Ghani, Imran discuss Afghan peace process, agree on need for ceasefire

Kabul, Sep 26(UNI) President Ashraf Ghani and Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan have both agreed on the need for a ceasefire so that the Afghan peace process is effective. Spokesman for Afghan Presidential Palace Sediq Sediqqi said that the two leaders had a detailed telephonic conversation on Friday where they discussed their bilateral relations in detail, Sediqqi added that Ghani also gave an invitation to the Pakistani PM to visit the country, which Khan has accepted.

A statement by the Pakistan’s Foreign Office in also confirmed that “the two leaders exchanged views on (the) Afghan peace process and strengthening of Pakistan-Afghanistan bilateral engagement.”

The statement added that the Pakistani PM “reaffirmed Pakistan’s steadfast support to the Afghan peace process and noted the positive results of these efforts culminating in US-Taliban peace agreement and the commencement”.

Khan reportedly stressed on “the importance of all Afghan parties working for reduction in violence leading to ceasefire,”.

The telephonic conversation between the two leaders comes at a time meetings between both sides of the Afghan peace negotiations in Doha have been stalled for the past two three days. The meetings were aimed at reaching an agreement about the procedural rules intended to guide the formal talks.

The points of contention which have led to the talks remaining suspended are the Taliban’s demand that the US-Taliban agreement be recognised as the ‘mother deal’ underlying the Afghan peace negotiations. The Islamist militia is also demanding that Hanafi Figh is used as the sole religious legal guidelines for the talks.

Media reports suggest that the Afghan government is trying to find alternatives to the Taliban’s demands.

A report by Tolonews said that the republic’s team has proposed that if a religious issue arises it can be solved based on Hanafi Figh by default, however, the Shia Personal Status Law must be respected, and the choice of religious jurisprudence should be given to other minority groups as well.

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