MOSCOW – Afghan Taliban rejects pressures of ceasefire at the Moscow talks.
A group of Afghan politicians led by former President Hamid Karzai and a14-member Taliban team led by the co-founder of the group Abdul GhaniBaradar sat for the second day in Moscow to discuss the Afghan peace, butbehind the closed doors.
The group rejected the calls for a ceasefire which was the main demand byAfghan politicians – who publicly raised the demand at a ceremony in Moscowon the centenary of Afghanistan-Russia diplomatic ties on Tuesday, May 28.
Sources said the second day of the meeting was also focused on peace andpressuring the Taliban to agree on a ceasefire with the Taliban – at leastin the upcoming Eid al-Fitr.
Backing their deputy leader’s stance, a Taliban spokesman told reporters onWednesday that ceasefire is not possible in presence of foreign forces inAfghanistan – who are helping the Afghan forces in their fight against theTaliban and other insurgent groups since 2001.
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“How a ceasefire will be possible when the country is ‘occupied’?” askedSuhail Shaheen, a spokesman of the Taliban.
Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanekzai, a senior member of the Taliban who has ledsix rounds of talks with US negotiators, said they hope to reach anagreement on US forces withdrawal from Afghanistan in the next round of thetalks – probably next month.
