Monitoring Desk
ISLAMABAD/WASHINGTON: Former Afghan president Hamid Karzai and United Nations (UN) Secretary General’s Deputy Special Representative to Afghanistan Markus Potzel have urged the Taliban to reopen universities and schools for girls.
Ex-president of Afghanistan meets
In a tweet, Karzai said that they also discussed the need for a national dialogue to ensure lasting peace in Afghanistan during the meeting.
“Both sides emphasised the need for reopening universities and schools for girls and initiating a national dialogue to ensure peace in the country,” said Shahzada Massoud, a close aide to Karzai, quoted him saying.
Political figures outside and inside the country also called for a national dialogue, which they said was the only solution to the current malaise in Afghanistan, Tolonews said.
Political analyst Mohammad Zalmi Afghan Yar said, “Taliban will have to forge unity between the government and the citizens from Torkham to Wakhan and Badakhshan to Nimroz if they wanted to see themselves in the government.”
Political analyst Sayed Akbar Agha said, “I think national dialogue according to what the world community wanted is not happening now.”
Meanwhile, Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid said, “right now, national dialogue is not necessary, and time has passed.” He said it was not time to discuss political problems with politicians. “If they mean by national dialogue with people, the citizens are already with us.”
National negotiations were one of four essential parts of the Doha Agreement between the Taliban government and the US. However, the Taliban have totally disregarded the agreement.
