PESHAWAR, Oct 15: The chief of Pakhtoonkhawa Qaumi Party, Mohammed Afzal Khan, urged the United Nations on Monday to expedite its efforts for restoration of peace and establishment of proper system of governance in Afghanistan.

Speaking at a press conference here, the PQP chief proposed that the UN should strive to establish a neutral setup in Kabul, involving senior UN diplomats, in an attempt to convene a widely accepted Loya Jirga giving the Afghan people a chance to resolve the issue and select future setup as a replacement to Taliban on their own.

“Afghan society has collapsed due to over two decades of war. As a result the Afghans now lack the ability to resolve contentious issue by means other than war, hence in such a situation only the UN can ensure restoration of peace by involving cross-section of the society,” said the PQP chief.

Opposing any plan to install Northern Alliance’s government in Kabul after the removal of the Taliban, the PQP leader said that the UN should take necessary measures to avoid such thing to happen as, he apprehended, it would further complicate the situation.

However, the PQP chief did not oppose the moves to replace the Pakhtoon-dominated Taliban regime.

The fate of Afghanistan should be decided by Afghans themselves through a broad-based Loya Jirga, he said.

However, the Pakhtoon leader said that the Loya Jirga should comprise representatives from all ethnic groups on proportionate basis meaning thereby it should be dominated by Pakhtoons who, according to him, constitute over 60 per cent of the total population of Afghanistan.

He opposed Islamabad’s siding with the United States and said apart from Pakistan all other regional countries should stop interfering in the internal matters of Afghanistan to allow the people of the war-torn country to decide their future on their own.

The PQP chief although condemned Osama bin Laden’s presence in Afghanistan, took exception to the US and Britain for focussing their entire attention on one man.

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