ISLAMABAD - Afghanistan is preparing to convene a Loya Jirga soon to give its opinion on the US proposals seeking to keep military presence in the war-ravaged country beyond 2014 timeline to pull out its forces. Afghanistan Ambassador to Pakistan Mohammad Umer Duadzai told TheNation in an interview that since this would be an unusual decision; therefore, President Hamid Karzai has decided to solicit opinion of the Loya Jirga (Grand Assembly of the Elders). Ambassador Daudazai was upbeat that the international community including the US would respect opinion of the Loya Jirga that would also include members of the Afghan parliament. He said the Afghan government was working on plans to convene Loya Jirga for this purpose during this summer, adding all the neighbouring countries were being taken on board for their input in this regard, which the Loya Jirga would also take into account while deciding the fate of US proposals. He conceded that all the neighbouring countries were being taken on board for their input in this regard, which the Loya Jirga would also take into account while deciding the fate of US proposals. The Afghan envoy insisted that the process of transfer of responsibility to Afghan forces would have to be completed in 2014 irrespective of the conditions in the country. Ambassador Daudzai explained that the Afghan government would not link process of transfer of responsibility to the process of peace and reconciliation. He was hopeful that targets of establishing Afghanistan Air Force as well as Afghanistan National Army to have 2,40,000 well-trained and well-equipped ground force would be met by that time. The Ambassador was optimistic that after beginning of the process of withdrawal of foreign forces, the Afghan-driven and Afghan-led peace and reconciliation process would also gain momentum in the days to come. He made it clear that unlike the US proposals, the Afghan government wanted to talk to all insurgent elements to make it a success story for lasting peace and stability in the country. The Afghan Ambassador was of the view that presence of foreign forces had been major factor in bringing the insurgency to end, as none of the Afghan resistance groups were willing to negotiate peace with the Afghan government.