KABUL - A former Taliban official has criticized the current Afghan peace process, saying peace would not be achieved until the policy was changed from military to political.
Former Taliban ambassador to Islamabad, Abdul Salam Zaeef, addressing a conference ‘Analysis and Solution to current Afghanistan situation’ in Kabul, said that peace was the primary need of Afghans and it should be preferred over war.
He criticized the peace process and said: “Unfortunately this process is turned to a project which is running for the interest of foreigners, we hope this process would turn into a real way for achieving peace.”
Calling distrust between the government and the Taliban another challenge, Zaeef said both sides were trying to introduce them as legitimate. “We cannot achieve peace until both the sides accept the reality,” he said.
“Taking the country out of the critical situation is possible only through intra-Afghan peace process that should be led by neutral and honest individuals,” Zaeef said.
In other part of his speech, Zaeef strongly criticized the US’s new strategy in Afghanistan and said peace could not be established in Afghanistan until the strategy was changed from military to political.   (Pajhwok)