Updated 17 October 2020 at 14:17 IST
Abdullah says return of Taliban emirate 'unacceptable under any circumstances'
The Afghan peace negotiator, Abdullah Abdullah, on October 16, said that the return of the Taliban emirate is ‘unacceptable’ to Afghans under any circumstances.
The head of the High Council for National Reconciliation, Abdullah Abdullah, on October 16, said that the return of the Taliban emirate is ‘unacceptable’ to Afghans under any circumstances. While speaking at a ceremony on the second death anniversary of former Kandahar police chief General Abdul Raziq, Abdullah stressed on the need for unity among the Afghan people. He added that violence will not lead the country to peace.
The Afghan peace negotiator said, “If there is a thought to reimpose the Taliban emirate on the people after the withdrawal of the international forces, it will not be acceptable for the people of Afghanistan under any circumstances”.
Further, Abdullah went on to condemn the recent surge in violence in the country and said that peace would not be achieved by increased violence and targeting civilians, religious scholars and political figures would reduce ‘people’s morale’. He said that no side should think that they will achieve their goals by killing and bloodshed and added that there is a need to continue the peace process with ‘confidence and patience’.
While speaking about peace in the country, Abdullah said that "dignity, identity and pride of the people would not be undermined". He said that Afghans would defend Afghanistan’s sovereignty and dignity if "ultimately the Taliban accepts no logic way for peace".
Inta-Afghan peace talks
Abdullah Abdullah’s comments come after the Special US Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation announced that the US and the Taliban have agreed to strictly implement all elements of the peace deal signed in February. Afghan-American diplomat Zalmay Khalilzad said that the agreement over the implementation of a peace deal means reduced numbers of operations as “too many Afghans are dying” at present. He added that the parties expect the number of casualties to drop significantly.
The intra-Afghan negotiations kicked off in Doha under the chairmanship of the Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs on September 12. However, the spotlight from the peace talks has faded after the lavish opening ceremony since the warring parties continue to disagree on even basic issues. The violence in the region was expected to reduce, however, it has increased unexpectedly over the last few weeks. According to Tolo News, the Taliban also attacked parts of Helman a week ago leaving thousands of families displaced.
(Inputs & Image: ANI)
Published By : Bhavya Sukheja
Published On: 17 October 2020 at 14:18 IST