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KABUL: Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah says he welcomes reports that Taliban would cut ties with terrorist groups.
“If this is true that Taliban have agreed to stop supporting terrorist groups, this is good news,” Abdullah said Wednesday.
Taliban have reportedly agreed at the end of their 16-day long meeting with the US diplomats in Qatar to stop supporting terrorist groups including al-Qaeda, with Washington in return agreed for military pullout from Afghanistan.
“If this agreement is true, a part of Afghanistan’s problems will be solved,” Abdullah addressed a gathering to commemorate late jihadi leader Abdul Ali Mazari’s 24th death anniversary in the presidential palace.
“There are discussions today and you have heard that Taliban have agreed not to support terrorist groups anymore and to fight against them. If this news is true, a part of Afghanistan’s problems will be solved and this is good news.”
The US chief negotiator with Taliban, Zalmay Khalilzad tweeted at the end of the meeting that peace in Afghanistan needs assuring of fight against terrorism, troop withdrawal, intra-Afghan dialogues and a comprehensive ceasefire.
Khalilzad said that the two parties agreed on the draft of assurance of counter-terrorism and troop withdrawal.
Taliban also confirmed in a statement that their negotiators and Khalilzad agreed on the US withdrawal and that Afghanistan would not be used again a safe haven for terrorists to threaten international security.
Meanwhile, Second Vice President, Mohammad Sarwar Danesh says that peace should affect governance.
“Peace should not result in monopoly and supremacy, and some people should not seek dominance on others under the pretext of peace. We will never reach a sustainable peace with such imaginations. Governance should continue and peace should not affect it,” Danesh said.
