ISLAMABAD – Afghan President Ashraf Ghani’s statement against Pakistan andAfghan Taliban may come as a spoiler for Afghanistan peace deal.
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani on Tuesday linked the release of Talibanprisonerslinkwiththe group first breaking ties with neighbouring Pakistan.
Addressing a public gathering in the eastern Nangarhar province, Ghani saidthe Afghan Taliban could not justify their insurgency after inking a peacedeal with the US.
“You [Taliban leaders] have made peace with the foreigners so what doesyour jihad mean now … killing of fellow Afghans is a crime,” said Ghani,who has expressed reservations over the peace agreement.
linkThe Express Tribune✔@etribunelinklink
“You [Taliban leaders] have made peace with the foreigners so what doesyour jihad mean now … killing of fellow Afghans is a crime,” says AshrafGhani.link1-president-ghani-asks-afghan-taliban-break-ties-pakistan/ …linkPresident Ghani asks Afghan Taliban to break ties with Pakistan
Islamabad urges Kabul and Taliban to show flexibility and move forwardtribune.com.pklink
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“If the Taliban have set release of their prisoners as a condition forintra-Afghan talks, we also have conditions; they should tell me when arethey going to leave [break ties with] Pakistan.”
The landmark deal signed in Doha, Qatar on Feb 29 lays out a timetable fora full troop withdrawal from Afghanistan within 14 months.The agreement is expected to lead to dialogue between the Taliban and theKabul government, seeking an end to the armed conflict that began in 2001.linklink
The Taliban agreed to halt attacks in the war-torn country in return for aprisoner swap and the US lifting sanctions against them.
Ghani has objected to these arrangements that would see the Afghangovernment releasing 5,000 Taliban prisoners as a condition for directtalks between the two sides.
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The Taliban, meanwhile, announced it was resuming attacks on Afghan forcesafter implementing a 7-day “Reduction in Violence” pact last week.
Taliban spokesperson Suhail Shaheen told *Anadolu Agency* that the proposedintra-Afghan talks would only begin once their prisoners were freed.
Meanwhile, hundreds of Afghan citizens took to the streets in variouscities to protest the Taliban announcement.
*Islamabad, which played a key role in brokering the deal, has urged Kabuland the Afghan Taliban to show flexibility and move forward with the peacedeal*
The UN, EU, and the US, on the other hand, urged the insurgents to abide bythe peace agreement that was reached after years of negotiations betweenmultiple stakeholders, including Pakistan.
“Following the Taliban’s reported resumption of military operations, the UNcalls for continued reduced violence to maintain & enhance an environmentconducive to the start of intra-Afghan negotiations, which should lead to apermanent ceasefire and a lasting political settlement,” said the UNAssistance Mission in Afghanistan.
Islamabad, which played a key role in brokering the deal, has urged Kabuland the Afghan Taliban to show flexibility and move forward with the peacedeal.
In a statement, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said the Afghanpresident should “ask America for an explanation” of the clause of the dealon the exchange of prisoners.
Later Tuesday, the Afghan Foreign Ministry submitted a formal protest toPakistan, saying it “strongly condemned” Qureshi’s remarks.
“The Government of Afghanistan believes that relying on policies ofgood-neighborliness, Pakistan needs to take practical steps towardsenhancing bilateral ties in various areas and refrain from making suchirresponsible statements regarding the internal affairs of Afghanistan,” itsaid.