Former Afghan government official calls for intra-Afghan talks

Hekmat Khalil Karzai, a former deputy foreign minister of Afghanistan, on Wednesday called for intra-Afghan talks to begin.

Speaking at the Global Security Forum in Doha, Karzai emphasized that the talks should be Afghan-led and Afghan-owned, as any talks led by the West would fail.

He said that the group of Afghans talking to the IEA should not involve those who are accused of playing a role in the collapse of the former government.

Karzai said that Afghans should learn from the past and seize the existing opportunity.

Referring to the issue of girls’ education, Karzai said that denying girls an education is not a requirement of Islam nor culture and traditions. He said that many Afghans want and education for their daughters.

Meanwhile, Fawzia Koofi, a former member of parliament, said that there should be political space for political opposition to be formed.

She also called for women and girls to be allowed to get an education.

“The regional approach is very important. The Islamic countries’ approach. Qatar is the highlight of diplomacy when it comes to peace and conflict resolution… The Islamic countries really have a responsibility to meaningfully and genuinely stop Taliban (IEA) from misinterpreting the religion,” Koofi said.

There was no IEA representative at the Global Security Forum. IEA officials have repeatedly claimed that they are trying to make the government more inclusive.

IEA officials have also been calling on former government officials to return and live a peaceful life.