U.N. to hold meet of eminent Afghans

By B. Muralidhar Reddy

ISLAMABAD, NOV. 19. The United Nations is expected to hold a meeting of eminent people of Afghanistan on November 24 at Geneva to set up a provincial council, the Pakistan Foreign Minister, Mr. Abdul Sattar, disclosed here today.

Addressing a news conference here, Mr. Sattar said that the first meeting would be followed by another one in a bid to establish a provincial administration in Kabul. The interim set-up is expected to rule for two years and work towards formation of a broad-based and multi-ethnic government.

Mr. Sattar said it was up to the United Nations to choose the group of eminent people from Afghanistan. The Minister claimed that the basic objective of the first meeting was to receive ideas from the Afghans themselves on how to proceed further in the goal towards establishment of a broad-based government.

The Minister said the U.N. is sounding various members about dispatching a force to Afghanistan to ensure the security of the interim set-up and facilitate the formation of a broad-based government. He said that it could be either U.N. peace keeping force or a multi-national force.

Mr. Sattar repeatedly said Pakistan considered the Northern Alliance as an ``occupational force' in Kabul and maintained that it would not be possible to ensure safety of the transitional government when the city (Kabul) is under the occupation of one force.

Asked whether the Taliban should be invited to the meeting of eminent people proposed by the U.N., Mr. Sattar merely said that only those who are committed to implementation of the U.N. resolutions would be called for the conference.

Responding to another question, the Minister said that the Northern Alliance had given an undertaking not to enter Kabul but later took advantage of the bombing campaign by the U.S. and its allies and walked into the City.

Answering another question about Mr. Rabbani declaring himself as the President of Afghanistan, the Minister said Pakistan hoped that he would play a salutary role in formation of a transitory government. ``We hope he would not prevent formation of a broad- based and multi-ethnic set-up''.

In another development, the Nangarhar Governor, Haji Qadeer, is believed to have said that by appointing himself as the President of Afghanistan, Mr. Burhanuddin Rabbani had openly violated the agreement reached between the Northern Alliance and other Afghan leaders in Rome.

He has been quoted as saying in the Pakistani media that he would not accept Mr. Rabbani's presidency. Talking to the Ausaf soon after his nomination as Nangarhar Governor, Haji Quadeer said that according to the Rome agreement, the power had to be handed over to the Iqtidar Milli Shoora (Loya Jirga), which was empowered to nominate the Head of State. He also criticised Mr. Rabbani for making anti-Zahir Shah statements and saying that Zahir Shah could return Afghanistan only as a citizen and not as a ruler.

He said that he was ready to honour the agreement but if Mr. Rabbani refused to hand over power to the nominated government, all the groups would oppose him. He also accused the U.S. and neighbouring countries of creating law & order problem in the country.

According to another report in the paper, the Taliban have started guerilla war against the Northern Alliance. Yesterday, Taliban troops ambushed a military convoy of the Northern Alliance in the suburbs of Herat killing 15 soldiers and injuring more than 80 others.

According to another report in the Pakistan, about 50 Sikh families from Kabul and Jalalabad have moved to Pakistan via mountains of Khyber agency following Northern Alliance taking over of these areas. More Sikh families are said to be leaving these areas. It said all the Sikh families have shifted to the Punja Sahib Gurudwara in Hasan Abdal. According to these families, they were facing threats from the Northern Alliance forces.

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : International
Next     : Japan for restraint on Kashmir