General Shahnawaz Tanai defense minister of Dr. Najibullah administration and one of the main members of People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan whom high-ranking Taliban members were proud of fighting against him in a different approach defended peace process with Taliban. He said to Mehr News agency that Taliban’s way of ruling should not be considered in the process of consolidation of peace in Afghanistan.
He said, “Taliban is not the only responsible party for the war and devastation in Afghanistan, but all governments and involved parties in the war have made big mistakes for their parts.”
He went on to mention, “As a result of inconsistencies all groups, political factions and governors of Afghanistan have done inconvenient deeds against the defenseless people over the past 45 years and Taliban is no exception to this rule.”
Tanai believes if Taliban’s way to rule the country is the reason for the continuation of the current war in Afghanistan therefore all parties that have committed crimes during the decades of war must be treated in the same way Taliban is treated.
He said that war in Afghanistan has been prolonged and there is no other way but ceasefire. All people of Afghanistan are seeking for peace, both those who are abroad and inside the country. He added that there are only a few who disagree with the peace process because they feel their interests are at stake.
He mentioned that consolidating peace is beneficial for countries of the region and even trans-regional countries in addition to people of Afghanistan. He went on to say that restoring peace in Afghanistan will let people live and cooperate with the other countries of the world in peace, friendship and brotherhood.
Referring to history of Afghanistan in the last few decades and bitter experiences, he said war and destruction have been imposed on people of Afghanistan as a result of inconsistency and division.
“Taliban may have made a lot of irreparable and unforgivable mistakes, but is war a solution?” former official stressed.
He highlighted that tolerance, accepting of others, and forgetting past mistakes are necessary for establishing peace, adding: “It is better to end war today than tomorrow because war inflicts more and more devastation and massacres every day.”
“We have to admit that Taliban are part of Afghanistan and they have right to live in their own country like other people,” he stressed.
He said history shows that all the foreign countries that have sent their troops to Afghanistan have failed and this is the reason why the military presence of these countries is said to be mistake.
“Perhaps the presence of foreign forces in Afghanistan has had some benefits, but costs of their presence have been more. Experience has also shown that existence of foreigners does not create peace, security and order as the presence of foreign forces is not compatible with the mindset of the people of the country,” he noted.
He believes that withdrawal of foreign troops from Afghanistan will also create security in the region because different factions will agree to ceasefire after withdrawal of foreign troops and as a result regional countries will see no necessity to continue their military presence in Afghanistan.
“Stability in Afghanistan is not only beneficial for people of Afghanistan, but also for neighboring countries. The war in Afghanistan has a direct impact on neighboring countries because irregularities can directly affect the countries of the region and have negative impacts on them,” he added.
He mentioned that although foreigners can help Afghanistan, but it would be better for people of Afghanistan to protect their own country themselves. He also added that once NATO member states withdraw their forces from Afghanistan it won’t be necessary for other regional states to send their forces to Afghanistan.
In conclusion, he called on people of Afghanistan to unite and choose an appropriate leader, learn from the past and consider priority of their national interests to their own interests.
Translated by Zahra Zafarjouyan