Obama’s OIC envoy says upbeat on Afghan peace talks

KABUL and the US.

Rashad Hussain, the Obama’s special representative, who arrived in Afghanistan on Saturday travelled to four provinces, where he met local residents.

In an exclusive interview with Pajhwok Afghan News upon arrival to Kabul, he said people in provinces he visited were very enthusiastic about peace and that his optimism for a positive outcome of the peace parleys was based on people’s wishes.

“The Afghan government is making efforts to win the peace which is also the demand of the international fraternity,” he said, adding he wished a peaceful Afghanistan and a developed society here.

In early January, the Taliban announced they had agreed to opening a political bureau in Doha for possible peace talks with Washington, a move supported the Kabul and the US governments.

On March 15, the Taliban said they were suspending peace talks with the US until the Americans came up with clear stance on the issues concerned and showed willingness to honour the promises they held out to them.

When asked about the burning of copies of Holy Quran by US soldiers at Bagram airbase, Hussain said it was a grave mistake by the soldiers, adding the US troops had been provided necessary instructions to be careful in future and how to deal with sacred things.

He promised efforts to avoid a repetition of such incident in the future.

frm/ma

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