Afghanistan Times
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“We can’t leave peace efforts”
AT News Report
KABUL: Former President, Hamid Karzai says he would persuade the government to attend the upcoming meeting between Taliban and Afghan politicians scheduled to be held in Qatar.
The Qatar meeting called in Afghanistan as intra-Afghan dialogue is actually the sequel of Moscow meeting in which political leaders including Karzai met for the first time with Taliban representatives in February.
But Karzai says that second meeting must be held with Taliban even if the government does not send delegation to Doha.
Karzai on Friday called on the government to consider the importance and attend the Doha meeting which its exact date is yet to be clear.
The US diplomats chaired by Zalmay Khalilzad are also preparing for another round of negotiations with Taliban in Doha, followed by five previous sessions in which they talked on how to find a way to end war in Afghanistan.
“I hope, make efforts and ask the government to come to attend the meeting. We cannot leave the peace efforts even if the government refuses to attend, because it will be a crime, it will be a mistake and we save ourselves from this mistake,” Karzai said.
The former president said that he had asked President Ashraf Ghani to call the Consultative Loya Jirga after the Qatar meeting. Ghani calls the jirga this month to consult on the current situation with over 2,500 representatives from 34 provinces and ask them to find a way leading to peace.
“I also called on the president to wait for the end of Qatar meeting so its results be shared with the people’s representatives in Loya Jirga to help them make decision over its results. This will be good and can likely make us gain an agreement with Taliban.”
