KABUL - Some Meshrano Jirga or Senate members on Sunday called an upcoming meeting between Russia, China and Pakistan on Afghanistan as interference in the country and against international norms.
Senator Amina Afzali told Meshrano Jirga session, that Russia, China and Pakistan were expected to meet in Moscow in the absence of Afghanistan representatives.
The trilateral meeting between Pakistan, Russia and China will be held in Moscow on 27th of this month to discuss regional peace and stability including situation in Afghanistan.
More details about the meeting are not yet shared with media, but China and Pakistan foreign ministries had said the meeting was aimed at ensuring peace and stability in Afghanistan.
However, Afzali called the meeting a violation of international norms and an assault on Afghanistan’s privacy. Such meetings were illegal and the Afghan government should condemn it.
Safiullah Hashemi, another senator, said, “Such acts of our neighboring countries mean ignoring Afghanistan’s national sovereignty.”
Any meeting on peace in Afghanistan should be participated and led by Afghan representatives, he said.
“This meeting in fact recognizes Taliban, no regional country should have contact with Taliban or hold a meeting with them,” he added.
Second deputy chairman, Eng. Hasibullah Kalimzai, chairing today’s meeting, also condemned the meeting and said such meetings should be led by representatives from Afghanistan.
He asked the government to ask embassies of the relevant countries through diplomatic channels to avoid interfering in Afghanistan’s affairs.
Former Russian special envoy to Kabul, Zamir Kabulov, last month told Interfax news agency that his country contacted Taliban in order to jointly fight Daesh or Islamic State (IS) militants in the region.
Current Russian ambassador also confirmed his country had contacted the Taliban, but said the contact was aimed to protect their political offices in Afghanistan and encourage the rebel group to join the peace process.
Afghan officials have repeatedly accused Pakistan of supporting and providing shelter to militants fighting against Afghanistan.
Pajhwok tried to contact the Ministry of Foreign Affairs about the trilateral meeting, but failed. (Pajhwok)