Kandahar police chief general Abdul Raziq on Sunday said that certain countries in the region do not want to see the Afghan government and the Taliban engage in talks to end the ongoing turmoil in the country.
 
Raziq claimed that some of the Taliban leaders are willing to endorse peace talks but were taken hostage along with their families, adding that the Taliban has also realized the war is not the solution.  
 
“Over the past thirteen years, neighboring countires have provided all our resources to the Taliban, but when the Taliban said that we are going for peace, they were put into jails and the fate of their families and sons remain unclear,” said Raziq.
 
On Sunday, tribal elders from ten provinces gathered in Kandahar city where they called on the warring factions to end the war and endorse peace talks.
 
They said that the ongoing war in the country does not support national interests.
 
“I can say it with confidence that the peace process will move in the right direction,” said Mohammad Nadir Naeem, tribal elder from Kandahar.
 
Raziq called on the Taliban to pursue their objectives through political means.
 
Kandahar governor Humayoun Azizi also called for tribal elders to play a more effective role in the peace process.
 
“The name of our beloved country has been tarnished in the world because of terrorism, our honor and dignity has been questioned,” said tribal leader Naeem.
 
“Your meeting in the city of Kandahar could pave the way for peace talks between the Afghans,” said Kandahar governor Humayoun Azizi.