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Transitional Kabul Set-up to Last 2 Years
Tuesday, November 20, 2001
The News International, Pakistan
By our correspondent

"Our own view is that for the efficient functioning of the transitional administration, it should be necessary for that administration to be secured and supported by a multi-national force," Foreign Minister Abdul Sattar said.

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan
Eminent hand-picked Afghan nominees of the United Nations are to meet on November 24, most probably in Geneva, to discuss the process for setting up a future transitional government inside Afghanistan.

In the second phase, a larger gathering of Afghans will decide on setting up a provincial council for a transitional administration of Afghanistan, which will last for only two years. Foreign Minister Abdul Sattar on his return from New York was briefing the media at the Foreign Office. He spelt out the fine prints as contained in the UN Security Council Resolution 1378 on the future set-up of Afghanistan.

"Two more meetings of the Loya Jirga will be held. One of them will meditate on the transition and guidelines for a constitution on the future Afghan government. Principles of the resolution should be observed by the transitional government and the (final) government to emerge. This means that the Afghan government in the future should be a broad-based and multi-ethnic one. It should live with peace with all its neighbours and respect its international obligations and combat drug trafficking," the minister said.

However, Sattar admitted assurances were held out that Northern Alliance and United Front would be stopped from entering Afghanistan. "But they entered Kabul to the surprise of the coalition parties as well as the UN. This will have to be dealt with by the UN. It is extremely difficult for a broad-based transitional government to function under occupation of one force. We have to wait for the outcome of the first meeting of the Afghans next week," Sattar said.
(More: Jang.com.PK News Source)
2001 © The News International, Pakistan.

Dan