Peace Council Welcomes Indonesian Suggestion to Hold Trilateral Ulema Committee

Kabul, MINA – The government-run High Peace Council (HPC) said it welcomes an offer by the Indonesian president to establish a committee of religious scholars from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Indonesia to find a solution for the Afghan war, amid the escalation of terrorist activities in Afghanistan including capital Kabul, Afghanistn Times reported Sunday.

Indonesian President, Joko Widodo in a recent visit to Pakistan, asked for the establishment of committee of the clerics from three countries to seek ways for peace in Afghanistan.

The council’s spokesman called it a “good measure”, expressing hope that Jakarta’s efforts be effective in the Afghan peace process.

“What is important for us is the role of Indonesia’s ulema because their role is effective on the Islamic world and nobody can deny this on Pakistan,” Aminuddin Mozaffari said.

He added that the demand came months after a delegation from the peace council paid a visit to Jakarta. “This is the beginning of cooperation between Afghanistan and Indonesia.”

Pakistan announced that president Mamnoon Hussian has agreed with the suggestion and has promised to work with the committee.

Head of the peace council, Mohammad Karim Khalili, in a visit to Indonesia, asked for Jakarta’s help in the Afghan-led peace program.

But political experts are not sure that Indonesian religious scholars be able to play a role in this regard.

“I don’t think that Indonesia’s clerics are well known and reliable for the opposition armed groups in Afghanistan,” said Hamid Azizi, a political analyst. “There has been no meeting between the clerics from Afghanistan and Indonesia as well as Indonesian and Pakistani clerics. Thus, it would be only an orientation that Jakarta will get benefit to take more roles in the international deals.”

He added that Indonesia and Pakistan are much in political and economic touch. (T/RS5/RS1)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)