KABUL, Afghanistan – Chairman of the High Council for National Reconciliation Abdullah Abdullah Monday said historic steps have been taken for peace and the time has come to reduce violence, according to sources, urging negotiators to push through the deadlock that halted peace process for weeks.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the Zamzam Foundation, a charity body created to support war victims, Abdullah said Afghans expect negotiators to reach a conclusion that will determine peace and stability in Afghanistan. 
“The talks are underway, the steps which are taken are preliminary and historic steps, but the Afghan people expect these talks to be accelerated and violence to be reduced, because in the view of current circumstances, violence has not only reduced, but it has increased compared to the past,” said Abdullah, according to report.
Meanwhile, Chairperson of Zamzam Foundation Neelofar Ibrahimi said the independent body will provide help to the victims and their families of war, as she called for a swift end to the bloodshed.
“We decided to lay the foundation of an organization that could help those affected by the dark shadows of the war,” said Neelofar Ibrahimi, chairperson of Zamzam Foundation.
The remarks came a time the contact groups of each, the Afghanistan and Taliban delegations, have come together Monday night to push thought the deadlock, but once again failed to unite thoughts on forming the ground rules for peace negotiations.
While the Afghan team believe an agreement on the procedural rules might be reached within the next few days, critique suggests an unpredicted timeline for the negotiations if the contact groups remain cold about the disputed points. (KHAAMA PRESS)