Focus on peace not leverage in talks, warring sides asked

JALALABAD (Pajhwok): The residents and public representatives of eastern Nangarhar province on Thursday asked the government and the Taliban to focus on stopping the war instead of trying to seek leverage in the ongoing talks in Qatar.

The views were expressed during a gathering organized by lawmaker Mirwais Yasini in Kama district where hundreds of tribal elders and youth were in attendance.

The participants said they backed the ongoing peace talks in Doha and asked the warring sides to declare ceasefire for paving the ground for lasting peace in the country.

Speaking on the occasion, Mirwais Yasini said if the Doha talks failed to produce a positive outcome, Afghanistan’s situation would resemble post-Soviet era.

He said instead of seeking leverage in the peace talks, the government and the Taliban should relieve the Afghans from the decades old conflict.

“We support the ongoing talks, but we don’t want to lose the achievements of the past two decades. We cannot allow the collapse of the current system. As the talks are the last chance, the Taliban and the government should accept people’s demand which is lasting peace.”

Nangarhar provincial council deputy head Ajmal Omar also asked the warring sides to agree to ceasefire and lasting peace.

He said victims of the war were common people and the government and the Taliban should stop the conflict for their sake.

Another speaker and Kabul University teacher Syed Akbar demanded mobilization of the masses across the country to push for an end to the war.

On this Yasini said they had launched efforts to mobilize the youth and put pressure on the government, Taliban and the international community to put the ongoing conflict to an end by staging protests.

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