The High Peace Council (HPC) on Saturday announced its backing for the Afghan government’s move to close the Taliban’s office in Qatar but said the body was ready for talks wherever the rebels wanted.

AVA- HPC spokesman Syed Ihsanullah Taheri told a gathering in Kabul here that the second Kabul Process Conference to be held this month was vital for Afghanistan peace and security.
He said the international community would support Afghanistan’s peace effort with one voice at the summit.
Taheri added: “The government with strong diplomatic efforts and close coordination with the HPC has been able to get the global community support for its peace roadmap.”
He said censuses on local level had been developed for the peace process and with development of regional and global roadmap, the achievement of peace would become closer and shorter.
Referring to recent remarks of the National Security Advisor (NSA) in Saudi Arabia regarding possible closure of Taliban’s Qatar office, he said: “The HPC would like the closure of every Taliban office which could not prove effective in making peace efforts.”
He told the Taliban that the HPC was ready for talks with them anywhere in the world but such talks should be led by Afghans. He, however, said international terrorist groups hell bent on killing innocent people would be crushed and the HPC would not talk with them.