Exiles demand end to Afghan fighting

Gailani (right) is a supporter of the former king

A high-profile meeting of Afghan exiles has called for all the combatants in Afghanistan to end their operations as soon as possible.

The resolution was one of several adopted by hundreds of tribal elders, former mujahideen commanders, clerics and scholars meeting in the Pakistani city of Peshawar.

The resolution said they also hoped the exiled former Afghan King Zahir Shah, would play an effective role in any future government.

Meanwhile, the United Nations special envoy to Afghanistan has dismissed the idea of UN troops enforcing any post-Taleban peace agreement.

Fears of power vacuum

The meeting of exiles was called to discuss the formation of a future broad-based government in Afghanistan.

Most at the meeting were Pashtuns

In the final resolution, they warned that the present fighting could cause the fall of the Taleban and leave a political vacuum.

It urged all sides in the fighting to "pave ground for a political solution and understanding to ensure on one hand protection of life of innocent people and on the other hand prevention of further destruction of Afghanistan".

Most of those taking part in the Peshawar meeting were from Afghanistan's main ethnic group, the Pashtuns. It was convened by a senior Pashtun, Pir Sayad Ahmad Gailani, an associate of former King Shah.

The meeting expressed fears that the opposition Northern Alliance, which is mainly backed by minority groups, could recapture the Afghan capital, Kabul, creating bloodshed and disorder.

I rule out the idea of a UN administration, like the one in Kosovo or East Timor, because each situation is different

UN envoy to Afghanistan

It said the disarmament of Kabul would be an important step towards a stable political future for the country.

A BBC correspondent in Pakistan says the meeting is being seen as a useful first step towards forming a future administration.

However, it was not attended by any main representatives from the Northern Alliance, nor by anyone from the entourage of the former king.

The UN's envoy to Afghanistan, Lakhdar Brahimi, is reported as rejecting a peacekeeping role for the UN.

No foreign troops

"I rule out the idea of a UN administration, like the one in Kosovo or East Timor, because each situation is different," Mr Brahimi told the Italian daily Corriera della Sera, according to the AFP news agency.

"The Afghans will never accept foreign troops on their soil," he said.

The envoy argued that the Northern Alliance should be a key part of any post-Taleban administration, a position opposed by Pakistan.