Burhan-ud-Din appointed Peace Council’s Chairman

KABUL: Former Afghan President Burhan-ud-Din Rabbani was appointed the head of Peace Council which was formed to start reconciliation process with Taliban, official said.The official told Sunday that the 68-member peace council chose the former Afghan President as its chairman.He was once the leader of a powerful mujahideen party during the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan in the 1980s.He also served as an Afghanistan President in the 1990s till the Taliban’s rise to power.It is pertinent to mention here that the Afghan President Hamid Karzai in June won approval from a tribal gathering to form a Peace Council to seek a negotiated end to the 10 years old conflict in Afghanistan.Karzai had repeatedly said he wanted Taliban leaders to denounce violence, shun ties with al Qaeda.However, on Thursday, President Karzai had said the government would not interfere in the council’s efforts as it tried to start the talks.But, Taliban have repeatedly said they will not hold any talks as long as foreign troops present in Afghanistan – Sananews