Former Afghan President Ashraf Ghani has called for a national dialogue to resolve Afghanistan’s political and social crisis, saying only national interests and shared values can unite the country.

He said a broad national consensus must be built through extensive internal and external discussions.

Ghani said he is prepared to play a role in helping Afghanistan move out of its current crisis if the Afghan people desire it. He described the country as being in an extremely sensitive historical moment, marked by both dangers and opportunities.

In a post on X on Thursday, Ghani said Afghans were caught between hope and despair, trust and mistrust, and competing paths forward. He said the public was calling for an urgent and fundamental dialogue to clarify the boundaries of national interest and pave the way for consensus.

He argued that Afghanistan needs a serious national discourse to define its goals, including how the country should re-establish its relations with the international community.

Ghani described Afghanistan’s situation as dire, citing mass deportations of Afghan refugees, devastating earthquakes and natural disasters, and Pakistani military strikes on Afghan territory. He said Afghans must take immediate steps to address the crisis.

He wrote that if Afghans choose to build a shared future, they must prepare the ground for broad participation and consensus. He said the country’s survival depends on mutual acceptance, lasting peace and a balance between transformation and continuity.

Ghani said Afghans must also decide whether their focus will be on the future or the past, asking how both should be balanced and whether the country will move forward or remain “stuck looking backward.”

He argued that sustainable peace is essential for national sovereignty and future legitimacy, saying lasting peace and legitimate governance are prerequisites for stability, security, economic development, public welfare and international recognition. He noted that Afghans have been deprived of these rights for 47 years.

Ghani has previously called for a national Loya Jirga to discuss Afghanistan’s political future, arguing that the country cannot progress in isolation. Without naming the Taliban, he has said their reliance on international aid shows they cannot govern the country alone.

He expressed hope that he would one day be able to transfer the “trust of legitimacy” given to him by the Afghan people to a rightful and capable political system.

Ghani added that he seeks nothing for himself, and said that if the Afghan people require it, he is ready to contribute to overcoming the crisis and offering constructive solutions.