KABUL - Salahuddin Rabani, the head of the High Peace Council (HPC), has asserted that talks about the future of Afghanistan with foreigners cannot ensure sustainable peace and stability and will be stuck in deadlock as they were previously.

A number of HPC officials and members of the Upper House gathered to commemorate the death anniversary of Mawlavi Arsala Rahmani, former member of the HPC and the Upper House, and talked about their concern over the Taliban's recent attempts to kick-start negotiations.

Referring to the new Doha office, Mr. Rabani said, ¨this office, in contradiction to the statements made, was opened for disrupting peace talks, and at the first hours of its opening, instead of talks, militancy agendas were announced."

Qazi Mohammad Amin Weqad, a member of the HPC, said that an "armed government opposition" like the Taliban should instead be called "armed people opposition" as the people of Afghanistan have been the primary victims of the Taliban's violence. Any group that produces orphans and closes schools like the Taliban should not be considered simply a group that opposes the government.

¨We assure the people of Afghanistan that if the peace talks starts all Afghan people achievements in the past 12 years in the field of civil, political and cultural spheres should be preserved," said Mr. Rabani.

Still, regardless of any intentions or assurances on either side, it remains unclear when hostilities will cease and sustainable peace will come to Afghanistan. (Tolo News)