Karzai returns amnesty bill to Afghan parliament

KABUL, March 10 (Reuters) - President Hamid Karzai returned a bill that called for an amnesty for war crimes in Afghanistan to parliament today, proposing changes that recognise victims' right to seek justice.

The Afghan parliament, comprising several warlords, last month passed the bill granting immunity to all Afghans involved in the country's long-drawn conflict, despite calls by human rights groups for war crimes trials.

Praising parliament's ''important initiative'' to promote national reconciliation and stability, Karzai said the bill should include an article that ''safeguards the victim's rights and punishment of an individual who committed crime against an individual''.

A statement from Karzai's office said the bill was sent back to parliament after consultations with a cross-section of Afghan society, including clerics, representatives of civil and rights groups.

The bill set an amnesty for war criminals in the government, the parliament and also for wanted Taliban leaders and former prime minister Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, who leads a separate insurgency against government and foreign troops.

Last month, tens of thousands of supporters of former mujahideen leaders rallied in Kabul to press Karzai to sign the bill into law.

Rights groups have pressed the government to punish those guilty of abuses, saying justice was vital for peace.

The parliament, which was elected in 2005, is made up of former senior communist officials, ex-mujahideen (holy warrior) leaders who fought the Soviets and some former Taliban.

Dozens are accused of human rights abuses.

REUTERS AKJ VC1928