Dr. Ashraf Ghani

Speech at the Ceremony for the Appointment of the Chairman of the High Peace Council

Keypoints:

Sustainable Peace: Transforming peace from aspiration into a lasting reality.
Strong State: Building a government that ensures law, equality, cohesion.
National Consensus: Creating social, political, and security agreement among Afghans.
Trust and Confidence: Establishing mutual trust between citizens, parties, state.
Security and Law: Maintaining professional institutions to uphold stability and order.
Negotiation and Dialogue: Conducting peace talks transparently under constitutional framework.
Civic Responsibility: Ensuring all citizens actively support peace and development.
Regional Cooperation: Engaging international partners while keeping Afghan-led processes central.

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

Allah the Almighty said: "And settlement (peace) is best." This is not a mere recommendation; it is a mandate. I express my gratitude to the Honorable Qari Sahib for these sacred words recited at the start of the program; because as Muslims, it is the duty of all of us to transform peace from a wish into a reality and a lasting achievement.

Honorable Chief Justice, Honorable Ustadh Khalili, Honorable Engineer Sahib, Honorable Haji Sahib, Honorable Hamid Agha, all elders, respected members of the Cabinet, honorable Ambassadors, all sisters and brothers: Welcome to this important day!

Tribute to the Pioneers of Peace

One of the great objectives of the National Unity Government is sustainable peace. I express my gratitude to Dr. Abdullah and all my colleagues in the National Unity Government. I offer prayers for the souls of the Martyr of Peace, Ustadh Rabbani, and our Pir, the respected Pir Sahib; both of whom took great strides. Ustadh drank the cup of martyrdom, and Pir Sahib secured our first great achievement, which was the establishment of peace with the respected Hizb-e-Islami. I also thank all the colleagues who made continuous efforts toward peace—since your numbers reach hundreds and thousands, I will not list everyone—I thank you all, and specifically Honorable Khelwak Sahib for his hard work.

The Vision of a Strong State and the Rule of Law

What is our goal? The tragedy of this society is that we are a great nation, but we have not possessed a strong state. Until a strong state is established in this society, peace will not be lasting. The meaning of a strong state is not personal power; the meaning of a strong state is the rule of law, the implementation of the Constitution, and the assurance of equality for every Afghan with every other Afghan.

Until we have a state that secures the safety of every Afghan, the contradictions of society will remain. Until we have a state where every Afghan considers themselves equal to every other Afghan before the law; until we have a state that every scholar calls their own, every child considers their own, every martyr's family calls their own, and every orphan looks upon with the view that "this is my state and it is worth protecting and nurturing," peace will not be sustainable. The creation of such a state leads to national trust.

The Necessity of National Discourse

Therefore, the peace process cannot take place behind closed doors. The peace process must result in a national consensus based on a nationwide national discourse, so that we can all calculate the cost of war and the benefits of peace. Until such an accurate calculation is made in society, we will be deceiving ourselves; it is necessary for this accurate calculation to be conducted comprehensively.

Ustadh Sabawon once told me—and I thank him for it—he said: "The issue is not about the black or white flag; the issue is that wherever extremism is created, the color of the flags changes." Peace is not with a single person; peace lies within the nation. Therefore, it is necessary for the nation to be prepared comprehensively and, specifically, for our political class to reach a consensus on peace. Honorable Qazi Sahib! You and other colleagues have always mentioned that a consensus exists within the nation; that national consensus must be transformed into a consensus within the political class. This requires precision, nurturing, and attention; you all have a great role to play in this.

The Psychological and Historical Dimension of War

Three dimensions of our current situation require attention: First—for nearly forty years, this beloved country and sacred land has been in a state of war. War has become the "normal" state. Therefore, the political and psychological dimension—which prevents us from thinking in the mid-term and long-term—pertains to the fact that we are a war-torn country. Engineer Sahib Karim worked extensively on this; I thank you for your social discussions. We must understand that when war is prolonged, this dimension requires a different analysis than a war of one year, two years, six months, or six days.

The country most similar to ours is Colombia, which finally reached peace. Colombia was at war for 90 years; so when something becomes a habit and continues for a long time, some people see their interests in its continuation and, psychologically, lack the readiness to think about peace. Honorable Ludin Sahib, think more on this; Honorable Dr. Sarabi has worked significantly in this sector; I thank you!

The Changing Nature of Modern Conflict

The second dimension is that the war has changed and is not the same war. The war remains constant in name, but its form has changed; in the most important change that has occurred, today we are under attack by networks. During the entire era of the sacred Jihad of Afghanistan, there was not a single suicide bomber. This land gave one and a half million martyrs, yet there was not one day, not one suicide bomber.

We did not produce this phenomenon (suicide bombing); the world produced it and exported it to us. The first suicide bomber was in Sri Lanka, and it has now turned into a vicious cycle. Today, people from twenty countries—with whom we have no dispute—have come and are committing the greatest atrocities on our soil. Furthermore, the war is a war of narcotics. The criminal economy is a major factor in the war. Therefore, the dimensions of this war and why it continues require fundamental analysis and attention.

Regional Dimensions and Relations with Pakistan

Thirdly, there are the regional factors of the war. We have said it repeatedly and I say it again: I do not seek peace from Pakistan; I seek peace with Pakistan. Peace with Pakistan means that a dignified, strong, national state in Afghanistan is accepted. Our statehood is not a matter of deal-making! This is our right, and people must understand this clearly.

Afghanistan is not anyone’s gift to Afghans. Afghans won Afghanistan with their heads and their blood. We have won it for at least three thousand years; we have won it from Ahmad Shah Baba until now, and if it were 5,000 years more, we would still win and nurture it. Thus, it is necessary to reach a conclusion regarding the regional dimensions.

The Intra-Afghan Peace Model (Hizb-e-Islami)

What was the nature of our progress? What was the model of negotiation with Hizb-e-Islami—for which I again thank from the bottom of my heart Engineer Sahib Amin Karim, Dr. Sahib Ghairat Baheer, and Safi Sahib who conducted the negotiations?

First: The negotiations were conducted in Kabul. Was Kabul unsafe? Was the opinion of Hizb-e-Islami censored for even a single day? Was there a single day without access to the media? No; because it was clear that we Afghans must trust one another.
Second: The framework of the negotiations was formed by the Constitution of Afghanistan. All negotiations were based on one clear principle. It is not that some of our people, especially the respected Hizb-e-Islami, do not want changes in the Constitution; rather, they want changes within the framework of the clear mechanism defined in the Constitution itself. This is worlds apart from saying we do not accept the rules of the game and then entering peace negotiations.
Third: There was no external mediation; the process was purely intra-Afghan. Honorable Pir Sahib (may God have mercy on him), Ustadh Khalili, and all our elders within the government, Engineer Sahib Mohammad Khan and all others, Honorable Sabawon Sahib—you are all present here—Honorable Moeen Sahib, you all lent a hand. Because Afghans, whether they want to or not, have hundreds of thousands and millions of ties with one another, and when these ties are activated, they lead to the creation of an atmosphere of trust.

Signs of National Reintegration

In the beginning, there was an atmosphere of mistrust; but it led to an atmosphere of trust in which the role of the High Peace Council was very prominent. Finally, a written agreement was executed by the government. Honorable Haji Sahib, we thank you all; Honorable Salim Sahib, everyone, Achqon Sahib, I thank Ustadh (Khalili) and all members of the High Peace Council; if anyone is left out, please forgive me. All the grounds were prepared for an implementable agreement to emerge. Finally, with the arrival of Engineer Sahib Hekmatyar to Kabul, it was proven that Kabul belongs to all of us and Afghanistan is our common home; he does not have a single personal bodyguard—the state of Afghanistan has secured his safety.

And this is an important point, because it is a sign of trust. Now we must all have the capability to understand that political debates are natural in a free society; however, instead of war, whatever form of politics takes its place is acceptable as long as it is within the framework of national interests.

The Human Cost and National Resilience

We must calculate the price of war daily. May God never bring anyone to my position in a state of war, I tell you the truth. Every morning I see the casualties, I see our sacrifices, and I have placed sharp iron instead of my heart and steel instead of my brain. A human being breaks when they see this blood; this is the blood of Afghans, this is the blood of Muslims, this is the blood of our children, our wives, sisters, and infants—this blood counts. Yes! We have given this blood with bravery and sacrifice for the defense of the country.

I want to thank our security and defense forces again and thank all the citizens of Afghanistan, because if our national political will and patience were not there, other countries would have dissolved (melted). When the National Unity Government was formed and this burden [responsibility] was entrusted to us, you know! All commentators said it would not last two days. Do you remember, Minister of Justice? Commentators said the National Unity Government would not last four months. That this army, police, national security, and government—whatever name they put on it—would be gone in a few days; but you saw that there is national will.

Let people not miscalculate the strength of Afghans. This strength is the strength of faith, national will, and five thousand years of rebellious blood. You must understand this; the roots that give us great patience and focus us on national goals are the result of the sacrifices of a hundred of our generations; generations gave sacrifices. When I was a child, I did not understand this. From the village, when someone was leaving, they would say "we are not going, we are not going to Helmand! We are not going to Kunduz!" Why aren't you going? "Because the bones of our fathers and grandfathers are here." I now understand the value of the bones of my fathers and grandfathers. This land was won by the bones of our fathers and grandfathers; that is why we believe in it!

Sustainable Peace vs. Temporary Settlement

My fourth point: a distinction is needed between reaching peace and sustaining peace. Making peace is one kind of process, and nurturing peace is another. From an international perspective, fifty percent of peace agreements have broken within five years and a far worse war has begun; therefore, precision is required in making peace. If you reach an agreement based on a "wrong peace," it will not last and it will bring destruction. We are after sustainable peace, and sustainable peace means that peace must be nurtured.

Look at just one problem: thousands of people participated in the war; tomorrow, if they are not cared for, they will return to war. You have seen it with your own eyes; thousands of families have martyrs, hundreds of thousands of mothers have been widowed; they require attention. Peace does not happen if you forget these things afterward and say "peace has come, now let there be tranquility." It requires nurturing, it requires attention, and it means the state must be responsible, the nation must be responsible, and we must all think of the progress and excellence of this homeland.

The Mandate for Ustadh Khalili (The Three Consensuses)

Fifth point—Honorable Ustadh (Khalili)! First, I express my gratitude to you from the bottom of my heart for accepting the leadership of the High Peace Council to represent our voice and the unified voice of the National Unity Government at this specific historical stage. Within you are capabilities that can bring credit to the entire nation. For this reason, our specific expectation of you is that you take broad steps in creating three types of consensus for the High Peace Council:

One—Social consensus: I express my gratitude to the women's institutions of Afghanistan who, together with the First Lady, held a conference regarding "Women and Peace." And I take it as a very good omen that today eleven Afghan women—each of whom has served this country extensively in the Peace Council for 16 to 30 years—are present. Thank you for your future efforts. Now your external discussions will come inside the High Peace Council, Insha'Allah; and you will lead the consensus. However, social consensus is necessary from the family to all social strata. Something that Ustadh shared with me is a comprehensive consultation with various strata that will be undertaken by the respected Peace Council.
Two—Political consensus: Again, Ustadh said that starting from the Parliament to the parties, civil society institutions, especially the noble Ulema of Afghanistan, and our respected Jihadi personalities—we must come to clarity within the framework of a political consensus so that we can determine the direction, and determine it in a way that leads to results.
Three—Security consensus: If my analysis is correct—that without a strong state, sustainable peace cannot exist—then our security and defense institutions must be professional and national so that they are trusted nationwide. Generally, when we start from the security institutions, our judicial system—in which the Attorney General and the Chief Justice have taken great steps—specifically our administration and all aspects of our statehood must become efficient. "Participation" is necessary and certain, but "efficiency" must be prioritized at the same time.

Conclusion and Final Prayer

If the state does not become strong, the aspirations of the nation will not be realized. For this reason, I see the role of the High Peace Council as fundamental and comprehensive, both in creating consensus and preparation for peace negotiations, and in the implementation of peace negotiations.

In the areas of creating international and regional consensus, and providing the ground so that we can have the greatest international support and create the best state-to-state relations from a regional perspective, this is the duty of the state. Here, it is hoped that there will be both continuous coordination and a clear division of duties.

Creating peace—returning again to the holy verses—is the command and guidance of God (SWT) and the way of the Great Prophet of Islam. Our entire history has shown that when we have had agreement and unity, we have ensured our solidarity and performed great and magnificent deeds. Disunity, insecurity, and the creation of a toxic atmosphere are not in the interest of the nation.

Again, I thank first Honorable Ustadh, then all of you present, especially the members of the Peace Council, our respected international colleagues, and the Ambassadors for attending this assembly. Today, I interpret this assembly and the start of Ustadh’s work as a good omen; that the path started by the Martyr Ustadh Rabbani and the late Pir Sahib will, Insha'Allah, reach the conclusion the people of Afghanistan desire during your leadership and with your help.

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