Dialogue a new dawn for war-torn Afghan people: Faraz
by Staff ReportISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Information & Broadcasting, Senator Shibli Faraz has said that the commencement of the intra-Afghan dialogue is a historical milestone and a new dawn for the war-torn Afghan people.
In a tweet on Sunday, the information minister said that this initiative is a victory of Prime Minister Imran Khan’s stance that a political settlement is the only solution to the long-standing Afghan issue.
20 years ago, PM Imran said that there is no military solution to the Afghan conflict, he stated and prayed for the prosperity and development of the people of Afghanistan.
Historic peace talks opened between the Taliban and the Afghan government on Saturday, with the warring parties meeting face to face in Qatar even as violence continued on the ground in Afghanistan.
Abdullah Abdullah, the former chief executive for Afghanistan who is heading the peace process for Kabul, had called for an immediate ceasefire and highlighted the ongoing toll of the war, saying 12,000 civilians have been killed and another 15,000 wounded since the US and the Taliban signed a deal in February.
“We have to use this exceptional opportunity for peace,” Abdullah had said at the talks’ opening ceremony in Doha. “We have to stop violence and agree on a ceasefire as soon as possible. We want a humanitarian ceasefire.”
Abdullah was joined at the opening ceremony by Taliban co-founder Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.