KABUL – Afghan President Ashraf Ghani has given an Olive branch to AfghanTaliban by offering them to contest elections in Afghanistan.

He on Wednesday unveiled a plan to open peace talks with the Taliban,including eventually recognising them as a political party, days after themilitants called for direct negotiations with the US.

The apparent openness by both sides to some form of negotiations came ascivilian casualties have soared in recent months, with the Talibanincreasingly targeting towns and cities in response to a new and moreaggressive US military policy ordered by President Donald Trump.

Ghani disclosed the framework at the Kabul Process, a regional conferencein the Afghan capital focused on bringing peace to the country. He calledfor a truce, after which the Taliban could become a political party andcontest elections.

“A ceasefire should be held, the Taliban should be recognised as apolitical party and trust-building process should be initiated,” saidGhani, in remarks similar to past offers.

“Now the decision is in your hands, accept peace… and let’s bringstability to this country,” he added.

In return, Ghani said the militants should officially recognise the Afghangovernment and constitution, a perennial sticking point in past attempts toopen talks.

There was no immediate response to Ghani’s offer from the Taliban.

However the group’s spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid maligned the Kabul Process,tweeting that the conference sought the Taliban’s “surrender” at a timewhen it is “without a doubt a force that has defeated an internationalarrogant power like America with all its allies and tools at disposal”.

His statement was part of a written response from the Taliban to a NewYorker article chronicling efforts towards peace talks by an Americanexpert on Afghanistan, Barnett Rubin.

On Monday the Taliban said it was prepared to enter direct talks with theUS to find a “peaceful solution” to more than 16 years of war.

That statement however made no mention of negotiating with the Afghangovernment — a condition which the US has long stated is vital to anypeace process.

– Clean peace plan –

Observers were cautious about the impact of Ghani’s proposal, whichincludes offers previously made to the Taliban — though this is the firsttime they have been arranged in a “clean peace plan” and announced at amulti-national conference, noted Afghan political analyst Abdul Bari.

“The timing is important… the Taliban might reject the offer, as theyhave done in the past, but at least it seems the peace process (which)stopped for a while may get back on track,” he told AFP.

Pakistani journalist and Taliban expert Rahimullah Yusufzai said theinsurgents’ leadership remained committed to the US-only position, butothers in the movement were less dogmatic about talking with Kabul.

“There are some people among the Taliban who believe that they will have tonegotiate with the Afghan government,” said Yusufzai.

He added that the militants have suffered heavy casualties under the new USstrategy of increased airstrikes and commando raids.

Despite the losses, Yusufzai said the group would continue the insurgency.”They derive their power from their ability to keep fighting,” he said.

Kabul is hosting the second round of the peace conference at whichrepresentatives from 25 countries will discuss counter-terrorism andconflict resolution strategies. US officials have described the currentsituation in the war as a stalemate.

The fighting continued elsewhere in the country Wednesday.

Officials in southern Kandahar and Uruzgan accused the Taliban of attackinga police checkpoint between the two provinces, killing five people andkidnapping at least 19 car passengers.

“We have launched an operation to find them,” said Zia Durrani, theKandahar police spokesman, who blamed the militant group for the attack.Dost Mohammad Nayeb, spokesman for governor of Uruzgan, confirmed theincident.

No group has yet issued any claim of responsibility for the attack. -APP/AFP