Afghanistan Times
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KABUL: A number of tribal elders and religious scholars in the southeastern Paktia province on Tuesday urged the Taliban group to announce an armistice before Eid-ul-Adha and take concrete steps towards a lasting peace in the country.
The participants of a gathering called on the Taliban to end the four-decade-old war by declaring a truce and taking real measures as an initial step towards peace.
Ahmad Jan Faizi, a tribal elder and member of the People Peace Movement (PPM), expressed hope that the latest Qatar negotiations would succeed. He suggested national interest should be held supreme over personal gains in the ongoing peace efforts.
Faizi termed truce as a groundwork for peace and said: “Ceasefire is the first step towards peace and it should be taken and without truce, peace would be impossible and I hope the 8th round of talks would have fruitful results.”
ZahirOryakhel, another tribal elder, said the government represented all countrymen and without direct talks with the government, peace and stability were not possible.
He accused the warring parties of being busy in protecting their own interests in the ongoing Qatar talks by trying to get leverage.
Mualvi Arab Gul Hussian, a religious scholar, said the ongoing conflict had not only destroyed the country’s economy but was responsible for social destruction of the Afghan society. “Preventing this war is the responsibility of all people, including Ulema, who should raise their voices.”
He said, “Peace is a divine order and this is our responsibility to work for peace.”
Mualvi Abdullah, another scholar, termed the ongoing conflict as of others and said the war continued for foreigners’ advantages and offered Afghanistan only destruction.
He urged the Taliban leaders to end this war and initially announce a truce and then take practically steps for real peace in the country.
A number of other Ulema and tribal elders held similar views and urged the Taliban to announce truce as soon as possible.
