Hundreds of elders converge on Kabul for peace meet

KABUL figures, local influential and provincial council members from various provinces converged on capital Kabul on Tuesday to hold a two-day consultative meeting on peace.

Mohammad Karim Khalili, the High Peace Council (HPC) chief, addressed the day-one of the conference organized by the council. He talked about problems and challenges being faced by the government-initiated peace process.

“Consensus exists on peace and talks with militants, we are now trying how to establish peace, but there are different views on this issue,” he said.

Several meetings had taken place with the youth, civil society, politicians, tribal elders and others on bringing peace and the process would continue, Khalili said.

He said participants of the meeting stressed on the importance of peace and national consensus in this regard, but said some opposition also existed to peace and some specific circles supported by foreigners tried to fail the peace process.

Considering to advises from political figures, Jihadis and representatives of different classes, the draft plan for peace with the militants is prepared and is finalized, Khalili said.

However, Halima Askari, who heads the provincial council of central Maidan Wardak province, said that the role of local elders and people’s representatives was important in advancing the peace process.

“The will for peace is very weak in this country and most of provincial peace committees are not active as they should be,” she said.

She said a weak participation of tribal elders, ulema and public representatives in efforts at achieving stability had rendered the peace process ineffective.

Mohammad Akram Khpalwak, HPC secretary, said that there was global consensus on establishing peace in Afghanistan.

He said the second meeting of the Kabul Process was scheduled for February 28 and representatives from different countries and international organizations were expected to attend the huddle in Kabul.

The HPC believed war was not a solution and militants, particularly the Taliban, should understand the importance of peace and enter negotiations with the government on the matter, Khpalwak concluded.

mds/ma