Karzai calls for intra-Afghan talks

KABUL (Khaama Press): Hamid Karzai, former President of Afghanistan, has called for immediate Intra-Afghan Dialogue and emphasized that the international community should not seek to remove the caretaker government of Afghanistan through force.

Former President Hamid Karzai, who held office from 2002 to 2014, stressed the importance of the Taliban resuming girls’ education in a rare interview with foreign media. He believes this step could help the Taliban gain legitimacy and international recognition as a government.

Meanwhile, the Taliban administration has not been recognized internationally by any country since its takeover of the country due to specific policies, including the ban on girls’ and women’s education and employment.

According to reports, Hamid Karzai, in a conversation with Japan’s Kyodo News on Tuesday, stated that the Taliban administration acknowledges the necessity of dialogue but requires preparation and time to initiate these talks.

“We don’t want conflict in this country anymore. Conflict will make things worse than they are today,” Karzai said in the interview conducted at his residence in central Kabul.

“We don’t want a collapse of the regime or split of the regime. We have had enough of that in Afghanistan. We want improvements in policy. We want all Afghans getting together to build the future.”

While insisting that women and girls be allowed to return to school “immediately,” the former leader wants intra-Afghan talks involving all ethnic groups to commence “as soon as possible.” He stopped short of elaborating on a specific timeline for the negotiations.

Meanwhile, Karzai characterized the 20-year process of reconstruction and democratization led by the United States and its allies in Afghanistan as a period filled with ups and downs.

He cited the Doha Agreement, the mismanagement of the Afghan government at the time, and the countries supporting it as reasons for the collapse of democracy.

He emphasized that the “failure of democracy in Afghanistan was not due to its rejection by the people. They embraced democracy. It was mismanagement by the government and the international community and its supporters at the time.”

According to the former Afghan President, the 20 years of the US and its allies’ presence in Afghanistan, which began in 2001 after the collapse of the Taliban regime in the early 2000s and the establishment of a democratic government in Afghanistan, was both an achievement and a period filled with challenges and disappointment for the people and the international community.

It’s worth noting that Hamid Karzai, along with other former presidents of the country and officials from various countries, had previously called for reopening girls’ schools beyond the sixth grade and establishing inclusive governance in Afghanistan.