Al-Sharq Calls for Supporting Efforts to Achieve Peace, Stability in Afghanistan

Doha, August 10 (QNA) - In its editorial on Tuesday, Al-Sharq newspaper called for mobilizing regional and international support and consensus to urge efforts to achieve peace and stability in Afghanistan. The paper warned of the rapid developments in Afghanistan, in light of the ongoing war between the Afghan government and the Taliban - after the situation drastically escalated, following the withdrawal of NATO and US forces, which is expected to be completed by the end of August. Al-Sharq said that with the expansion of Taliban attacks and their rapid progress in the north, in addition to their possession of control over six regional capitals in less than a week, concern is heightened and international and regional fears are growing that Afghanistan will slide into a full-blown civil war, which would lead to the spread of turmoil and instability - not only in Afghanistan but in the region as well. The paper highlighted the UN's warning, carried out last Friday by UN Secretary-General's Special Representative for Afghanistan Deborah Lyons in a statement before the Security Council, that Afghanistan risks "descending into a situation of catastrophe so serious that it would have few, if any, parallels this century", referring to the massive civilian casualties in the past few days, while UNICEF stated that 27 children were killed in the past three days as grave violence escalates between the Afghan warring parties. Afghanistan is now at a decisive moment - a crossroad between slipping into a catastrophe in which everyone will lose, or retuning to a political solution and engaging in serious negotiations to reach a comprehensive and sustainable peace, which would satisfy all parties and respond well to the aspirations of the Afghan people, who have been paying the price for conflicts, and suffering for decades of futile wars, the paper explained. Al-Sharq affirmed in its editorial that there is neither a military solution to the conflict in Afghanistan, nor a winner in this war, as the only way out to safety is through negotiations, expressing its hope that the meetings that Qatar will be hosting in the coming days for the extended Troika on Afghanistan, which includes the US, Russia, China and Pakistan, will be a great opportunity towards mobilizing regional and international support and consensus to urge efforts to achieve peace and stability in Afghanistan. (QNA)