The Pakistan-backed Taliban militia, which reportedly controls 85 per cent of Afghanistan, boycotted the four-day meeting organised by an apex body of people's groups called the `Council of Cooperation and National Unity of Afghanistan' at the Gustav Stressman Institute here.

Diplomats from several countries including the United States, Russia, Japan, and India attended the opening session of the meeting. There was no representative from the Pakistan embassy here even though their diplomats were extended an invitation, according to Hamid Sidig, one of the organisers.

The meeting is being attended by over 100 Afghan representatives from Afghanistan, India, Pakistan, US, Germany and Australia.

Afghan leaders stoutlyopposed foreign interference and said a solution must be found by Afghans themselves through `loya jirga' to usher in a representative Government which has the mandate of all sections of people to rule.

A few leaders attacked Pakistan for being responsible for the present problem by openly interfering in the affairs of Afghanistan.

``One of the main goals of the meeting is to provide people the opportunity of expressing their will through their representatives in the `loya jirga,' to study the practicalities of implementing it and to find a solution to the Afghan problem,'' according to a statement issued by the organisers.

Council chairman Prof Abdul Satar Sirat, who is based in Saudi Arabia, regretted that the Taliban group could not attend the meeting.

Sirat lambasted ``foreign forces'' without identifying any country in particular for fomenting trouble ``for their own interests.'' One delegate suggested that the ex-king of Afghanistan Zahir Shah must return to his homeland to help in putting anend to the war and to bring lasting peace. The former king is reportedly based in Rome.

Another delegate said the Bonn meeting is a ``historic opportunity'' to put a ``fullstop to war'' and called for an Afghan Government which is representative and respected internationally in an apparent reference to Taliban.

Representatives of women's bodies also spoke at the meeting while highlighting the hardships faced by women and children in Afghanistan. The Bonn meeting is a sequel to small informal meetings held at Istanbul, Hamburg and Frankfurt.