Afghanistan- Balkh religious scholars urge Ramadan truce

MAZAR-I-SHARIF (Pajhwok): A number of religious scholars in northern Balkh province on Saturday asked the warring parties to the Afghanistan conflict to announce a ceasefire during the holy month of Ramadan .

The scholars, who held a gathering about peace in Mazar-i-Sharif, the provincial capital, announced their backing for the ongoing peace process and urged the Taliban to renounce violence and arrive at intra-Afghan talks.

They believed peace could not be achieved and sustainable until intra-Afghan talks were initiated.

Speaking on the occasion, religious scholar Syed Mohsen Hussaini said the only solution to the Afghanistan conflict was peace and the Taliban should agree to intra-Afghan talks.

'We Afghans all are brothers, so we should resolve our problems ourselves because foreigners alone cannot address our issues.'

The cleric asked all the Afghans and political parties to intensify their efforts at achieving peace in the country.

Another scholar Rahmatullah Buzarg also urged the warring sides to announce ceasefire in respect to the holy month of Ramadan.

'Ramadan is the month of blessings. Therefore, the Taliban and the government instead of fighting should declare truce in order to prevent bloodshed in the holy month.'

He also said the upcoming Loya Jirga in Kabul would help efforts at restoring peace in the country.

Another religious scholar Syed Ali Salehi asked the Afghan government and the international community to appoint peace negotiators who had no role in the past conflicts.

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