President Ghani: HIA peace deal to encourage other groups to reconcile

President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani in a meeting with elders of southeastern Paktia province has said the success of peace agreement with Hizb-i-Islami Afghanistan (HIA) was made possible as a result of sincere efforts and strong commitments and hoped the agreement may encourage other rebel groups to join peace process, a presidential statement said on Friday.
The meeting was organized to commemorate the death of Haji Sardar Ahmadzai, a Jihadi and tribal personality. The president referring to the peace deal with HIA said the agreement was reached on the bases of sincerity, strong commitment, and judgment.
He hoped peace agreement with HIA would help encourage other militant groups to renounce violence and join the reconciliation process.
“You are the ambassadors of peace and stability with the valuable advises of you more ways for peace would be explored and further killing and destruction can be prevented,” President Ghani told the elders.
Maulavi Khaleq Dad, one of the tribal elders, congratulated the president over successful peace agreement with HIA which was an Afghan owned and led process. He hoped the continuation of this process would help to reconcile other groups as well.
Khaleq Dad thanked the president for condoling the demise of Sardar Ahmadzai and termed him honest and peace loving personality. He also thanked the president for economic and uplift projects and the success he achieved during the last more than two years.