Afghan peace jirga: Your comments

There is tight security at the meeting

Afghanistan must work with Pakistan to defeat Islamic militants, President Hamid Karzai has told hundreds of tribal leaders at a three-day peace jirga.

Readers of Persian.com and the BBC News website shared their views on the summit.

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I don't think that this jirga will produce any results because the members of the jirga are selected by the governments of both countries, not by the people. Secondly, this jirga doesn't have any specific agenda. Third, the Taleban has rejected the jirga, I think that without the participation of the Taleban the jirga will be useless. The government of Afghanistan has a problem with the Taleban, not with the tribal elders and they don't have any influence over the area. So this jirga is just a waste of money and won't produce any results.
Mohammad Khalid, Kandahar, Afghanistan

From Persian.com: If Pakistan did not support the Taleban, there would be no Taleban or any member of al-Qaeda in Afghanistan. Pakistan is supplying 95% of all military hardware to the Taleban.
Alidad Rahimi, Ghazni, Afghanistan

As this is the first face-to-face and joint peace jirga where government officials, Islamic clerics, representatives of civil society and most importantly some tribal leaders of both sides have gathered, I would say this jirga will at least asses and find out where the problem is. Here in Afghanistan, the evidence shows that the source and centre of the problem is in Pakistan. I don't think this jirga will end the chaos, dispute and Talebanisation, but it certainly will bring up some important issues on the table which haven't been discussed and addressed openly by the two sides, except by a small group government officials.
Homayoun Naseri Wardak, Kabul, Afghanistan

I don't think it will success because the fighting is with the Taleban not with the Pakistani government. It was important that Taleban leaders were also at the Jirga. Our government should not waste their time and money on these jirgas. The government should have invited Taliban leaders. Without talking with Taleban I don't think it will be a success. What the Afghanistan government want from Pakistani leaders, I don't know. Most of the people at this jirga are old commanders who are already hated by the people. In the jirga, there should only be those who are representative of the people not those with power.
M Shafi Khan, Urzghan, Afghanistan

From Persian.com: We should look to the best solution to the problem, which is the easiest solution. If both countries come to terms on the Durrand Line, all border problems between them will be resolved.
K Soltani

This Jirga will work out or put an end the current conflict in Afghanistan. Taleban are the key figures who are currently the active opposition against the Afghanistan government, but they aren't included in the jirga, therefore it indicates this jirga is only a gathering of people who are loyal to the Musharraf and Karzai's Government. What would be the outcome of this jirga without including the key opposition?
Shekib Ahmad, Afghanistan

From Persian.com: As in the past, the two sides will make decisions and sign agreements. Then Pakistan will once again proceed to ignore them all. We have seen this happen before.
Rezai, Kabul, Afghanistan

Yes, should the representatives be sincere and earnest. There are elements (in Pakistan) making every clandestine attempt to fail the jirga. It is a good initiative to build a steadfast reliance among the nations on both sides of the border.
Naqibullah Asad, Kandahar, Afghanistan

From Persian.com: The jirga brings a word of peace and every decent person will support it. This jirga will prove to the world that the Afghan people and government mean to struggle for peace and security in the region.
Habib Ahadi, The Netherlands

The jirga has no role to play in defeating the Taleban. The forces behind the jirga have already been engaged in a fight against the Taleban, directly or indirectly, for the last seven years. As long as foreign troops remain in the region the resistance will move forward. Without the Taleban the jirga is like flesh out of bones
Saeedullah Khan Mahsud, Islamabad, Pakistan

From Persian.com: Holding this Jirga is a waste of time and it will bear no fruit for the Afghan people. But the government has to make an effort to keep the people happy.
Mostafa, Herat, Afghanistan

It will fail. They should have included the Taleban. Taleban are Afghans and Pakistanis too. It is true, "this is only a display (photo op), which cannot produce the true view of the Afghan people." Inclusion of all sides is essential to bring about permanent solution to the region. Sometimes the Taleban and other extreme groups have views that significant population agree with. Everybody must be heard. The vocal minority and the silent majority. We need "The Great Compromise".
Tahir, Maryland, USA

From Persian.com: One can only hope for the jirga's success in resolving problems between the two countries. Pervez Musharraf has not attended and the Taleban have also boycotted it. It seems that it is only the Afghan government that wants to promote peace and security.
Nour-Ahmad Raja, Dushanbe, Tajikistan

We believe in dialogues. These are President Musharraf's words, but why he is not joining Afghan's here in jirga? This jirga is the only hope and I wish that there should was a good result at the end and this should be the last and final dialogue between Afghanistan and Pakistan if there is no result. Any Afghan will not ask for any jirga any more.
Faiz Hassan, Kabul, Afghanistan

From Persian.com: This jirga will not succeed. The situation will only improve if religious fundamentalism from all sides is put aside.
WA, Herat, Tajikistan

To my mind, the Pak-Afghan regional peace jirga will bring good results in fighting the Taleban and terrorism to both Afghanistan and Pakistan if Pakistan strongly condemns the insurgency and truly fights against it and never intervenes in Afghanistan's internal affairs.
Hotak, Kabul, Afghanistan

From Persian.com: Taking into account the fact that Pakistan's military intelligence organisation (ISI) has much influence among the border tribes and does not really want to see close cooperation between the people of the tribal lands and the Afghan central government, one can not have too much hope in the jirga. The last such jirga in 1986 ended without result. I am not optimistic towards a good result this time.
Mohammad Omar Shariff, New York

The peace jirga will only be successful if the Pakistani government are really committed to the outcome of this peace jirga, Pakistan has not shown as much interest as the Afghan side which always wanted Pakistan to cooperate. The absence of President Musharraf from jirga is a signal that Pakistan may not be willing to obey the outcome of this peace jirga.
Junaid Naseer Faroqui, Karachi, Pakistan

From Persian.com: Today, when I heard that the peace jirga had started and as I was listening to Karzai's emotional speech, I was choking with tears. Once again, the peoples expectations towards this peace jirga overwhelmed me and as I hoped for peace in my country I know that this is a sign that my people are tired of war and bloodshed.
Bibi Gol, Nangarhar, Afghanistan

The world community, including the Pakistani establishment (Army), know that Pakistan tribal areas are the breeding grounds and safe heavens for extremists who not only are threat for Pakistan, but world peace. The grand jirga in this scenario would be a bold step, if it comes up with concrete actions points to curb Talebanisation. To me the best action point is to go for the kill because Taleban mindset does not have any flexibility and this is the kind of tumour. If left unnoticed, it will blow the social thread in Pakistan one day.
Junaid Naseer Faroqui, Karachi, Pakistan

From Persian.com: This peace jirga will show the world who is willing to work for peace and who is not. Pakistan's president Musharraf declined to participate in the jirga and this is another shameful stance from Pakistan with regard to promoting peace.
Hamid Amiri, Herat, Afghanistan