Govt to keep reconciliation door open: Ghani

KABUL (Pajhwok): President Ashraf Ghani on Wednesday said the end of militants and terrorist groups was inevitable, but his government would keep the door to reconciliation open.

The president said this while presiding over a meeting with top officials from the Ministry of Defense (MoD), Ministry of Interior (MoI), National Security Council (NSC) and the National Directorate of Security (NDS) at the Presidential Palace.

The meeting discussed the US new strategy for South Asia, particularly Afghanistan. The president said the new strategy had been concluded after deep and multi-dimensional analysis and would benefit Afghanistan and the US.

Ghani said confusion in the past about US future strategy on Afghanistan was now a history and the country’s direction was very clear.

He insisted the end of terrorist organizations was inevitable. He said Afghanistan had always stated that the roots of terrorism lied outside the country, something acknowledged as a clear fact clearly in the new US strategy.

Referring to militant groups, the president said: “You cannot win by force, you cannot divide this geography, if you thinking you can win, remove it from you mind. Your ideas of violence have no outcome except the loss of youth, disgrace to the country and its dignity.”

The president reiterated Afghanistan wanted cordial relations with all countries particularly Pakistan. He viewed insecure Afghanistan in the interest of no other country and Pakistan would directly suffer from instability in Afghanistan.

He said the new US strategy provided a chance to Pakistan to review its old policy regarding Afghanistan and build upon relations based on mutual respect and interest.

nh/ma

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