Senators urge unified peace plan for Turkey summit

KABUL (Pajhwok): Some Meshrano Jirga or upper house members on Tuesday called for unification of peace proposals presented by different political groups while others said senior officials including the president should resign if it could help bring peace to the country.

The Turkey Summit to find a solution to the Afghan conflict is expected to be held in April. The date for the summit is yet to be announced, but some reports quoting unnamed sources had said that the US, Turkey and the UN have agreed to hold the event on April 16.

According to reports, the Afghan government, the parliament, the High Council of National Reconciliation (HCNR), Hezb-i-Islami Afghanistan, Jamiat-i-Islami Afghanistan, Junbish-i-Islami and some other political parties and organizations have prepared their peace proposals for the Turkey Summit.

The HCNR says that it is reviewing the proposals presented by other political parties for the conference.

The Meshrano Jirga or senate today discussed the peace process and many peace proposals presented by different groups.

RahmatullahAchakzai, a senator from Kandahar province, talking to today’s session of the upper house, said, “It would be better all proposals are integrated and a single one is presented to Turkey Summit on behalf of the Afghan government, such a plan should secure national interests, not personal interests of a few figures, some people pursue their interests in war, not peace.”

Mohammad Hanafi, another senator said, “The peace plan being prepared should be effective enough to end war and acceptable to all sides, both sides should show flexibility and do not stick to their own plans only, this opportunity should be effectively used.”

Another senator, GulalaiAkbari said that a unified peace plan supported by political parties and the Afghan people if presented to Turkey conference would help put he conflict in Afghanistan to an end.

“A plan which was presented in a meeting of HCNR yesterday is not a comprehensive plan as the place of women, war victims and other classes of the society is ignored,” she said.

Fauzia Sadat Samkani, another Meshrano Jirga member pointing to the US peace plan for Afghanistan, said, “It is worrisome when the US sends us its plans, the one explained in the HCNR meeting yesterday points to creation of an interim government, creation of such system is not acceptable for us, this article should be removed from the plan…” However, she did not provide details as who provided the plan.

Mohammad Akbari, a senator from Bamyan province said, “If we go to Turkey Summit with different plans, it would be least probable to take people out of this situation, they should attend the conference with a single plan, the future system should be based on the will of people, referendum should be conducted and people be given the right of choosing the future government…”

Taib Atta, a lawmaker from Kunar province, said, “No one have showed mercy on the people and blood of Afghanistan, this country is monopolized by a few circles, the nation suffers from one crisis but 35 plans have been so far prepared for its solution, the system should be protected but if resignation of officials can help bring peace then all should give up their positions, I am personally ready for that…”

He said that no any sides or people should stick to their own demands as the burden of war was directed at ordinary people.

However, Fauzia Sadat Samkani said, “Is there any guarantee that resignation of the president would end war… the constitution of Afghanistan, the government and achievements should be protected.”

Another senator, Nawaz Sharif Hayat also said that there was no guarantee the president’s resignation would end war and that the constitution and achievements would be protected.

Mohammad AlamEzdyar, first deputy chairman of Meshrano Jirga, asked the government, politicians and Taliban to present a peace plan to the Turkey conference that could protect national interests and resolve problems of the country.

He said that the US peace plan would possibly be enforced if politicians and the government failed to provide a unified plan for Turkey Summit.

Mds/ma

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