Except safe zones, Afghan government has agreed upon peace plan with Taliban

Except safe zones, Afghan government has agreed upon peace plan with Taliban

KABUL - Hizb-e-Islami leader Gulbuddin Hekmatyar at a press conference in Kabul said President Ashraf Ghani has agreed on major parts of a peace plan offered by him to the Afghan government.

He said only one issue has remained which needs the president’s agreement, referring to handover of safe zones to the Taliban as part of the peace offer to the group.

Hekmatyar said he did not offer handover of province or provinces to the Taliban as safe zones in his peace plan suggested to the Afghan government.

“I thank the president (Ashraf Ghani) that he agreed in major parts of our draft plan (for peace) and added it to government’s peace plan,” he said. “There is only one issue that I hope it should be agreed upon. This issue is also on the table of the president of America.”

He called on all political parties to come together and find a peaceful solution for the current crisis in the country.

“Once again, we call on all political parties and influential figures to come to find a peaceful solution for the current crisis, put aside the previous bad and bloody experiences and prevent from its repeat,” Hekmatyar said.

Meanwhile, he called for a timely parliamentary election and called on the people to elect “honest representatives” for them.