KABUL – *The Taliban has not yet accepted President Ashraf Ghani’s peaceoffer made on Wednesday at the Kabul Process meeting but the High PeaceCouncil (HPC) said on Saturday the proposal was “a golden opportunity” forthe group.*

“The ball is in the court of the Taliban. We are waiting to see whether theTaliban takes their own route or they hear their people’s call, or continuetheir activities which are against the Sharia,” said Sayed EhsanuddinTaheri, head of media and strategic relations of the High Peace Council.

Analysts have mixed reactions however towards the Afghan government’s peaceoffer.

“Government should have brought up such conditions and issues in the past,but this time, President (Ashraf Ghani) brought up this issue verycreatively,” said Tahir Yarghal, a political affairs analyst.

Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah’s office meanwhile termed the peace offerbeneficial to the Taliban and called on the group to make use of theopportunity.

“We have not received any information about this, but our hope is that theTaliban says yes to this offer because it is an opportunity in theirfavor,” said Jawed Faisal, deputy spokesman for the chief executive.

This comes after Taliban, by issuing two separate statements, asked fordirect talks with the US and rejected negotiations with the Afghangovernment.