Amid optimism by the Afghan government and the United States on a potential peace deal ahead of the upcoming polls in Afghanistan, the head of the High Peace Council, Mohammad Karim Khalili said he supports the efforts for the reconciliation process but added that an Islamic emirate will not be a responsive system for Afghanistan, which he says has seen a major change – compared to the Taliban era back in 1996-2001. 

Khalili, who addressed the second consultative and political gathering of Hizb-e-Wahdat-e-Milli, led by him, said agreeing on an Islamic emirate as part of a peace deal means “surrender” of one party to another.

Therefore, Khalili suggested that the Afghan government and its international partners should ensure a dignified peace which he says is the demand of every Afghan.

“Peace under the shadow of an Islamic emirate is not peace; rather, it is surrendering of one party to another. Meanwhile, it is also not peace when the [Afghan government] asks the Taliban to surrender. It means surrendering. Neither the Taliban will surrender nor the people of Afghanistan are ready to accept an Islamic emirate,” Khalili stated.

Khalili said that the Taliban should realize that an Islamic emirate “will never be a responsive and acceptable government and system” for the new generation in Afghanistan.

“We should change our perspective about the future,” he stressed.

His remarks are expressed a day after the US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s visit to Kabul, who met with Afghan leaders and said the US hopes there is a peace deal ahead of the upcoming presidential elections.

Meanwhile, Khalili criticized the new lawmakers in the Lower House of the Parliament for failing to elect a speaker and called it a crisis.

He said that the rifts in the parliament are the outcome of the controversial parliamentary elections – last year in October.

“We witnessed the parliamentary elections a while ago, in which the will of few people was practiced. Many institutions decided on the winning candidates. Such an election is a scandal to democracy,” said Khalili.

Khalili stressed the need for transparent presidential elections in order to prevent another crisis.

Addressing the same event, Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah who is supported by Khalili in the upcoming presidential elections, said the country is in a critical condition and that efforts are underway both for elections and the peace process.

“From one side people are moving towards elections to choose a better future by using their votes while on the other side, peace efforts are underway in national, regional and international level,” Abdullah said.