Masoom Stanakzai asks Taliban to quit fighting
16 January, 2013
KABUL: The chairman of the High Peace Council’s secretariat Masoom Stanikzai has said that the national sovereignty of Afghanistan has been secured completely, asking the Taliban to quit violence. Addressing a press conference in Kabul on Tuesday , Masoom Stanikzai said the recent visit of President Hamid Karzai to the United States of America was fruitful, adding the US made clear all the things the armed opponents would always use as pretexts for war. He said the armed opponents used four issues as pretexts for continuation of war, including powerlessness of the Afghan government, control on prisons, invasion on country and withdrawal of foreign troops. He said all these issues had been resolved during the recent visit of President Hamid Karzai to the US, and that now the Taliban had no pretext to continue war. He said the withdrawal of foreign troops from villages, respect for airspace of the country and giving security responsibilities to the Afghan forces had been agreed. He said the peace process would get pace and will get achievements this year. He said it was agreed during the recent visit of President Hamid Karzai to the US that the peace process should be intra-Afghan, and that the representatives of the armed opponents should be recommended by them. He said decision on a Taliban office was also made during the visit. The Taliban and some Afghans still don’t believe in the pledges of America and the Afghan government. End.
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