KABUL - Some Meshrano Jirga or upper house of Parliament members on Tuesday called for a general ceasefire and warned that temporary truce between the US and the Taliban could not address the Afghanistan problem.
“1TV” quoted sources close to the Taliban that the insurgency leaders had agreed on decreasing violence and a short-term truce with the Americans.
The sources said the agreement apparently came after the Taliban delegation led by Mualvi Shahabuddin Dilawar visited Pakistan and consulted Taliban leaders in Peshawar and Quetta cities of Pakistan.
The Taliban have not yet commented in this regard.
The Senate discussed the issue at today’s session. Mahiuddin Munsif, a lawmaker from central Kapisa province, told today’s session that a temporary ceasefire between the Americans and the Taliban could not resolve the Afghanistan conflict.
He said truce should be a must between the warring parties entering peace negotiations as peace talks without truce could be nonsense.
He said the Afghans will never accept temporary truce between the US and Taliban as it could not serve the nation’s interest.
He said, “Taliban families have been living in Pakistan, their leaders and centers are also in the same country and Taliban have direct contact with Pakistan. Truce in possible if Pakistan wants so.”
A number of other senators held similar views and urged truce across the country.
Senate chair Fazal Hadi Muslimyar said: “During peace talks, the killing of Afghans continued. Truce between the US and Taliban without truce between the Afghan government and Taliban is not acceptable to the Afghans.”
He said in the past five years mostly Afghan forces lost their lives, not the US troops, in Afghanistan and therefore the Afghans needed a countrywide truce.
He said, “If the US is a real strategic friend of Afghanistan, then it should desire what it wants for itself.”
Muslimyar said the people of Afghanistan and the Afghan government were totally ready for peace talks and the Taliban should avoid violence in Afghanistan and arrive at peace negotiations with the Afghan government.
He added, “The Taliban delegation’s tour to Pakistan proves the group is not independent.” Muslimyar said temporary truce with the US could not resolve the Afghan conflict. (Pajhwok