President Ashraf Ghani in a speech on Eid said recent deeds by the Taliban showed the group has “no will” for peace and going forward, decisions by the government will be made based on that.
Ghani said the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan’s decision to send a high-ranking delegation to Doha for negotiations was an ultimatum.
“Taliban made clear many things. Mr. Abdullah told me some minutes ago that there is no will for peace in Taliban. We sent the delegation to do the ultimatum and to show that we have the will for peace and we are ready for sacrifice for it, but they (Taliban) have no will for peace and we should make decisions based on this,” Ghani said.
Ghani said this Eid has been named after Afghan forces to honor their sacrifices and courage, especially in the last three months.
“Afghanistan’s security and defense forces have made many sacrifices in the last 20 years, especially in the last three months, to defend this soil and honor of this homeland, sincerely,” Ghani said.
He added that he has spent the last week working on an “urgent and practical plan” to overcome the current situation. President Ghani says Afghans should prove in action that they are united.
“This plan has been prepared. It has two parts in terms of security,” he said. He added that one part of the plan is setting priorities for security and defense forces.
He said a firm stance by the people for the next three to six months will change the situation.
Ghani reiterated that there is a need for national support and national defense and said the future of Afghanistan will be made in Afghanistan and by Afghans.
He said today’s Afghanistan is not the one it was 20 years ago and every city has signs of development.
“There is no place for forming militias and arbitrariness in this country,” he said.
He said the Taliban “destroyed 260 public buildings” and that if they are Afghans they should avoid eliminating public establishments and people’s houses.
Ghani said the government released 5,000 Taliban prisoners but the group so far has not been ready for meaningful talks.
