Former Afghan Vice President Says President Ashraf Ghani Cancels Deal With Taliban
JAKARTA - The government of former Afghan President Ashraf Ghani has canceled an agreement reached by the High Council for Afghanistan National Reconciliation with members of the Taliban, on the formation of a cabinet that would be in line with the interests of all the country's political and ethnic groups, Hezb-e Wahdat Islami Afghanistan party leader Karim Khalili said on Wednesday.
"Under Ashraf Ghani's presidency, we maintained a peaceful policy against the Taliban. I was one of the founding architects of the peaceful approach promoted by the High Council for Afghan National Reconciliation", he quoted TASS as saying on Sept. 22.
"We (reached an agreement) to create a government that would respect the human rights of all ethnic and political groups, the Taliban side agreed with that. However, Ashraf Ghani's government deepened this agreement. After escaping and leaving everything to the Taliban, he thus opened up the way to his domination", Khalili continued.
He stressed that the peace process has benefited the Hazara and Afghan minorities.
"Given the planned withdrawal of foreign troops from Afghanistan and the forecast for a change in the situation after the withdrawal of NATO troops, I see the success and effectiveness of the peace process as the only way to resolve the Afghan crisis", Khalili said.
"Ultimately it is to prevent the collapse of the system and the destruction of the achievements of the Afghan people, and to avoid the seizure of the whole country by one power that will trigger a civil war, murder, and bloodshed", he concluded.
Mohammad Karim Khalili served as Afghanistan's second Vice President during Hamid Karzai's administration in 2004-2014. Since 2017, he has served as head of the High Council for Afghanistan National Reconciliation.
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As the leader of the United Islamic People's Party of Afghanistan which represents Hazara interests, he seeks to defuse tensions between members of this ethnic group and the Taliban through consultations and peace negotiations.