The new member list of the High Council for National Reconciliation, announced in a decree by President Ghani on Saturday, has been met with mixed reactions by major political parties and politicians. Some on the list, such as former president Hamid Karzai, have rejected their membership, while others have welcomed it.  

The council has 10 members in leadership positions, nine women members, nine high-ranking government officials, and 19 who are an assortment of political figures and former mujahideen leaders. 

President Ashraf Ghani and other officials on Sunday participated in an Ashura ceremony held in western Kabul to commemorate the martyrdom of Imam Hussain, Prophet Mohammad’s grandson.

Speaking at the ceremony, Ghani said that peace does not mean a power-sharing political deal, but instead the fulfillment of the will of the Afghan people, which is to end violence and bloodshed in the country.