Mothers along with babies who suffer from malnutrition wait to receive help and check-up at a clinic  in Kabul, Afghanistan, Jan 26, 2023. (PHOTO / AP)

KABUL - Afghanistan's former president Hamid Karzai has met with Markus Potzel, the UN secretary-general's deputy special representative for Afghanistan, and stressed the need for a national dialogue to be held for achieving lasting peace in the war-torn country, local television channel Tolonews reported on Thursday.

In the meeting held on Wednesday at Karzai's residence, they also discussed about Afghanistan's current situation as well as reopening schools and universities for girls, according to the report.

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Chief spokesman for Afghanistan's Taliban-run caretaker government Zabihullah Mujahid has expressed objection to the national dialogue proposal, noting in talks to Tolonews that the time for a national dialogue has passed and that such a dialogue is currently not necessary, showed the report.