The eastern Afghan province of Nangarhar, which borders Pakistan, is where IS established its strongholds more than a year ago and tried to expand its influence to the rest of the country through use of its terrorist activities.
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The Taliban statement, however, says the insurgents will not take part. “We reject all such rumours and unequivocally state that the leader of Islamic emirate has not authorised anyone to participate in this meeting” , the statement reported on by agencies in Kabul said.
The Office of the Afghan president, ARG Presidential Palace, said that Obama also hailed the Afghan defense forces for performing well and being courageous in fight against terrorism.
The third Quadrilateral Coordination Group (QCG) meeting in Kabul last month had welcomed Ghani’s invitation to Taliban groups and the HeI, and mentioned it in a joint statement issued after the session.
Afghanistan is gripped by insecurity more than 14 years after the United States and its allies attacked the country as part of Washington’s so-called war on terror.
However, Ghani said that it is not a civil war in Afghanistan, Afghans are all brothers, and it is “indeed imposed war”.
He said the Taliban were facing a major test to choose whether they wanted peace or war.
He said the Afghan armed forces managed to retake control of the areas from the militants despite persistent issues, hailing the Afghan special operations forces for conducting special raids.
Islamabad, Mar.6: The peace talks between Afghanistan and the Taliban ran into trouble as the main faction of the insurgent group denied its plans to join the process besides questioning its efficacy. On the subject of peace talks, the group said, “Unless the occupation of Afghanistan is ended, black lists eliminated and innocent prisoners freed, such futile, misleading negotiations will not bear any results”.
Direct talks began last summer in Pakistan, but quickly fell apart after Afghan officials who were concerned about the authority of the insurgent delegation leaked word that the Taliban’s long-time leader, Mullah Mohammad Omar, had been dead for two years.
In addition to seizing territory in the opium-growing province of Helmand, the Taliban briefly captured the northern city of Kunduz.
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This has prompted renewed efforts in the country and by neighbors to revive stalled negotiations between the militant group and the Afghan government.
