US, Taliban talk daily in Qatar: Karzai

KABUL leaders have resumed their negotiations suspended a year ago in Qatar.

Speaking at a gathering marking the international women‘s day in Kabul, Karzai said the talks held on a daily basis in the Gulf Arab state.

But the Taliban rejected his claim, saying the talks had not been resumed and there had been no progress since the contracts were suspended one year ago.

On Saturday’s suicide attacks that killed 19 people, including children, Karzai said the assaults served US interests to stay longer in Afghanistan.

More than a dozen others people were wounded in the attacks — one in front of the Defence Ministry in Kabul and the second in southeastern Khost province.

Karzai said they were aware of the talks between the US and the Taliban. “Both foreigners and some patriot Taliban give us information about the ongoing talks,” he said, adding the Americans believed the Taliban were not their enemies who killed innocent Afghans on a daily basis.

On the women’s situation in his country, the president said there had been a remarkable improvement in their lives over the past decade:” We are happy with this improvement, but it is still not enough.”

Encouraging girls towards education, Karzai said religious scholars and tribal elders should inform the people about the status of women enshrined in Islam.

About concerns regarding post-2014 situation, the Afghan leader said the situation would further improve beyond that year and the country’s economy would grow fast.

“Afghanistan is a rich country having mines worth trillions of dollars. Something we lack are educated people,” he said.

He said foreign soldiers could stay in Afghanistan beyond the planned withdrawal if they accepted his administration’s conditions. “They should agree with us on a framework that respects our national sovereignty and the constitution,” he said.

ma/myn

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