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Afghan Gov’t Discloses Its Peace Offer to Taliban
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani offered peace talks with Taliban without preconditions on Wednesday morning after officially opened the Kabul Process II conference in Kabul.
Ghani proposed a ceasefire and a release of prisoners as part of a range of options including new elections, involving the militants, and revision of the constitution as part of a pact with the Taliban.
He said Afghans from across the country in consultation with government and the High Peace Council (HPC), have reached a consensus on the desire for peace.
“The National Unity Government offers peace talks with Taliban without preconditions,” Ghani said. Adding that peace talks with the Taliban will be implemented in three steps.
The president further said that the government is agreed with opening political office for the Taliban, issue passports for the group members of the Taliban, allow freedom of travel, and assist in removal of sanctions, allow access to media, and agree with the return of their family.
Kabul Process II meeting which was attending by representatives of 25 countries and three international organizations aimed at creating a platform for peace talks, adds to a series of signals from both the government and the Taliban suggesting a greater willingness to consider dialogue.
Following the conference, a detailed document has been disclosed in which the government mapped out suggestions on the building blocks for peace-making with Taliban and other involved elements.
- A political process: ceasefire, recognition as political party, transitional confidence-building arrangements, and inclusive, credible, free and fair elections;
- A legal framework: constitutional review, justice and resolution of grievances, enabling laws or decrees, prisoner release and removal from sanctions lists;
- Reorganization of the state: rule of law and reform, balanced spatial development, reintegration of refugees and internally displaced populations;
- Security: for the population, as well as for those being reconciled – who are reintegrating;
- Economic/social development: inclusive and sustained growth, equitable access to land and public assets, fighting corruption, national job creation programs, reintegration of refugees, and ex-combatants;
- International community support and partnership: diplomatic financial support, status of foreign fighters and removal from sanctions;
- Implementation modalities, specifying urgent, short and medium-term benchmarks and monitoring and verification mechanisms and arrangements.
Officials at the Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development (MRRD) say 7,000 incomplete projects of the World Bank are at risk of destruction in Afghanistan. They call on the World Bank to resume the work of these projects.
According to them, discussions have been held with the World Bank about these projects, but there has been no result yet.
“7,000 incomplete projects are being destroyed, and if the work is not started, these projects will be destroyed. We ask the World Bank to resume the work of these projects as soon as possible,” said Noorul Hadi Adel, the spokesperson of MRRD.
Meanwhile, members of the private sector also ask international institutions to resume their work in Afghanistan.
According to the officials of this sector, with the start of these projects, job opportunities will be provided for thousands of people in the country.
“These projects create employment for our people and the country will grow a lot,” said Mirwais Hajizadeh, a member of the private sector.
However, economic experts stated if the work of these projects does not start soon, they will be destroyed and the investments made in them will be wasted.
Ten people have been killed and six others injured by floods in Helmand province in the past week, local officials said on Friday.
According to officials, seven of those were members of the same family, and they were killed in Kajaki district last night.
“Most of the people moved from vulnerable areas to high lands and mountains, and thanks Allah the number of casualties is low,” Sher Mohammad Vahdat, the head of information of the Directorate of Information and Culture in Helmand, said adding rescue teams and security forces have been dispatched to help people.
It is said that the telecommunication system has also been disrupted due to the effect of floods in Kajaki district. Floods have also destroyed thousands of acres of agricultural land.
Roza Otunbayeva, the UN Secretary General’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, met with the Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar in New Delhi and discussed issues related to Afghanistan, it was announced on Thursday.
During the meeting, Otunbayeva thanked India for “its critical humanitarian support and longstanding friendship for the Afghan people” and discussed the importance of regional and international cooperation to address prevailing challenges in Afghanistan, UNAMA said on X.
Jaishankar also said on X that the sides exchanged views on the current situation in Afghanistan.
“Underlined that India has provided wheat, medicines, pesticides and school supplies. Appreciate the role of UN agencies as partners in these endeavors,” he said.
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