Talks with Taliban: Kabul asked to drop amnesty plan

HRW says Karzai’s administration had pledged amnesty for Taliban if they join a Kabul-backed peace scheme.

KABUL: An international human rights group urged Afghan authorities on Monday to refuse to give Taliban insurgents immunity from prosecution in return for peace talks.

The New York-based Human Rights Watch (HRW) said President Hamid Karzai’s Western-backed administration had pledged amnesty for the Taliban if they join a Kabul-backed peace scheme.

“Providing immunity from prosecution for genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity and other serious human rights abuses violate international law,” HRW said in a statement.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 27^th, 2012.