Sources have told Ariana News that the Istanbul summit on the Afghan peace process will run for 10 days from April 16.
US President Joe Biden put forward a new peace plan in early March which laid out a number of suggestions including the convening of a multi-partner conference on accelerating the peace process.
The US proposed the conference to bring together Russia, China, Pakistan, Iran, India, and the US to discuss a unified approach to support peace in Afghanistan.
US Special Envoy for Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad and representatives from the UN, Turkey, and Qatar are meanwhile expected to visit Kabul Saturday evening for final consultations with the Afghan leaders over the Istanbul conference.
Addressing a press conference on Saturday, Afghan National Security Advisor Hamdullah Mohib stated: “We are in contact with the Turkish side. They want to hold a successful summit.”
Sources said the State Ministry for Peace Affairs is expected to hand over the Afghan politicians’ stance on Biden’s proposed peace plan for setting up an interim government in Afghanistan to the High Council for the National Reconciliation.
Mohib emphasized the need for a democratic way to transfer power.
He stated that the government is ready for holding early presidential elections and that “President Ghani will not run in the elections.”
“This government is elected by the people, the people have voted and if another government is formed via people’s vote then it is okay but the government has no right to give people’s decision to 40 people that they make a decision over the future of Afghanistan,” Mohib said.
“Today anyone wants to take part in the future government they have to prepare to run for elections,” he stated.
Meanwhile, a number of Afghan politicians said that government wants to mobilize all its support for the Istanbul summit.
Abdul Sattar Murad, a member of the Jamiat-e-Islami Afghanistan Party, said: “The Afghan government has made a unified plan for both the US and the Istanbul summit during the last one week.”
