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Ghani Assures Peace Will Come To Afghanistan

Amid growing efforts for peace in the country, President Ashraf Ghani said in Badghis province on Friday that he assures the nation that peace will come to Afghanistan.

Ghani who addressed a gathering in Badghis province called on the people to play a positive role in peace.

He called for a national forum for peace in the country.

This is the first visit of Ghani as president of Afghanistan to Badghis, a less developed province in the northwest of the country next to Turkmenistan.

The president said a ground has been provided for peace which is unique in the past 40 years and that right now, people have realized the importance of peace in a three-day ceasefire.

“For the first time in 40 years, we realized the importance of peace during the ceasefire (between government and Taliban). You saw that Afghans accepted each other. The ceasefire was an experience, it also contained risks, but it proved that this great nation is a great nation under Allah's will,” Ghani said.

Ghani’s remarks come as Alice Wells, the US Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs, met with Taliban officials in Qatar this week to discuss ways to lay the groundwork for peace talks.

The Wall Street Journal said in a report that the aim of the discussion was to build on momentum created by the recent three-day ceasefire over Eid al-Fitr.

The Taliban’s political office declined to comment, according to the Wall Street Journal report, which also stated that Wells did not respond to an emailed request for comment.

Hours before President Ghani’s visit to Badghis, a suicide bombing claimed four lives and wounded few others near civilian houses in the west of Kabul.

Addressing the gathering in Badghis, Ghani said nothing can be achieved by bombings and suicide attacks. The president said reform will be brought to security agencies.

“Promotions to brigadier general and major general and other higher ranks are done based on merit. All Afghans are included in this. After this, no one has to remain in one position for 12 years while another promotes quickly due to relationships,” said Ghani. 

The presidential elections will be held on its scheduled time, Ghani said, adding that no one should have any doubt in this regard.

According to the statistics by Independent Election Commission, more than nine million people have registered to vote since April. The commission has scheduled the parliamentary elections in October. The presidential elections will be held next year.   

The province has been deprived of developmental project in the past decade, Badghis residents and officials said as they met with President Ghani on Friday.  

They said they want to see positive changes in their lives.

"We want the National Unity Government to pay attention to building a dam on Murghab River (in Badghis). If we control the Mughab River’s water, then definitely it will have positive impacts on electricity generation and agriculture,” said Abdul Aziz Big, head of Badghis Provincial Council.

The Murghab River is an 850-kilometre long river in Central Asia. It rises in central-western Afghanistan and runs north-west towards the Murghab District, which takes its name from the river, and then the Kara Kum desert in Turkmenistan, where it peters out.

During his two-day trip in Badghis, President Ghani inaugurated a much-needed power transmission line and substation.

The 110 kilovolt power line transmits 16 megawatts of imported power from Rabat Kashan in Turkmenistan to the center of Badghis province in Afghanistan over a distance of 52kms.

The project has cost $14 million, local officials said. Work on the project started in December 2010 but was delayed on numerous occasions.

The construction of the substation, which was initially contracted out to an Iranian company, was eventually finished by a local firm.

At least 7,000 families in Qala-e-Naw city, the provincial capital, will benefit from this power, while another 10,000 families in Qades, Muqur and Ab Kamari districts will get the electricity in the near future.

Ghani Assures Peace Will Come To Afghanistan

President Ashraf Ghani says peace requires a crucial role played by Afghans as he addressed Badghis residents.

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Amid growing efforts for peace in the country, President Ashraf Ghani said in Badghis province on Friday that he assures the nation that peace will come to Afghanistan.

Ghani who addressed a gathering in Badghis province called on the people to play a positive role in peace.

He called for a national forum for peace in the country.

This is the first visit of Ghani as president of Afghanistan to Badghis, a less developed province in the northwest of the country next to Turkmenistan.

The president said a ground has been provided for peace which is unique in the past 40 years and that right now, people have realized the importance of peace in a three-day ceasefire.

“For the first time in 40 years, we realized the importance of peace during the ceasefire (between government and Taliban). You saw that Afghans accepted each other. The ceasefire was an experience, it also contained risks, but it proved that this great nation is a great nation under Allah's will,” Ghani said.

Ghani’s remarks come as Alice Wells, the US Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs, met with Taliban officials in Qatar this week to discuss ways to lay the groundwork for peace talks.

The Wall Street Journal said in a report that the aim of the discussion was to build on momentum created by the recent three-day ceasefire over Eid al-Fitr.

The Taliban’s political office declined to comment, according to the Wall Street Journal report, which also stated that Wells did not respond to an emailed request for comment.

Hours before President Ghani’s visit to Badghis, a suicide bombing claimed four lives and wounded few others near civilian houses in the west of Kabul.

Addressing the gathering in Badghis, Ghani said nothing can be achieved by bombings and suicide attacks. The president said reform will be brought to security agencies.

“Promotions to brigadier general and major general and other higher ranks are done based on merit. All Afghans are included in this. After this, no one has to remain in one position for 12 years while another promotes quickly due to relationships,” said Ghani. 

The presidential elections will be held on its scheduled time, Ghani said, adding that no one should have any doubt in this regard.

According to the statistics by Independent Election Commission, more than nine million people have registered to vote since April. The commission has scheduled the parliamentary elections in October. The presidential elections will be held next year.   

The province has been deprived of developmental project in the past decade, Badghis residents and officials said as they met with President Ghani on Friday.  

They said they want to see positive changes in their lives.

"We want the National Unity Government to pay attention to building a dam on Murghab River (in Badghis). If we control the Mughab River’s water, then definitely it will have positive impacts on electricity generation and agriculture,” said Abdul Aziz Big, head of Badghis Provincial Council.

The Murghab River is an 850-kilometre long river in Central Asia. It rises in central-western Afghanistan and runs north-west towards the Murghab District, which takes its name from the river, and then the Kara Kum desert in Turkmenistan, where it peters out.

During his two-day trip in Badghis, President Ghani inaugurated a much-needed power transmission line and substation.

The 110 kilovolt power line transmits 16 megawatts of imported power from Rabat Kashan in Turkmenistan to the center of Badghis province in Afghanistan over a distance of 52kms.

The project has cost $14 million, local officials said. Work on the project started in December 2010 but was delayed on numerous occasions.

The construction of the substation, which was initially contracted out to an Iranian company, was eventually finished by a local firm.

At least 7,000 families in Qala-e-Naw city, the provincial capital, will benefit from this power, while another 10,000 families in Qades, Muqur and Ab Kamari districts will get the electricity in the near future.

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