KABUL - A joint session of parliament on Wednesday asked militant groups to renounce violence and join the government-initiated reconciliation process.
Referring to World Peace Day being observed today, Wolesi Jirga or lower house speaker Abdul Rauf Ibrahimi said the day was the occasion to condemn violence worldwide.
“Unfortunately wars and conflicts are claiming precious lives of hundreds on a daily basis throughout the world. Afghanistan is victim of conflict that takes innocent lives and causes economic losses.”
The speaker asked 2nd Vice President Sarwar Danish to convey the message of conflict-hit people of Afghanistan to world leaders.
He said Afghanistan had become a battleground for the world and regional intelligence agencies and the ongoing war in the country had been imposed from outside.
Ibrahimi welcomed the peace agreement with Hezb-i-Islami Afghanistan (HIA) and demanded continued efforts for peace so that other militant groups might join the peace process.
Eng. Haseebullah Kalimzai, 2nd deputy Senate chairman, invited militant groups to peace talks and asked them to renounce violence and accept the country’s laws in the larger national interest.
Kalimzai welcomed peace talks with HIA and said giving judicial impunity to Hekmatyar was not against national interest.
However, Zakria Suda, a lawmaker from Badakhshan province, said legally no one could be granted judicial impunity and a person who had committed killings and atrocities should be brought to justice.
The peace agreement with HIA is more likely to be signed tomorrow (Thursday) and leaders of the group have been granted judicial impunity by the Afghan government. (Pajhwok)