Inclusive govt only solution to Afghan war: Jalal Karim

KABUL (Pajhwok): Afghanistan’s former envoy to Saudi Arabia, Sayed Jalal Karim, says only an inclusive government could resolve the decades-old conflict in the country.

During an exclusive interview with Pajhwok Afghan News, Karim said, “Hundreds of Afghans lose their lives just for 8,000 afghanis a month, the causes of the war should be addressed.”

Commenting on a recent US proposal for establishing a participatory government in Afghanistan, the former diplomat said an inclusive government was the only solution to ending the Afghan conflict.

He said many Afghans and the international community supported the proposal but those rejecting it were in fact against peace.

“A dignified peace is a win-win solution, both the government and Taliban should agree on it and all sides should feel they won,” he said.

Karim said that some political leaders wanted to lead the inclusive government” but the leader of the proposed inclusive government should be a person who was supported by all sides.

The president had promised he would sacrifice everything for peace and would even resign, but now he had refused to do so, he added, saying the current government leadership was trying to use the election as an excuse to create obstacles for peace.

Considering past experiences, he said, conducting elections under the current government was not acceptable.

Karim said that the High Council of National Reconciliation (HCNR) was comprised of good individuals and it was able to play a vital role in the peace process.

The efforts of Dr. Abdullah Abdullah, chairman of HCNR, and his team can help move forward the peace process as a success, he added.

On the other hand, Karim said that there were figures inside the government who wanted to fail Doha peace negotiations

“We should accept it that there are figures on both sides who want to prolong war and prevent peace, some countries are also involved in this matter who want to sabotage peace,” he said.

Karim said Taliban representatives were attending Moscow summit and the involvement of Russia and Turkey in the process good news.

Anyone creating problems for the Afghan peace process should be identified by the UN and exposed to Afghans and the world, he concluded.

mds/ma