Gulbadin-led HIA supports women’s role in political arena

KABUL’s rights as envisioned by Islam.

The second largest rebel group after the Taliban, HIA promised supporting and striving for the protection of women’s rights in political, social and economicspheres in line with Islamic teachings.

Earlier, the group headed by Eng. Amin Karim and Attiqullah Sapi met High Peace Council (HPC) Chairman Pir Syed Ahmad Gilani on the launch of formal peace negotiations on ways of ending the ongoing war.

The delegates said the HIA had joined peace parleys in response to an invitation from the Afghan government. The talks were aimed to ensurerevival of the national will, an Islamic system and socio-economic justice.

At a meeting with members of HPC, civil society, parliament and women rights activists, Karim said: “The HIA is against cultural restrictions imposed on females and Western values. We want to give women all their right offered by Islam.”

While firmly committed to providing women every right, the HIA was against the exploitation of females in the name of culture and tradition, Amin said, opposing women wearing indecent dress and walking the streets of Kabul.

Karim answered a volley of questions from women rights activists. Most of the questions pertained to women’srole in politics, peace talks and girls’ education. He articulated offered the HIA view on the subjects.

Meanwhile, Kabul University teacher Shahla Farid said Afghan women had experienced multiple woes during the Soviet invasion of the country and under the Taliban regime. They had been were deprived of their basic rights, she alleged.

She claimed the constitution had been approved in haste and there was room for amendments to it. Women’s rights should be discussed and paid more attention during peace talks, the academic stressed.

Amin observed: “HIA favours women’s role in the political, economic and social spheres, but not to the extent that their presence becomesa source of moral corruption.”

He insisted the party honestly desired peace, national solidarity and justice across Afghanistan. He alleged some foreign and internal elements were against peace and stability, creating hurdles in the way of negotiations.

The HIA believes if peace talks with the government succeeded, most of its members in Taliban ranks will join mainstream politics and renounce violence. Most of such individuals are followers of the Taliban’s splinter group led by Mullah Rassoul.

Another member of the HIA team, Attiqullah Sapi, said the party was running eight schools, including four for girls, in the Nasrat Mena camp on the outskirt of Peshawar, the capital of Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

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