KABUL - A number of Meshrano Jirga or upper house members on Sunday said the government should conclude the peace agreement with Hezb-i-Islami Afghanistan (HIA) as soon as possible and share obstacles being created in this regard with the public.
Senator Mohammad Hassan Hotak told today’s session that discussions about peace with HIA had been ongoing over the past seven or eight months, but the results remained unclear.
He said if there were obstacles to the peace talks, they should be shared with the public otherwise the agreement between the government and the HIA should be signed promptly.
Meanwhile, Senator Anar Kali Hunaryar said the ongoing war in Afghanistan was no solution to the country’s problems. She stressed no hurdle should be created to the peace talks with HIA.
She also demanded early finalization of the agreement and said: “If there is any problem regarding the peace agreement, it should be shared with the nation.”
Senator Zalmai Zabulai from Zabul province welcomed HIA’s joining of the peace process and said: “Problem facing the peace process should be shared with parliament so a solution could be found or people who create problems in this regard should be disclosed to the public.
Yet another upper house member, Mohammad Alam Ezedyar, also stressed continued negotiations with HIA and said the peace talks should be based on people’s wish
He said the talks about weapons and ammunition the HIA possessed were ambiguous that was a matter of concern.
A number of other senators also demanded early finalization of the agreement or disclosure of problems the process faced.
However, two senators Nisar Haris and Gulalai Akbari said no rush was needed in addressing a national issue.
Meshrano Jirga chairman Fazal Haid Muslimyar said peace talks with HIA were not an issue of concern.
He said the talks had gone hot and cold many times, but both the sides would eventually reach a full agreement once their differences resolved.
Muslimyar asked government leaders if any problems regarding the agreement existed, they should be shared with the public so the nation could itself make a decision. (Pajhwok)