15 January 2017•Update: 16 January 2017
By Shadi Khan Saif
KABUL, Afghanistan
The Afghan government on Sunday dismissed a top official responsible for reaching peace deal with the Taliban.
Abdul Hakim Mujahid, deputy chairman of the High Peace Council (HPC), was relieved of duty after he was blamed for publicly labeling the Taliban as "angels of peace".
Mujahid caused uproar last week when he also denounced a number of former Afghan leaders including former president Najibullah, Burhanuddin Rabbani and Ahmad Shah Masoud.
Mujibur Rahman Rahimi, spokesman for the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), said Mujahid would no be longer at the HPC, confirming that the action was taken after Mujahid's remarks.
A day earlier, the Presidential Palace condemned Mujahid. “The government would not allow any one misuse the freedom of speech to name the murderers of children and women, those who damaged places of worship and public properties, as ‘angels of peace’,” said a statement from the Palace.
For his part, Mujahid rejected all the allegations. The former Taliban-era diplomat said he just quoted former president Rabbani who named the Taliban "angels of peace" before the Taliban emerged to power. Mujahid was a member of the Taliban until 2010. He was the Taliban’s envoy to Pakistan and the United Nations during its rule in Afghanistan between 1996 and 2001.
