Editor in Chief: Moh. Reza Huwaida Saturday, May 4th, 2024

Ghani Vows to Stay True to Constitution in Peace Talks

Ghani Vows to Stay True to Constitution in Peace Talks

BERLIN - Addressing guests at the Korber-Stiftung Foundation in Germany on Friday, President Ashraf Ghani said that any peace deal reached with the Taliban would be in accordance with the country's Constitution.

He said he would never seal a deal for peace that would "be the shame of history".

Ghani said the concept of peace talks is to secure the future of Afghanistan and said that regarding terrorism, no terrorist from Afghanistan exists in other countries but "terrorists enter our soil from other parts of the world and destabilize our nation."

While the outcome is still unclear of Ghani's talks with Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif - which took place last week on the sidelines of the UN climate change conference in Paris - the Afghan leader vowed not to compromise on national interests during peace talks with Taliban.

"The first and the second chapters of the Constitution of Afghanistan are not for negotiation. Our women can not go back to apartheid. Equal rights of the citizens of Afghanistan can not be compromised. I will never deal and enter into any sort of peace that is going to be the shame of history - it needs to be a peace that is within our constitutional terms and guarantees the future of our citizens," Ghani said.

Ghani went on to say that the presence of terror hideouts and training camps beyond the borders are the main obstacle in the way of peace negotiations.

However, he stressed that Kabul is talking to Islamabad from the position of a sovereign and independent country and that Afghans want peace between the sovereign states of Afghanistan and Pakistan.

"The mental peace for us is peace between the state, the sovereign state of Afghanistan with the sovereign state of Pakistan," he said.

According to Ghani, terrorists enter Afghanistan for destructive activities from countries such as China, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and especially form Pakistan.

"Where do the majority of the terrorists come from? Ghani asked, adding that, "they come from China, they come from Russia, they come from Tajikistan, they come from Uzbekistan, they come from Saudi Arabia, they come from Egypt and particularly from Pakistan. Where are Afghans as terrorists in other countries? Please point out to me."

Referring to activities of terrorists associated to notorious Daesh, Ghani said that some of the terror groups are coordinating with Daesh while some others are fighting the group.

This comes after peace talks stalled in July following the news of Mullah Omar's death two years earlier and Pakistan's failure to abide by its commitment regarding the Afghan peace dialogue.

Bilateral ties between Kabul and Islamabad has been strained ever since - especially after insurgents allegedly operating out of Pakistan hit a number of targets inside Afghanistan's major cities these past few months. (Tolonews)