Afghanistan’s senate on Friday called for the dissolution of the High Peace Council (HPC) citing its failure to make a breakthrough in peace with insurgents as the reason for their request. 

It is better to spend the money on the development of security forces instead of spending the money on the peace council, said senate deputy chairman Asif Sediqi.

“We swear upon Allah that the people have faced losses due to the High Peace Council and we have made no gains,” said Senator Gulalai Akbari.

Senators said that the peace council has failed and claimed the money allocated for it is being embezzled. 

“The High Peace Council can take serious steps for peace, but in the background there are some issues which are apparently obstructing the HPC from taking decisions for sustainable peace in Afghanistan,” said senator Nisar Haris. 

“My advice to donors is the money allocated for peace is being embezzled; they have made no gains; because we know that the scale of corruption in the High Peace Council is much higher than in a government institution; it should be dissolved as it has made no achievements so far,” said Sediqi.

The statement comes a day after the HPC said it was working on a new peace talks strategy aimed at bringing the Taliban to the peace talks tables. 

HPC chairman Mohammad Karim Khalili said this was in a bid to break the stalemate but that should the Taliban join the negotiations process, this should not be seen as a move to surrender on their part. 

“We do not see [such a move as] surrendering on the part of the Taliban when it comes to peace,” said Khalili.