Establishing ‘Interim Gov’t’ in Afghanistan is ‘Best Option’ – Mohaqiq

Mohammad Mohaqiq, the leader of Wahdat-e-Islami party who was among the Afghan politicians recently held two-day talks with the Taliban representatives in Moscow, says the proposal for establishing an interim government in Afghanistan is the best possible option in the current situation.

Mohaqiq’s remarks come as President Ghani had called the idea of interim government “ridiculous” and said that those who insist on the plan should wait for hundreds of years.

The proposal of interim government apparently has been one of the agenda of Moscow talks being backed by the Afghan oppositions led by former President Hamid Karzai.

“Karzai is not fool, he is a very smart person,” Mohaqiq told Ariana News during an exclusive interview on Sunday. “Karzai is not like what the president and Mr. Khalilzad [the U.S. special envoy] said about him because these two [Karzai and Khalilzad] are the smartest human beings in the region.”

Mohaqiq was referring to President Ashraf Ghani who has reaffirmed his stand on elections and said that the government is committed to carrying the torch of democracy, rebuking any prospects of an interim government under his leadership.

The leader of Wahdat-e-Islami party also said that the Taliban has not insisted on an Islamic Emirate but suggested an Islamic system and government in Afghanistan at the Moscow meeting.

“We also did not suggest having Islamic Republic government, but we hope to reach into an agreement in the future in this regard,” he said.

Mohaqiq who was recently dismissed as the second deputy to Chief Executive of the National Unity Government by President Ghani asserted that according to the political agreement – which led into a formation of the government in 2014, following a rigged presidential election– he will remain in his position and will continue to his job.