PESHAWAR: Former Mujahideen ask Taliban to step down
Bureau Report
PESHAWAR, Oct 18: In the backdrop of fresh developments in Afghanistan, former Mujahideen commanders, tribal elders and religious leaders from eastern Nangarhar province have asked the Taliban to step down to pave way for a broad-based national government in Kabul.
The former Shoora members, who held a meeting at the residence of a former Jihadi commander, Haji Mohammad Zaman, here on Thursday, through a unanimous resolution condemned the Sept 11 terrorist attack on World Trade Centre and Pentagon and the US-led air strikes on civilian population in Afghanistan, saying that this representative gathering denounced any act of violence and terrorism.
The Shoora held the Taliban responsible for the miserable condition of Afghan people, being forced to leave their country due to the irresponsible attitude and policies of the sitting regime in Kabul.
Significantly, the Shoora for the first time convened its meeting in Pakistan since the fall of the Nangarhar province to Taliban in 1996. Around 50 Jihadi commanders, representatives of former Shoora and tribal chieftains from 23 districts of the eastern province attended the meeting.
Many tribal elders claimed that they came to Peshawar from Nangarhar on Wednesday to attend the meeting. After the Nangarhar Shoora meeting, other elders are likely to hold meetings outside Afghanistan to level the ground for convening the traditional Loya Jirga.
The Nangarhar Shoora through a resolution categorically opposed the deployment of foreign ground forces on Afghan territory, adding that the presence of a single foreign troop would not be tolerated in Afghanistan at any cost.
Through another resolution the meeting opposed the establishment of terrorist hideouts inside Afghanistan, determined that no one would be allowed to use Afghanistan’s soil for terrorist activities. The meeting requested the international community to help Afghans in the reconstruction and rehabilitation of their war-ravaged country.
Later talking to journalists Haji Mohammad Zaman said they did not want to arm people against the Taliban. “We do not want further bloodshed on Afghan soil. But Taliban would have to surrender, otherwise Afghans would repeat their history”.
He said Afghan nation was fully united at this critical juncture and wanted a national broad-based government in their country.
Replying to a question, he said after the Shoora meeting they would formally ask the Taliban to relinquish the power. If the Taliban refused then they would give a deadline to the sitting regime, he added.
Answering a question he said that instead of any military action the US should provide assistance to Afghan to decide their own destiny and rebuild their country.
He said they did not ask the Pakistan government to provide arms against Taliban. Opposing the deployment of the US ground forces in Afghanistan, he said this would be very fatal for the entire region.
PESHAWAR, Oct 18: In the backdrop of fresh developments in Afghanistan, former Mujahideen commanders, tribal elders and religious leaders from eastern Nangarhar province have asked the Taliban to step down to pave way for a broad-based national government in Kabul.
