Afghan govt dissolves High Peace Council's secretariat

Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani on Saturday dissolved the secretariat of the High Peace Council (HPC), which was set up by former President Hamid Karzai in 2010 to negotiate with the Taliban.

Afghan President's spokesman Sediq Sediqqi said the authorities of the High Peace Council were transferred to the newly-established State Ministry of Peace Affairs, reported Tolo News.

The HPC is a government body tasked with reconciliation with the terror group. It consisted of 74 members who were involved in negotiations and outreach activities at national and international levels.

Former President Burhanuddin Rabbani was the first chairman of the High Peace Council. However, he was assassinated in a terrorist attack at his home in 2011.

This comes as Afghanistan government is involved with its international allies, especially the United States to end 20-year of the insurgency in the war-torn nation.

Sediqqi said that Ghani has held four meetings with US special peace envoy Zalmay Khalilzad since last week to prepare the road map for peace.

However, the Taliban, then and now, has refused to engage with the government.