Afghans welcome second round of four-nation talks on peace process

In the militancy-plagued Afghanistan, people from all walks of life have welcomed holding the second round of the four-nation talks on Afghan peace process to bring Taliban outfit into negotiating table and find political settlement to the country's protracted conflict.

Aimed at working out a roadmap to find a political solution to lingering crisis in the country, the conference is attended by Afghanistan, Pakistan, China and the United States of America opened in Kabul on Monday.

"I am looking with optimism that the four-nation conference would eventually find ways for bringing Taliban and government to negotiating table and bring to end the conflict in Afghanistan," a Kabul resident, Ahmad Wali told Xinhua.

"The reason that I am hopeful about the four-nation talks on Afghan peace process is participation of the representatives from China and United States of America," Wali said, adding that presence of China and U.S. can bolster the peace process and ultimately ushers to peace in the country.

Even a street vendor, Abdul Karim, in talks with Xinhua expressed support to the four-nation talks and stated, "this time the conference for searching peace in Afghanistan is utterly different to the previous ones as China and America can serve as guarantors of peace in the country."

Similarly, Afghan Foreign Minister Salahuddin Rabbani in his opening remarks at the conference pointed out that Afghans are hopeful that the participation and involvement of the U.S. and China could take the talks into result-oriented one and eventually led to lasting peace in their war-torn country.

Rabbani also called upon Taliban militants to join the peace process and said, "let us solve all the differences through negotiations."

Taliban militants fighting the government to regain power, have yet to express readiness for joining the proposed peace talks.

Meanwhile, Chairman Mushrano Jirga or Upper House of Afghan parliament, Fazal Hadi Muslimyar expressed support to the second round of the four-nation conference and told the upper house on Sunday with optimism that the quadrilateral meeting could find political solution to protracted crisis in the country.

A senior member of the government-backed peace body the High Peace Council (HPC) Mohammad Ismeal Qasimyar, in talks with local media at the eve of talks on Sunday, expressed optimism over the four-nation meeting, saying there are considerable changes in Pakistan's behavior towards Afghanistan and that could help the talks to deliver.