Kabul (BNA) Afghanistan senior security officials in a joint news conference the other day said Taliban was seeking to get absolute power and not ready to be part of political partnership in Afghanistan.
Answering The Kabul Times reporter’s question on impasse in the peace process and increasing violence, Hamdulllah Mohib, National Security Adviser said the intra-Afghan talks have faced with a deadlock due to lack of Taliban’s tendency towards peace, adding that the group did not want peace and was seeking to get the absolute power in Afghanistan.
“We have taken all necessary steps towards maintaining peace and waiting for the Taliban group to prove their will, but seizing the absolute power does not show their tendency towards peace in the country,” NSA Mohib added.
Informing of full preparation of the country’s national defense and security forces in fight against the Taliban group, National Security Advisor said Afghan National Defense and Security Forces were ready, but if the Taliban group willing peace, their team would be ready too. “All were waiting to see changes in the Taliban group, but they were losing in 2020 as they knew only to fight; therefore, they are preparing for another war,” NSA Mohib said, stressing that all commanders of the Taliban group are making plan for the spring offensives as they have ordered their individuals for the war. Pointing to the release of Taliban prisoners from Afghanistan prisons, NSA Mohib said releasing of Taliban prisoners has brought nothing except increasing violence in the country as most of the Taliban prisoners have returned to battlefields; therefore, violence has unprecedentedly increased in recent months. National Security Adviser by pointing to increasing capabilities of Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF), said currently 97 percent of the country’s National defense and security forces have reached self-sufficiency in military operations and it would reach to 100 percent by the end of 2021. Meanwhile, General Director of National Directorate of Security Zia Seraj by briefing related to increasing targeted killings and magnetic mines said 90 percent of perpetrators of magnetic mines is Taliban group, saying that 104 people from 455 individuals who have been arrested since the starting of the year were involved in targeted killings. Pointing to violent attacks of the Taliban group and role of Pakistan in peace talks, the NDS chief said Pakistan has been never honest with Afghanistan, adding that all meetings of the Taliban group were planned and held in Pakistan’s Quetta and their fighters were sent to Afghanistan for destructive acts and insecurity.
Meanwhile, deputy minister of defense by briefing related to recent military operations launched by Afghanistan National Army, said the army has recently launched a big operation in Ghazni, resulting in killing and arresting Taliban fighters, including foreigners as Arab, Tajik and Pakistani nationals, adding that six Arabs, two Tajiks and two Pakistani nationals have been arrested along with 16 suicide vests and explosive materials.
This comes at a time in which no considerable progress has made in the 2nd round of intra-Afghan talks between Afghanistan government and Taliban negotiating teams in Doha and the talks have practically faced with a deadlock.
Suraya Raiszada
