KABUL - President Hamid Karzai on Friday alleged that “enemies” were trying to frustrate his administration’s efforts for national reconciliation.

At a meeting with pro-government religious scholars, the president renewed his commitment to conducting presidential provincial elections on schedule.

In a statement from the Presidential Palace, he urged the people to participate actively in the election process and vote for a candidate of their choice.

Karzai called peace Afghanistan’s fundamental requirement, believing the situation had been conducive to reconciliation since the November consultative Loya Jirga on the Bilateral Security Agreement (BSA) with the US.

His condition to sign the BSA only if a practical reconciliation process was initiated had spurred a peace movement. “But our peace efforts have enemies. Those who work for peace are martyred,” he lamented.

The president said the killing of former Taliban minister Maulvi Abdul Raqib in Pakistan’s northwestern city of Peshawar had once again illustrated hurdles to the peace drive.

At the meeting, Hafiz Abdul Qayyum read out a statement from the Afghanistan Ulema Council, which urged Afghans to vote in large numbers in April 5 vote.

The scholars asked the people to vote for a candidate committed to the religion and the country and having political acumen. While stressing interference-free polls, they explained the ulema supported no particular contender. (Pajhwok)