Residents in Afghanistan’s capital Kabul on Tuesday called for transparency in the expected peace negotiation talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban, as the government’s peace negotiating team prepares to depart for Doha on Thursday where they are expected to sit with the Taliban negotiating team to discuss bringing peace to the country.

The  Afghan citizens expressed hope that the talks will be carried out in an open environment, not behind closed doors.

“The process should be carried out in a transparent way, all talks should be carried out openly--- the people must be informed about the progress of the talks in order to help address their concerns,” said Rahim, a resident in Kabul.

“We 100 percent support peace where our borders are safe and the Afghan people are happy in it,” said Nasruddin, another resident in Kabul.

A suffering mother:

Rabia is an Afghan mother who has lost six sons in the war in Afghanistan. She said that talks with the Taliban should not be conducted behind the closed doors.

“The youths of our country are martyred on a daily basis, we want sustainable peace, we want a transparent peace not a backdoor one,” said Rabia.

“The people are gravely concerned about their future, if the peace negotiating team fails to inform the public regularly about the progress in the talks, then the people will lose their trust in the peace team,” said Aziz Rafaee, a civil society activist in Kabul.

The peace negotiating team has assured Afghans that they will inform the people about progress on the talks.

Abdul Hafiz Mansour, a member of the Afghan government peace negotiating team, said that all sides in the talks should come up with flexibility.

Afghan's concerns will be addressed:

“If the Taliban want to play a positive role in the future of Afghanistan and are willing to get involved in the affairs of the country, if they want to enter into the race in the future elections or in the parliament of Afghanistan or in the provincial administrations, then they must think about a ceasefire and ending the war,” said Abdul Hafiz Mansour, a member of government peace negotiating team.

“The people of Afghanistan should be confident that all issues about which they have concerns will be discussed as legitimate and logical demands, the peace negotiating team is concentrating on it,” said Fawzia Kofi, a member of the government peace negotiating team.

Meanwhile, Jens Stoltenberg, the Secretary General of NATO, has also said that the Afghans should try to seize the historic opportunity for peace.

“I spoke to President Ashraf Ghani & Dr. Abdullah to welcome the upcoming start of intra-Afghan talks. All parties should seize this historic moment for peace. #NATO stands with #Afghanistan in the fight against terrorism, as we adjust our presence to support the peace process,” tweeted Stoltenberg.