoto city of Japan, officials said.

HIA head of political affairs Dr. Ghairat Baheer, former Taliban Planning Minister Qari Din Mohammad, ex-Taliban ambassador to Pakistan Abdul Salam Zayeef and representative of peace council, Masoom Stanikzai participated in the one-day peace meet.

The peace and reconciliation conference started at 9:30 am (local time) at the Doshisha University of Kyoto, the Chairman of Federation of Afghanistan’s Civil Society (FACS), said.

Siddiq Mansoor Ansari told Pajhwok Afghan News the conference would end after three sessions in the evening.

“This is the first close international conference of its kind between the Afghan government, Hezb-i-Islami and Taliban,” he added.

Last week, representatives from the peace council, National United Front, HIA and Taliban gathered in Paris, France for a dialogue.

A member of the peace council said on condition of anonymity that it was decided at the Paris gathering that the Taliban and HIA officials would conduct another meeting with the council in Japan.

The council’s head of international relations, Mohammad Ismael Qasimyar, was unaware of the Japan meeting, but said Stankizai had already participated in two gatherings outside the country.

The purpose of the gatherings was to pave way for peace and stability in Afghanistan, he said, adding Baheer and Zaeef participated in the Paris meeting, but Zaeef did not represent the Taliban.

At the Paris gathering it was decided that the next meeting would be held in Kabul soon.

Myn/vp