It is a highly condemnable terrorist attack in Afghanistan’s capital Kabul on Friday, in which at least 27 people were killed. It was the first deadly attack after the United States reached an agreement with the Taliban to withdraw US troops (“Attack on Kabul political rally kills 27,” March 7, Gulf Today).

The Taliban said in a statement they were not involved in the attack. A top Afghan political leader, Abdullah Abdullah, was present at the event but escaped unharmed.

The gathering had marked the anniversary of the death of Abdul Ali Mazari, an ethnic Hazara leader who was killed in 1995 after being taken prisoner by the Taliban. Several people were killed in a similar attack on the same commemoration last year, which Daesh said was carried out by its militants.

It is high time the Afghan leadership should sit together and work for ultimate peace in Afghanistan. One hopes the agreement between the United States and the Taliban will pave the way to end the nearly 20 –year-old war and lead to a peaceful exit of US troops from Afghanistan.

The venerable people of Afghanistan have paid a huge price in the decades-old war. Now it is a golden chance for the leadership of Afghanistan to utilise the chance for the betterment of its people.

Badsha Khan
By email