Peace won’t succeed if ‘resistance movement’ ignored: Qanoni

KABUL (Pajhwok): Participants of a ceremony commemorating the death anniversary of Marshal Qasim Fahim on Saturday demanded peace, but Younus Qanoni said peace would not succeed if the ‘resistance movement’ was ignored in the process. Fahim died of heart diseases at the age 56 on March 9, 2014 in Kabul. Fahim was a prominent commander of the Jamiat-e-Islami during the Jihad against Russia.

Hundreds of people including government officials, jihadi leaders and parliament members were present at the fifth death anniversary of Fahim in Kabul. Speakers talked about achievements of Fahim and called him a patriot and kind person. Sayed Wahidullah Qatali, head of the Administrative Office of the President, read out the president’s message to the gathering.

In his message, the president shared his sympathy with the family of Fahim and called him an important political and jihadi leader in Afghanistan in the last half century. He said Fahim always worked for high interests of the country, strong governance and peace. Former president Hamid Karzai, who also attended the event, said, “All Afghans want peace, we all are in reach of a dignified peace, we accept peace efforts of the US and other countries, we went to Moscow and understood the ongoing war was imposed on us, all were wishful of peace,”

The Moscow meeting was held between the Taliban and Afghan political and jihadi leaders in February. Karzai, who sometimes called the Taliban as brothers in the past, for which he also faced criticism, said: “In the Moscow meeting, I was not the only person who called the Taliban as brothers.” He said efforts for peace were ongoing and a dignified and stable peace was every Afghan’s hope.

Mohammad Younuz Qanoni, former vice-president, in his address to the gathering, said, “Respect to Marshal Fahim is respect to jihad in Afghanistan and acceptance of each other.” “We want peace and hate war, but we want an explained and clear peace,” he said. The jihad of the Afghan people was against the former Soviet Union’s aggression, to which Qanoni referred as the Resistance Movement and said a number of groups in the movement had been fighting against the Taliban after the Soviet era.

“Taliban consider the Resistance movement as a contesting side in the peace process, if we have no organized plan and we will miss the convoy,” he said. He stressed the Resistance movement should have a clear and effective plan for peace. Qanoni said peace would not succeed if the Resistance movement was ignored. Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Dr. Abdullah Abdullah said Fahim was a person who wanted peace and always valued national interests.

“This country would be free and independent when no terrorist group operates here, so there would be also no need for the presence of foreign forces,” he said. He said he would support any efforts that lead to a stable and nationwide peace. High Peace Council (HPC) head Karim Khalili also talked about Fahim and said, “Fahim was always worried about the country’s problems.” He said peace was the primary need of Afghans and political, government and Taliban leaders should obey the demand of the people and pave the way for peace in the country.