SHARANA - Top religious scholars, tribal elders and civil society representatives in Afghanistan’s southeastern province of Paktika called on Afghans to accelerate efforts toward sustainable peace.

The call came at an event organized by the regional office of United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA). Some 80 people, including the Provincial Governor, Provincial Council members, tribal elders, civil society representatives, religious scholars and media professionals, attended the meeting, which was held in the capital of Sharana.

Participants discussed how war and insecurity have affected the economy and social life in Afghanistan, and requested the international community to continue to support country-wide peace efforts.

In his remarks, Provincial Governor Aminullah Shariq called on all Afghans to join the peace process. “Restoration of peace is not only the job of the President, the Governor and the United Nations, but it is a shared responsibility of all Afghan individuals,” he said.

Gulbaz Khan, a tribal elder from Paktika’s Gayan district, echoing the comments made by Governor Shariq, stressed that peace negotiations should be a bottom-up process beginning at the district level.

UNAMA’s regional office has conducted similar meetings in other provinces, earlier in Khost and Paktya, in which Afghans have come together to discuss areas of cooperation to promote efforts toward sustainable peace in the country.

UNAMA is mandated to support the Afghan Government and relevant international and local non-governmental organizations to assist in the full implementation of the fundamental freedoms and human rights provisions of the Afghan Constitution and international treaties to which Afghanistan is a State party, in particular those regarding the full enjoyment by women of their human rights.