AFGHAN PRESIDENT KARZAI CALLS FOR AFGHAN-OWNED PEACE TALKS

Kabul, 18 Rabiul Awwal 1434/30 January 2013 (MINA) – Afghanistan’s President Hamid Karzia on Tuesday called for having Afghan-owned and Afghan-led peace talks to achieve durable peace in his militancy-plagued country.

“The only body that can lead the peace talks is the High Peace Council and I am calling on Taliban that the outcome of peace talks should led to durable peace and stability in Afghanistan,” President Karzai said in a national conference here, according to Xinhua report monitored by Mi’raj News Agency (MINA), Wednesday.

He also stressed that the government-backed peace body, the High Peace Council which established in summer 2010 to contact the armed opposition groups and encourage them to give up fighting, is the only authorized national body to negotiate with Taliban militants.

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The Afghan president also cautioned that any peace dialogue in the absence of High Peace Council (HPC) would not yield the desired result, advising the Taliban leaders and independent politicians to negotiate within the framework of HPC and national unity.

President Karzai made this remarks in the wake of reported opening Taliban liaison office in Qatar and holding talks with U.S. for peace in Afghanistan.

Taliban fighters fighting the Afghan government, U.S. and NATO- led troops in Afghanistan have repeatedly turned down President Karzai’s offer for talks, saying there will be no dialogue with the Afghan government in the presence of foreign troops in the country.

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President Karzai who was addressing the Water Resource Management National Conference in Kabul, in his speech also called for adequate utilizing of water resources in improving agriculture sector, power generation and building the country’s economy. (T/P-08/E1)

Mi’raj NewsAgency (MINA)