Govt is inattentive to peace efforts

KABUL (Agencies): Mohammad Karim Khalili, Chairman of the High Peace Council, says that Taliban leadership was interested in peace talks with the government without offering any preconditions when he started contacting with them as he took the office in June 2017. He said in an interview with the Afghanistan Times that government’s inattention to the event, made Taliban adopt tougher stance in talks such as conditions.

But in recent eras, well, we certainly got experiences from the beginning. We did not get saved from the war, but we were inside the war. During this 18 years, it could not be fair that the US or Europe expect us, but this is a hope to represent people and their will as much as possible. We had some weakness from the beginning, but it increased since last year especially during the parliament elections which is really a pity, and I would like to frankly say that people’s turnout was very poor in that election. There were mostly other issues in different forms, particularly in Kabul, where even the members of election commission say they were not aware and heard it from radios and televisions about the results of Kabul polls. Who controls the Kabul Radio TV station? It is clear. Who gave the news? It is clear and it is also clear and everybody saw how the results were announced. We pay respect to all the candidates, we do not intend to disgrace, but this is the fact that has happened.

Now at the presidential election, people want a president to serve them, come through their votes, not through…, but which election? This is the point. I said this to the foreigners too, which election? The election we passed last year or the one with the will of people? This is a question that unfortunately, I did not find an answer for this. Of course, I am even more concerned, more concerned about the transparency of the elections because the election commission is facing bunches of problems. So, I am concerned if the result of elections leads us to a new crisis.

Let me mention two points: I decided to write a letter to Taliban leadership after a few months that I started my job as the High Peace Council chairman after consulting with the President, because I didn’t want to do anything without consulting him. His Excellency President read my letter and agreed with my decision as an initiative. I sent the letter and received the response a few months later from Taliban Leader, Maulavi Haibatullah Akhundzada. Letter exchange between us was an initiative in the history of the high peace council and I would like to thank Akhundzada for replying my letter. He mentioned my name in his letter and then a person from Hazara ethnicity chairs the peace council. Akhundzada had said in his letter that Taliban also believe war is not the solution, and that negotiation is a solution and the two sides need to remove a distrust space. We formed two commissions: A five-member commission for ceasefire that was led by Mullah Yaqoob, son of Taliban’s late leader Mullah Omar. Another commission for evaluating of prisoners’ condition and work for their release that Mullah Nooruddin Torabi was its head.

These two commissions, he had said, should start work inside Afghanistan and far from media eyes. He had also written about easing relationships with Pakistan and that the matter should be shared with President Ghani. I took the letter to President Ghani, he said that he needed 20 days to respond the letter. A man from Taliban came to me and said that their delegation led by Maulavi Sarraji was waiting for me in Helmand.

Taliban did not say that they wouldn’t hold talks with the government. They did not say anything about their preconditions. Everything from their side was OK, but we failed to use the opportunity in Kabul. Mr. President’s response was not prepared not in 20 days, but even in one year. Mr. President also let the chief executive know about that, and so vice president was informed. We didn’t have anything for the video messages we received from Mullah Torabi for accurate work on prisoner commission. I mean that Taliban at that time never said they had preconditions and were completely and openly ready. The Taliban leadership office conveyed the letter, but when we met in Moscow on the occasion of 100th year of Afghan-Russia diplomatic relationship, Taliban’s representatives had brief speeches. Then they said that as Mr. Khalili is chairing the peace council, so he is a government man and the ambassador of Afghanistan had spoken, so no roundtable discussion was held. Then I called on Mr. Karzai (former president) to hold a meeting by few representatives from the two sides and release a joint statement. This was the least thing we could do. The two sides could not agree on a statement in their eight-hour negotiation. The statement they prepared was very tough and explained Taliban’s higher stance and they were trying to restore their Emirate. The statement was unacceptable by Kabul delegation. Then they prepared another and shorter statement and sat again for another talks with Mr. Karzai, but I didn’t attend as I was seen by them a government man. Later, their representatives came to my room and apologized and said that ‘you are our respectful friend and we have no problem with you’. They said that they a technical problem with the government, but the media miscalculated their words. Then we held an almost hour-long negotiation and I told Taliban that their acts were just against what was written in their leader’s letter. I told them that their leader seemed very open for unconditional negotiations, but they had conditions.

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