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Afghan envoy pushes for Pakistan religious scholars' role in peace

Xinhua, August 8, 2015 Adjust font size:

Afghanistan's top diplomat in Pakistan on Saturday sought help of Pakistani religious leaders for peace and reconciliation in his war-shattered country where Taliban killed nearly 40 people in capital Kabul in just two days.

Ambassador Janan Mosazai, visited an influential Pakistani cleric, Maulana Sami-ul-Haq, at his religious seminary in northwestern town of Akora Khattak, to ask for his cooperation in the incessant peace process.

Sami-ul-Haq runs "Jamia Haqqania," one of Pakistan's biggest seminaries, where many of the Afghan Taliban and their teachers have studied. A former senator, Haq also leads his own faction of "Jamiat ulema-e-Islam" party.

"Religious scholars can play a key role in peace and reconciliation in Afghanistan," Mosazi told reporters after meeting with Maulana Sami-ul-Haq. He said President Ashraf Ghani and the people of Afghanistan recognize the role of Maulana Haq in reconciliation.

The Afghan ambassador wrote on his Twitter page he had informed the religious leader of Afghanistan's all-out sincere peace efforts.

On Thursday, thousands of the seminary students and teachers declared allegiance to the new chief of the Afghan Taliban, Mullah Akhtar Mansoor, according to a spokesman for the seminary.

Maulana Sami-ul-Haq used his meeting with the Afghan ambassador to launch an appeal to the Taliban to pursue the ongoing peace talks.

He said all stakeholders should not miss the opportunity of the ongoing peace process; however, he stressed the Taliban and Afghan government are the real parties to the conflict and they should directly talk to each other.

Pakistan hosted the first ever face-to-face talks between representatives of the Afghan Taliban and government on July 7. The second round scheduled to be held in Pakistan on July 31 was postponed after the Taliban confirmed the death of their chief Mullah Omar.

The Afghan Presidential Palace says Mullah Omar had died in April 2013 in a Pakistani hospital.

Pakistani Defense Minister Khawaja Asif told parliament on Friday Mullah Omar had neither died nor buried in Pakistan. Endi