President Ashraf Ghani on Thursday, after Eid payers at the Presidential Place, called on the Taliban to use the opportunity for peace created by the foreign troops leaving the country.
The prayer ceremony was attended by former president Hamid Karzai, Abdullah Abdullah, the chairman of the High Council for National Reconciliation, the Parliament speaker Mir Rahman Rahmani, Senate speaker Fazl Hadi Muslimyar and a number of other politicians and government officials.
“The Taliban cannot have a better chance than this as the international troops are leaving the country,” Ghani said, adding that “the people’s arms are open to them” and end the war.
“Our people know who is responsible for blasts and suicide attacks,” Ghani said. “We don’t want destruction, we want development.”
“The international troops’ withdrawal from Afghanistan is a great opportunity,” he said. “The new chapter of our cooperation with the international community has started.”
“Today, the region looks at Afghanistan as an opportunity,” he said.
“There is political consensus in the country, and the Republic is an umbrella for all,” Ghani said.
“Let’s see the Taliban’s intention,” he said, referring to the peace efforts. “All the politicians want an Afghan-owned and Afghan-led peace process.”
“What is your (Taliban) message, what do you want, why are you destroying the districts?” Ghani said. Show us one district where you have complete control and have built something.”
He mentioned that the Taliban’s war has costed the nation $1billion.
He also said that Pakistan’s Army Chief Gen. Qamar Javed Bajwa on his visit to Kabul “clearly said that they don’t want an Islamic Emirate” and announced their support to the Republic.
“Soon you will witness a regional consensus on the Afghan peace process,” he said, adding that regional support for Afghanistan is increasing.
“Afghanistan’s peace and stability means peace and stability in the region,” he said.
In reaction to Taliban leader Mullah Hibatullah Akhundzada’s Eid message, Ghani asked him to study the country’s history “before issuing messages and asking the people to surrender.”
President Ghani warned of a third wave of COVID-19 and called on the people to follow the health guidance of the Ministry of Public Health during Eid days.
“The new wave of COVID-19 has started and is spreading. We had a meeting to manage this situation,” Ghani said.
On Wednesday, the Ministry of Public Health reported 370 new positive cases of COVID-19 out of 908 samples tested in the last 24 hours.
The ministry also reported 12 deaths and 67 recoveries from COVID-19 in the same period.
The ministry reported that the cumulative total of known COVID-19 cases is 63,088, the total number of reported deaths is 2,725, and the total number of recoveries is 54,570.
