Rising violence: Activists ask world not to stay silent

KABUL (Pajwok): Civil society organizations on Tuesday asked the international community not to stay silent about the increasing level of violence in Afghanistan amid ongoing intra-Afghan talks in Qatar.

Representatives of 12 civil society groups held a gathering in Kabul titled "Immediate and Permanent Ceasefire and asked the warring sides to hear the voices of people as they were worried about the rising insecurity.

Roshan Mashal, head of the Women's Network's Justice Department, said that during the 40 days of intra-Afghan talks in Qatar, the killing of civilians had increased  and young people on both sides were being killed every day, a situation that necessitates the announcement of an immediate ceasefire.

He asked the international community to listen to the voices of the Afghan people. He said the international community had come to Afghanistan after the 9/11 incident and entered the war in this country, now it should play its role in the peace process and should not stay silent in the face of violence.

Naeem Ayubzadeh, executive director of the Transparent Election Foundation of Afghanistan (TIFA), told a news conference that the Taliban lacked a just and honest will for peace and the international community was playing the role of a silent spectator.

“The killing of civilians and innocent people has no legitimacy in any religion, and there is no justification for the continuation of the war in Afghanistan.”

He said hundreds of civilians were killed and maimed on a daily basis and hundreds of others rendered homeless due to suicide attacks, explosions and aggression.

bk/ma