Afghan High Peace Council

The Afghanistan High Peace Council (HPC) () was a body of the Afghanistan Peace and Reintegration Program, established by Hamid Karzai to negotiate with elements of the Taliban.{{cite news |url-status=dead |access-date=2012-01-06 |archive-date=2011-07-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110728185509/http://articles.cnn.com/2011-07-16/world/afghanistan.un.sanctions.taliban_1_taliban-leaders-afghan-government-high-peace-council?_s=PM%3AWORLD David Ariosto, 14 ex-Taliban members removed from U.N. sanctions, CNN, 2011-07-16

|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130104072416/http://www.pajhwok.com/en/2010/09/29/peace-council-members-named |url-status=dead |archive-date=2013-01-04 The HPC was established on 5 September 2010. The last chairman of the council was former Afghan Vice-President Karim Khalili who was appointed to the post in June 2017. Deb Riechmann, Afghan peace council members want gesture from US, The Boston Globe, 2010,10-12 --The council was initially chaired by former President of Afghanistan Burhanuddin Rabbani until his assassination in 2011.

In September 2011 Haji Deen Muhammed expressed outrage over the killing of Sabar Lal Melma. | url-status = live Ray Riviera, Anger After a Raid Kills a Wealthy Afghan With a Murky Past, The New York Times, 2011-09-04

Sabar had been apprehended and sent to Guantanamo in 2002, based on allegations he helped facilitate Osama bin Laden's escape from Afghanistan. He was repatriated in 2007. But American special forces kept taking him captive. According to Deen Muhammed the Peace Council had secured assurance that Americans would stop harassing Sabar. Nevertheless, Sabar was killed by US special forces, in his home, during a night raid, just two days after the Peace Council received assurances that harassment of him would stop.

In mid-April 2012, Burhanuddin Rabbani's son Salahuddin Rabbani was appointed chairman of the council. He held the position until 2015.

Background

Originally formed in 2010, the council consisted of seventy-four members, who were expected negotiate with the Taliban.

Dissolution and successor

The Council was dissolved in 2019 by Ashraf Ghani. Its members were appointed to the State Ministry of Peace Affairs, a new government body focused on peace process. HPC's first chairman was Burhanuddin Rabbani.

Members

The membership of the peace council included some former members of the Taliban. Deb Riechmann, Afghan peace council members want gesture from US, The Boston Globe, 2010,10-12

References

References

1. [https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-17712058 Murdered Afghan talks head Rabbani replaced by son] ''BBC News,'' 14 April 2012
2. (2019-07-27). "Afghan govt dissolves High Peace Council's secretariat".
3. (2019-07-27). "Ghani Dissolves High Peace Council's Secretariat".
4. Abdul Qadir Siddique. (29 September 2010). "Peace council members named". [[Pajhwok Afghan News]].
5. "Head Of Afghan High Peace Council Dies In Kabul From Illness At Age 84". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.
6. (30 August 2020). "Afghan President Names Reconciliation Council Members To Push Talks With Taliban". Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty.
7. "'نشست سه‌جانبه مسکو روند گفت‌وگوهای صلح افغانستان را پیچیده‌تر ساخته است'". BBC News فارسی.