Balkh governor welcomes HIA-govt peace talks

MAZAR-I-SHARIF (Pajhwok): The acting governor of northern Balkh province on Monday welcomed the ongoing reconciliation talks between the government and the Hezb-i-Islami (HIA).

The govt-HIA talks have been ongoing over the past few weeks in Kabul and it is said the party’s leader, Gulbadin Hekmatyar would come soon to Kabul for signing a peace agreement with the government

However, Ata Mohammad Noor, also the Jamiat-i-Islami party executive director, said some issues had lately occurred between the two sides on various topics.

“I had previously commented about Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, anyone who joins Afghanistan’s government and supports its Constitution and shuns violence without any concession-seeking conditions, I had supported them, I support them and I will support them in future.”

However, Noor said after the last meeting of the peace talks between the government and the HIA some issues had surfaced.

But the issues didn’t mean the government had retreated from the peace process. The government welcomed the HIA but just presented its conditions, he added. Noor said it was awaited how the HIA would respond to the conditions.    

sns/ma