(MENAFN- Pajhwok Afghan News) KABUL (Pajhwok): In response to Mohammad Ismail Khan€™s recent suggestion, the Taliban say they welcome and support all genuine efforts for resolving the ongoing crisis in Afghanistan.
Khan, former governor of Heart province and ex-jihadi commander, said on March 15 if the Taliban did not want to positively answer the government€™s peace offer, they could negotiate with jihadi groups to steer the country out of current problems.
In a statement, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said: €œWe support all efforts that lead to ending the ongoing crisis in this country,€
He said the Taliban respected former jihadi figures over the last 17 years. They always asked the jihadi leaders to stand by the nation as €œforeigners never work in the interest of Afghans€.
The country had been sliding deeper into crisis with each passing day due to the foreign forces€™ wrong policies, Mujahid alleged. The international forces themselves had accepted Afghanistan€™s situation was deteriorating, he said.
€œNow Ismail Khan has sought our response to peace negotiations with jihadi leaders, The Taliban welcome all efforts by Jihadi figures or others to end the current tragedy.
€œWe invite all those who do not support foreign forces to visit Taliban€™s political office in Qatar for better understanding,€ the statement added.
Hezb-I-Islami Afghanistan (HIA) has repeatedly requested the Taliban to join the peace process. On February 28, President Ashraf Ghani said his government wanted to enter a ceasefire with the Taliban without any preconditions.
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