HCNR stresses flexibility, partnership for peace

KABUL (Pajhwok): The High Council of National Reconciliation (HCNR) on Saturday stressed timely resumption of intra-Afghan talks, flexibility in stances and inclusion of more figures in the peace process.

The HCNR came into being about seven months ago, but the first meeting of its leadership committee was held on November 26, and its second conference was held today, Saturday.

The Intra-Afghan negotiations are scheduled to resume on January 5.

Dr. Abdullah Abdullah, HCNR chairman, addressing today’s conference, emphasized on timely resumption of talks.

He praised the government’s negotiation team for representing the Afghan people in an effective way.

“Putting an end to the pains of Afghan people is a heavy responsibility of  HCNR and government’s negotiating team,” he said.

Mohammad Younus Qanoni, former vice president, talking to today’s conference, said that the conflict was claiming the lives of Afghan people on a daily basis and it was responsibility of the government to work for the protection of people and find a solution to the current crisis.

Considering the current situation of the country, both parties should show flexibility in negotiations, he added.

“I as a citizen of Afghanistan, I ask the government’s negotiating team and the Taliban to focus only on the success of negotiations instead of confrontations, so it would help get out of this trouble,” he said.

He said the leadership committee of HCNR was still incomplete and should be made more inclusive. However, Qanoni did not elaborate.

Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, head of Hizb-i-Islami Afghanistan (HIA), Salahuddin Rabbani, acting chief of Jamiat-i-Islami Afghanistan and Karim Khalili, head of Wahdat-i-Islami did not attend today’s conference.

Qanoni said Khalili refused to attend the conference because his speech was censored in the council’s previous meeting.

Abdul Rab Rassoul Sayyaf, head of Dawat-i-Islami Party, speaking to the meeting, said, “There is a will for peace from our side. Tasking a delegation for the job shows we want peace and we are thirsty for it, no one can oppose it because it is the demand of all of us and we want to become assured that the other party also has an interest in that.”

He said the government’s negotiating team had been able to keep unity and stressed that individual efforts should be stopped in the process. However, Sayyaf did not provide details about figures with individual attempts.

Mohammad Massum Stanikzai, chief of the government’s negotiating team, told the meeting that the peace process could face troubles but they could deal with them by unity and defending the rights of Afghans.

First vice-president, Amrullah Saleh, who also attended the conference, said that it was the first time a major conflict was being tried to be solved through negotiations after the time of King Ahmad Shah Baba.

He termed the peace talks in Doha as complicated and said their success required regional and international support.

He hoped intra-Afghan talks would produce a positive result and a ceasefire would be declared so it would further facilitate agreement on peace.

Pointing to Taliban, Saleh said any group attempting to grab power by force was isolated but partnership was a better solution to have positive results.

The Taliban should think the nation would be weakened by targeting journalists and civil society activists, he said.

Several journalists and civil society activists have recently been killed in a series of targeted attacks in Kabul and some provinces. However, Taliban have denied their involvement in these attacks.

Former president, Hamid Karzai, also stressed the need for peace and hoped the ongoing negotiations would succeed.

Talking to the negotiating teams, he said, “We the Afghan people are in dire need of peace and you can make this dream come true.”

Mohammad Mohaqiq, head of Hizb-i-Etihad Mardum party said that ongoing negotiations were effectively advancing and hoped the Afghan people would be able to achieve a lasting peace in their country.

After these statements, the conference continued behind closed doors.

Mds/ma