Support genuine efforts at ending war, say Taliban

KABUL.

Khan, former governor of Heart province and ex-jihadi commander, said on March 15 if the Taliban did not want to positively answer the government’s peace offer, they could negotiate with jihadi groups to steer the country out of current problems.

In a statement, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said: “We support all efforts that lead to ending the ongoing crisis in this country,”

He said the Taliban respected former jihadi figures over the last 17 years. They always asked the jihadi leaders to stand by the nation as “foreigners never work in the interest of Afghans”.

The country had been sliding deeper into crisis with each passing day due to the foreign forces’ wrong policies, Mujahid alleged. The international forces themselves had accepted Afghanistan’s situation was deteriorating, he said.

“Now Ismail Khan has sought our response to peace negotiations with jihadi leaders, The Taliban welcome all efforts by Jihadi figures or others to end the current tragedy.

“We invite all those who do not support foreign forces to visit Taliban’s political office in Qatar for better understanding,” the statement added.

Hezb-I-Islami Afghanistan (HIA) has repeatedly requested the Taliban to join the peace process. On February 28, President Ashraf Ghani said his government wanted to enter a ceasefire with the Taliban without any preconditions.

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