(Tolo News) – A delegation of Hezb-e-Islami of Gulbuddin Hekmatyar will soon visit Kabul to hold talks with High Peace Council, the Council says.
The Afghan High Peace Council says it is unclear when the visit will take place, but added that at a previous meeting with Hezb-e-Islami representatives, the Council has received a set of suggestions on peace talks.
Among the main conditions of Hezb-e-Islami are establishment of an interim administration, election-based participation in the government, withdrawal of foreign troops in 6 months, and simultaneous presidential and parliamentary elections as well as provincial and district elections.
“In our meeting with Hezb-e-Islami representatives in Islamabad, they put forward a set of suggestions which we are working on, to see what common points of view we have with Hezb-e-Islami. Then we will tell them what is practical and what is not,” Ghulam Farouq Wardak, a member of High Peace Council, told a news conference.
Meanwhile, Isaf says while it considers Hezb-e-Islami as a dangerous network, it welcomes renunciation of violence and acceptance of Afghanistan’s constitution by any group interested in the Afghan peace process.
Isaf Public Relations Officer, Admiral Gregory Smith, said: “They are very dangerous, dangerous organisation. Whether or not they actually have intent and a will as a group to sit down and talk about peace is unclear to me. But our pledge to the Afghan government is that we will do all we can to support their desire, the Afghan government’s desire.”
High Peace Council speaks of peace talks with anti-government groups especially Hezb-e-Islami at a time that human rights organisations expressed concern that the Taliban and Hezb-e-Islami have increased violence and even target civilians and public places.
In a latest incident, Hezb-e-Islami claimed responsibility for targeting a supermarket in Kabul in which 8 civilians including all 6 members of a family lost their lives.
