People of 9 provinces urge Taliban to shun violence

HERAT CITY (Pajhwok): Tribal elders and officials from nine provinces on Tuesday held a gathering in western Herat province, urging people to support the peace process and the Taliban to shun voilece.

Around one thousand individuals coming all the way from Kandahar, Helmand, Uruzgan, Nimroz, Zabul, Ghor, Badghis, Farah and Heart provinces attended the gathering in Herat City, the provincial capital.

The participants voiced their support for the peace process and asked the Taliban to enter face to face talks with the government.

Meanwhile, Sayed Waheed Qatali, director of the Administrative Office of the Presidential Palac, told the gathering that government had a strong will to achieve peace and stability in the country.

He urged the Taliban to shun violence and join the peace process. He said today’s gathering showed the people of Afghanistan supported peace in one voice.

Herat Governor Mohammad Asif Rahimi also urged the participants to support the peace process and work for peace.

“The Afghans are brothers, but a small number of individuals working as agents of foreigners are killing the citizens and want to continue the war in the country.”

Farid Bakhtawar, provincial council (PC) chief of Farah province, told the meeting that the ongoing war was not in the interest of the countrymen and urged the Taliban to join the peace process.

Abdul Aziz Biag, the provincial council chief for Badghis, urged the government to keep open the doors of peace negotiations with the Taliban until the rebels got interested in peace.

pk/ma