Consultative Meeting Of The Negotiating Team Of The Islamic Republic Of Afghanistan With The People Of Kandahar

A consultative meeting of the negotiating team of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan with different strata of the people of Kandahar was held today by the State Ministry for Peace, in continuation of the consultative meetings for ensuring the public participation in the peace process and obtaining their views through online communication.
The meeting was attended by Mawlawi Ata-ur-Rahman Salim, the Deputy Chairman of the High Council for National Reconciliation, Sayed Sadat Mansoor Naderi, the State Minister for Peace and member of the negotiating team, and Mawlawi Ataullah Ludin, Fatima Gailani, Rasool Talib and Sharifa Zurmati Wardak, members of the negotiating team.
The meeting was hosted by Mr. Abdul Khaliq Balakarzai, the Deputy Minister for Coordination of Tribal Affairs of the State Ministry for Peace, and Hayatullah Hayat, the Governor of Kandahar Province.
Mr. Abdul Khaliq Balakarzai said about the purpose of the consultative meetings that the State Ministry for Peace laying the groundwork for the direct communication between the people and the negotiating team and other officials of the peace process through different ways.
Mr. Hayatullah Hayat said at the beginning of the meeting that the people of Kandahar support the peace process and will spare no support to the progress of the peace process.
Mr. Atta-ur-Rahman Salim, the Deputy Chairman of the High Council for National Reconciliation, said that we are at a stage where we should take the most advantage of the existing opportunity, and that both sides of the negotiations must not waste this opportunity.
Ethnic elders, the Kandahar Provincial Council members, religious scholars, human rights and women's rights activists, peace activists, academics, youth representatives and war victims from Kandahar Province shared their concerns and questions with members of the negotiating team.
The root causes of war, the will of the people for peace, addressing the rights of war victims, the ongoing violence and the need for a ceasefire, the agenda of peace negotiations, the basic demands of the people, the protection of women's rights, people's expectations of the outcome, and support for the negotiating team were the main points expressed and discussed by the people of Kandahar.
Emphasizing that the peace process belongs to the people and is owned by the people, the members of the negotiating team said that people’s consultations and the negotiating team understanding of the concerns of different strata are of particular importance and we will not achieve sustainable peace without a real participation of the people in the process.
They called the commencement of discussion on the agenda an important step in the Afghanistan peace negotiations and said that the basic demands of the people based on Islam and national interests would be the priorities of the negotiating team of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan.
The negotiating team members emphasized that they need support of the people during the negotiation process, as their strength and perseverance stems from the ambitions and expectations of the Afghan people for their country.
They went on to say that no matter how long the negotiation process goes, the negotiating team will proceed on behalf of the people according to their demands and will go through the complications with patience.
At the end of the meeting, Sayed Sadat Mansoor Naderi, the State Minister for Peace and member of the negotiating team, concluded the meeting saying that the State Ministry for Peace is the connecting point with the structures of the negotiations and peace process, laying the groundwork for the direct communication between different strata of the people and their representatives in the negotiating team. He further stated that the ministry is committed to ensuring the principle of participation in the negotiation process and inclusiveness of the peace process.
Worth mentioning that the consultative meetings with different strata of the people in Kabul and the provinces were began before the commencement of the Afghanistan peace negotiations in Doha and will continue in the future as well.