The Presidential Palace in a statement received by Pajhwok Afghan News said the Taliban announced their offensive at a time when the Afghan government had accelerated its efforts for peace to end the ‘imposed’ war on the Afghans.
“Taliban insist to prolonging the conflict in Afghanistan whereas Afghan Ulema have declared the war as illegal and seditious, and have demanded the Taliban cease their unwarranted violence. Afghan and international Ulema have persistently declared the war as illegitimate according to Islamic tenets, and enunciated that there is no Islamic justification for prolonging the fighting” the source said.
The Presidential Palace said the Taliban erroneously claimed their announcement was a reaction to the government’s utterance of declaring an offensive. “Not only has the Afghan government not announced any combat operation, it has removed all obstacles to a peaceful settlement and considers war not in the interests of any party,” it said.
“The Taliban have not only brutally terrorized innocent civilians at the command of others, but also against all Islamic values and Afghan traditions, violated dwellings of our innocent citizens, have taken kids and women hostage, and used them as human shields, and their houses as bastions,” the statement added.
The Afghan government asked Taliban leaders opposed to the war to stand with their fellow Afghans and voice their opposition against this unlawful war.
Afghan National Defense and Security Forces have been given clear orders: to defend their people based on principles of territorial integrity and national and Islamic values, the stattment said.
It said the government was fully prepared to defend the country and it once again voiced on the Taliban to shun insurgency and welcome the Afghan government’s unconditional offer for negotiations.
US Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad also condemned the Taliban announcement on Friday, calling it ‘reckless.’
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