President Ashraf Ghani has said that the Afghan government is ready to fight against the Taliban after the withdrawal of foreign troops from the country.
“The threat of terrorism has changed. It has not disappeared. We are all agreed on this,” Ghani said in an interview with a news outlet.
“The United States is committed to support things, providing support. This is financial, in the security area, in the economic area, in the humanitarian area, because the United States, fortunately, shares the values of supporting the gains of the last 20 years. And our discussion is enormously productive. The same, fortunately, applies to NATO members and non-NATO members who have been our partners,” said the president.
President Ghani has recently held talks with Reconciliation Council chief Abdullah Abdullah, former president Hamid Karzai, former mujahedeen leader Abdul Rab Rasul Sayyaf, and others to build a consensus around peace and form a high-level state council.
Sources familiar with the meetings said that the list of the members of the council will be finalised by the end of this week.
Moreover, the Taliban has shown “willingness” to resume peace negotiations in Doha. But in Afghanistan violence remains increasingly high despite a three-day ceasefire from May 12 to May 15.
The Defense Ministry reported clashes in 18 provinces just two days after the end of the ceasefire.
President Ghani once again reiterated that “the key to a political dialogue is that the Taliban accept that the future political system of Afghanistan is based on elections.”
“That is the fundamental bottom line. Other things can be discussed, negotiated. But if that fundamental issue is not granted, then the question of rights and the question of gains that have occurred in the last 20 years, particularly vis-a-vis women, youth, minorities, all walks of life, will be put into question,” Ghani said.
On Monday, some sources close to the Taliban said that there has been some progress in the release of 7,000 prisoners by the Afghan government. They said that the Taliban is expected to hold a session with the US about the withdrawal of forces from the country.
But the Afghan government said that the release of prisoners will depend on agreements within the peace negotiations.
ZALMAY KHALILZAD: United States special envoy Zalmay Khalilzad on Tuesday said that the prediction that the Taliban will quickly overrun Afghan forces and conquer Kabul after full US withdrawal are unduly pessimistic.
“I personally believe that the statements that their forces will disintegrate and the Talibs will take over in short order are mistaken,” Khalilzad told the House Foreign Affairs Committee as quoted in a report by AP.
Khalilzad said that the Afghan government and the Taliban should do their part in the peace process. He stressed the need for Pakistan’s role in the peace efforts in Afghanistan.
“We remain in close touch with Pakistan leaders, pressing them to exercise their considerable leverage over the Taliban to reduce violence and support a negotiated settlement,” Khalilzad said.
“I believe Pakistan understands that the protracted war in Afghanistan is not in its interest,” he added.
