Afghanistan: Thousands attend football match, call for peace amid Taliban offensive

The final match of the Afghanistan Premier League (APL) was attended by thousands of fans who wished to show their commitment to long-lasting peace and harmony in Afghanistan amidst an ongoing offensive by the Taliban in the Helmand province. The match was held at the Afghanistan Football Federation stadium and was between Shaheen Asmayee and Simorgh Alborz football clubs.

Afghan people wish for long-lasting peace

The match ended with a 1-0 victory for Shaheen Asmayee. As per an ANI report, Mohammad Haroon who was one of the participants of the event said: "My message is that we should all come together and call for peace” while another participant stated that he was delighted to see so many people gathered at the even and that he sincerely hopes that peace could come to the country.

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One of the most shocking instances of the match was the abundant presence of women who attended. Women in the Taliban-era Afghanistan have gone through a lot of trials and tribulations. One of the female participants at the event stated that she doesn’t want the country to lose all the achievements that they have made over the years and above all she wishes for peace.

Abdullah Abdullah, the head of the High Council for National Reconciliation who also present at the event said "Afghans demand peace and an end to the war and bloodshed and at this point, at least a significant reduction in violence so that the (peace) negotiations move forward in a peaceful environment. This is the message of all the people of Afghanistan”.

United States Special Representative Zalmay Khalilzad on October 6 stated that the current levels of violence in Afghanistan is "too high" despite the ongoing peace talks between the Afghan government and Taliban. Khalilzad was referring to the ongoing peace talks between the Taliban and the Afghan government in Doha, Qatar.

(With ANI inputs, Image: ANI)

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