Arg to Taliban: No peace without “reduction in violence”

The presidential palace has warned that peace would not be possible if the Taliban do not reduce violence.

Sediq Sediqqi, the presidential spokesman called on the Taliban to take the Coronavirus threat seriously by considering a ceasefire in the country so that the government focuses on fighting against the pandemic.

“If the violence does not end by the Taliban, unfortunately, we will not be able to achieve the ultimate goals of peace,” said presidential spokesman Sediq Sediqqi.

In the past 24 hours, at least 15 security personnel have been killed or wounded in a Taliban car bomb attack in southern Helmand province, and 20 civilians have been injured in Paktia province during prayers, showing a keen increase in the Taliban attacks.

It comes as the office of the National Security Council says that it has released nearly 200 Taliban prisoners from prisons in the past two days, bringing the total released of the Taliban inmates to 748.

Jawed Faisal, a spokesman for the National Security Council said, “The government has taken steps to reach peace, but the Taliban are not committed to peace and they have increased violence.”

So far, the Taliban have released 112 government-affiliated prisoners. The group said that if the release of 5,000 prisoners is accelerated, the Intra-Afghan talks will begin sooner.