Asfandyar wants Afghan govt made part of peace process

CHARSADDA: Awami National Party (ANP) head Asfandyar Wali Khan has urged the regional countries to make the Afghan government part of the ongoing peace process to bring stability to the region. He was talking to a delegation from Afghanistan Wednesday at his residence in Wali Bagh in Charsadda district.

The delegation was led by Muhammad Umar Daudzai, the former Afghan interior minister who is special envoy of President Ashraf Ghani for the peace process and contacts with regional countries and is secretary of Afghanistan’s High Peace Council. He was accompanied by Afghanistan’s new ambassador to Pakistan Shukrullah Atif Mashal and members of the Afghan High Peace Council.

The delegation is on a visit to Pakistan to hold talks with Pakistani officials on the ongoing US-Taliban peace talks. The delegation conveyed the goodwill message of President Ashraf Ghani to the ANP leader.

Asfandyar Wali said that peace talks cannot succeed without the participation of the Afghan people and their government. He argued that any unilateral agreement with the Taliban would make it difficult for the regional countries to contain Daesh in the region.

The ANP chief said China and Russia would have to play pivotal role as guarantors for the peace process and agreement. “We wish for the success of peace talks as in case of failure the region may face Syria-like situation,” he feared.

Asfandyar Wali said his party was ready to play its role in the Afghan peace process. “We want peace in the region and are ready to play our role,” he added. The delegation lauded the efforts and struggle of ANP in establishing peace in Afghanistan. It noted that the ANP rendered matchless sacrifices for the sake of peace in Pakistan and the region.