Ahead of Afghan-Taliban peace talks, Hamid Karzai asks govt to not 'miss the opportunity'

High-powered Afghanistan government delegation, which also includes the head of the country's reconciliation council, is set to meet the Taliban in Doha to commence a long-stalled peace process. According to the Associated Press, which reported citing an anonymous source, the meeting is tentatively scheduled for July 16, and the fundamentalist group is expected to bring in their senior leaders to the table. This marks the second attempt of the Ashraf Ghani administration to negotiate a way to peace in the Central Asian state. 

The Doha talks will be led by senior government official Abdullah Abdullah, who currently serves as the head of Afghanistan’s reconciliation council. Additionally, it also encompasses Former president Hamid Karzai, Yunus Qanooni, Karim Khalili, Mohammad Mohaqiq, Salam Rahimi, Abdul Rashid Dostum, Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, Sayed Sadat Mansoor Naderi, Enayatullah Baligh, and Fatima Gailani. 

Karzai urges to end the fight

Addressing media reporters at his residence in Kabul, Karzai called on the government not to "miss the opportunity" and press ahead toward peace, according to Associated Press. He called both the warring parties to end the fight which has pushed the country into extreme poverty and widespread fear. He further buttressed his stance saying that seizure of more territory would not benefit the Taliban. While the Islamist fundamentalist is known to impose stringent restrictions on women, Karzai expressed his desire to see a female president of the country in near future and urged women to stay in their jobs and continue their education.

“This country has everything, youths, educated people,” he said. “I call on the young generation to not leave your country, stay here. ... You must trust in your country, peace will come.”

According to the latest reports, the Taliban has successfully captured more than a third of Afghanistan’s 421 districts and district centers. Amongst them are key border areas with Iran, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan. The surge has also exposed weaknesses in the Afghan National Security and Defense Forces. The crisis has also triggered a mass exodus of Afghan residents, who are already reeling with poverty, inflation, and lawlessness, fear the Taliban’s return could lead to dire consequences. According to International Organisation for Migration (IOM), the number of people exiting Afghanistan has tripled, with an extra 500,000 departing in the past six months, mostly to Iran and Pakistan. 

Image: AP