KABUL - Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Abdullah Abdullah on Sunday said the government was close to concluding a peace deal with the Hezb-i-Islami Afghanistan (HIA), led by Gulbuddin Hekmatyar.
However, the CEO told a Cabinet meeting here that no privileges against the Constitution and national interests would be offered to the group in return.
Abdullah said the talks between the High Peace Council (HPC) and the HIA delegation had been underway for two months and the government had reached very close to striking a peace accord.
He assured the people that the unity government was committed to establishing peace and stability in the country.
Abdullah welcomed HIA’s willingness to accept the offer of peace talks from the Afghan government.
He made it clear that no privileges contrary to the country’s laws would be provided to the HIA, something the government maintained on occasions of talks with its opponents.
A halt to insurgency, laying down arms and accepting the Constitution were the Afghan government’s basic conditions with armed opposition groups willing to talk to the government.
Earlier, the High Peace Council and the HIA signed a draft peace agreement and the draft was handed over to the HIA’s delegation to dispatch it to Hekmatyar.
The finalised draft agreement was handed over to the HIA delegation during a ceremony in Kabul and the HIA delegates would pass the draft to their leader, Hekmatyar, for his remarks. (Pajhwok)