Abdullah ‘will not attend’ peace Jirga

KABUL (TOLO News): Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah in a statement said he will not attend the Grand Consultative Jirga on Peace – scheduled for April 29, where almost 2,500 delegates will attend to decide on the future of the peace talks in Afghanistan.

Head of the High Peace Council’s Secretariat, Mohammad Umer Daudzai is leading the committee on organizing the Peace Jirga. Women will make almost 30 percent of the Jirga delegates, officials said.

In the statement which was made public on the Chief Executive Office’s Facebook page on Sunday afternoon, Abdullah said that he has not been consulted on the Jirga and that he does not see it “helpful to overcome the current challenges in the country”.

“We in the Stability and Partnership team have not been involved in any consultation (on the Jirga) neither at political parties and individual levels nor at the government level,” says the statement which has been issued on behalf of Stability and Partnership election ticket led by Abdullah.

“The Stability and Partnership team led by Abdullah Abdullah announces that members of the team will not attend the meeting named ‘Consultative Jirga on Peace’ and does not see it helpful for overcoming the current problems in Afghanistan,” the statement adds.