World

Afghan president invites senior Pashtun leaders for talks

Delegation including Mahmood Khan Achakzai, Aftab Sherpao & ANP chief Asfandyar Wali will travel to Kabul on Thursday

Tahir Khan November 25, 2015

Senior Pakistani leaders had first visited Kabul in January, 2015. PHOTO: FILE

ISLAMABAD: Senior Pashtun political and tribal leaders will travel to Afghanistan on Thursday on the invitation of Afghan President Ashraf Ghani to “get their opinion for improvement in bilateral relations and regional peace,” Afrasiab Khattak said on Wednesday.

Khattak, a senior leader of Awami National Party (ANP), who is part of the delegation, told The Express Tribune discussions in Kabul would be part of the interaction between Afghan leaders and the Pashtun leaders of Pakistan.

Other members of the delegation include Pashtoonkhwa Milli Awami Party chief Mahmood Khan Achakzai, Qaumi Watan Party leader Aftab Sherpao and ANP chief Asfandyar Wali, among others.

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The Afghan president had invited party leaders to Kabul during his visit to Pakistan last November.

Senior Pakistani leaders had first visited Kabul in January, and Thursday’s visit would be the second trip as part of the consultation process.

“Afghan leaders believe feedback of the Pakistani Pashtun leaders and tribal elders would help in maintaining peace,” Khattak said.

Afghan government has also invited Jamaat-e-Islami chief Siraj ul Haq, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chairman Imran Khan and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-F leader Maulana Fazlur Rehman.

COMMENTS (5)

AFGHAN | 8 years ago | Reply Imran khan is not pashtun thank you thats why he is hardly invited to Afghanistan or pashtun rallies. Please invite northern alliance would love to see Amrullah Saleh in Rawalpindi. @abreez what does the statistics have to do with this just curious. Pakistan suffers separatists movements not afghanistan we suffer from religious terrorism. Majority of tajik parts of Afghanistan are different racially to tajkistan. Not a single person from Afghanistan Tajik has ever wanted to be part of Tajikistan but that cannot be said for pakistan as karachite want freedom, pashtun nationalist and balochis are fighting a war against pakistan. Thats why a country with history will always be safe while a artificial state will always be paranoid and weak. When Afghanistan calls for pashtun leaders they usually refer to pashtuns who are born and are real pashtuns and usually part of ANP, PMAP and QWP.

khurram | 8 years ago | Reply Pakistan should also invite northern alliance or hazaras only to pakistan to improve contacts with the non pashtun population of Afghanistan

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abreez | 8 years ago | Reply His excellency President Ashraf Ghani should focus on Afghanistan and let not other countries exploit Afghanistan weakness which are Pashtun (42%), Tajik (27%), Hazara (9%), Uzbek (9%), Aimak (4%), Turkmen (3%), Baloch (2%), Others (Pashai,Nuristani, Arab,Brahui, Pamiri,Gujjar, etc.) 4%.

Khan | 8 years ago | Reply One of the Pashtun leaders, Imran Khan will have a problem speaking Pashto.

kfaisal | 8 years ago | Reply They should refuse to go. Atleast IK will not go. Everyone is a citizen of Pakistan and Ghani should not try the Pakhtun card. Why doesn't Afghanistan return the tajik part of the country to tajikistan?

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