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KABUL: Germany Special Envoy for Afghanistan Potzel Markus is looking to the ongoing intra-Afghan talks as a getaway that paves ground for peace in Afghanistan as insecurity has been intensified recently with more carnage.
After jointly opening the first session of intra-Afghan meeting, Potzel Markus in a tweet said: “We have taken the initiative for this dialogue to pave the way for peace in Afghanistan.”
According to him, talks were not enough, adding that dialogue should turn into a meaningful negotiating process.
He made it clear that the people of Afghanistan could only determine the future of their country.
The meeting kicked off in earlier Sunday morning, where Kabul delegates and Taliban members will exchange views and discuss in details Afghan peace process and ways to end conflict in the country.
The Taliban 17-member delegation and Afghan civil society activists, right activists, women representatives and prominent political figures from Afghanistan and Europe participate in the meeting.
Syed Hamid Gelani, head of the Mahaz-i-Melli Political Party told Pajhwok Afghan News that such meetings could generate hopes for peace and reconciliation in the country.
“In the past people did not believe such meeting will take place, but I continued my efforts and was hopeful that this day will happen,” he said.
This comes as deadly attack carried out by a Taliban car bomber in Ghanzi province on Sunday, while Taliban leaders was preparing to attend intra-Afghan talks in quest of peace, in which at least 12 were killed, and over 150 civilians, and schoolchildren were wounded.
The attack claimed by Taliban group has dulled the dream of peace among ordinary Afghan masses as they are victims of these brazen attacks. If Taliban are serious in peace talks, they must shun violence and nod for a comprehensive ceasefire, said a Kabul resident, who his son was injured in last week Kabul’s attack.
Last week, the Taliban detonated a powerful car bomb in Kabul when the streets were filled with people, injuring 105 people, including 51 schoolchildren and five women. Again schoolchildren were targeted in Ghazni as over 50 school students wounded.
