Atmar: It’s wrong to fight the Islamic Emirate

It’s wrong to fight the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) as fighting them in the last two decades didn’t produce desired results, the former foreign minister, Mohammad Hanif Atmar, has said.

Speaking at the Institute for Cultural Diplomacy, Atmar also said that any nation that is deprived of its basic rights and freedoms will never enjoy peace.

“Second extreme view is to fight the Taliban (IEA) to the end and use of force. They are equally wrong in our opinion. Because we have done exactly that over the past two decades,” Atmar said.

He called for a “principled political settlement” through intra-Afghan negotiations.

“That settlement must pursue two twin goals. Goal 1: lasting peace and security for both Afghans and our national community, and goal 2 is legitimate governance…For us and for any civilized nation, legitimacy comes from the freewill of the citizens – men and women alike – and the commitment of a state to uphold their basic rights and freedom to maintain its legitimacy,” Atmar said.

IEA has previously claimed that it has formed an inclusive government. It has also invited Afghan politici