No Justification for Ongoing Violence: Activists

Peace activists from the People’s Peace Movement (PPM) have started a campaign in at least 25 provinces of the country, calling on warring parties to immediately halt further violence and agree on a political settlement for the ongoing conflicts in Afghanistan.

PPM members said the ongoing war sacrifices only Afghans as foreign troops have announced to leave the country in the next few months.

They also called on United Nations to prevent foreign interference in Afghanistan’s internal issues.

“We can no longer call it Jihad,” PPM leader Iqbal Khyber said. “Then why should we kill Afghans?”

“Our demand from the UN is to protect our border regions so that we are able to make ourselves. Until the time foreign meddling is not halted, the miseries will continue due to existence of traitors,” said Sardar Mohammad Daud Azimi, member of PPM.

“Just recently, the Taliban was talking about the existence of foreign forces in Afghanistan and was legitimizing their jihad. But now, there is no further justification for their violence when we see that the foreigners are leaving,” said Sheran, a member of PPM.

The People’s Peace Movement, also called the Helmand Peace Convoy, initially started their activities when a group of at least a dozen activists staged a protest in Lashkargah City in March 2018 against an attack that killed around 16 people that month. About a month later, the activists left Helmand on foot for Kabul.