Afghanistan | Pakistan
Taliban not ready for dialogue till Ashraf Ghani is Afghanistan Prez : Imran Khan
Islamabad: As Taliban continues to make giant strides into Afghanistan and Pakistan is blamed for its role in supporting the insurgents with which it has a long nexus, Prime Minister Imran Khan has said the group is not ready to negotiate as long as Ashraf Ghani is the president of the war-torn country.
Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan told foreign journalists in Islamabad that political settlement was looking difficult under current conditions, according to an ANI report.
"I tried to persuade the Taliban... three to four months back when they came here," Pakistan's The News International quoted Imran Khan as saying, the report said.
"The condition is that as long as Ashraf Ghani is there, we (Taliban) are not going to talk to the Afghan government," Khan added quoting the purported Taliban stance.
The Afghan government has been critical of Islamabad accusing it for increasing instability in the region.
It has continued to allege that Pakistan has been providing critical air support to Taliban and even said that it has evidence to support the claim.
Recently, Afghan people have started a campaign on social media- #SanctionPakistan- blaming Pakistan for the deteriorating situation of the country.
However, India has supported the regime led by President Ashraf Ghani and is in talks with other stakeholders in Afghanistan. It is opposed to planting a regime by force in the country that is fighting an intense battle with the Taliban.
Since the US-led NATO forces have stopped providing the vital support - critical to holding the Taliban back, the terror group has made swift gains, capturing key borders and seizing at least six provincial capitals at a startling speed.
There are huge concerns that the group, which has stepped up its campaign since May, will reimpose its strict interpretation of Islamic law if the Afghan national force falls.
According to media reports, the Taliban fighters have been looting people, killing civilians and top officials alike. The Daily Mail reported that whenever the extremists capture a new town or district, they issue orders through the speakers of local mosques for the names of wives and widows of all local government officials and police personnel to be handed over.
The group has rounded up hundreds of young women to be married off to their militants as a ‘war booty’, local residents and officials told the newspaper.
Images: Wallpaper Cave / Ashraf Ghani FB
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