HPC calls on government to not use harsh tone against Taliban

Afghanistan High Peace Council (HPC) called on National Unity Government (NUG) to not use harsh tone against Taliban group.

The new leader of the Afghan Taliban, Mullah Akhtar Mohammad Mansoor wants to for further negotiations with the Afghan government, and only sincere dialogue can end the war in Afghanistan.

“The government must not use harsh tone against the Taliban group. There is no concern over Taliban’s new leader’s negotiation on Peace Talks,” Abdul Hakim Mujahid, head of HPC said.

Mansoor took over the Taliban after the group on Thursday confirmed that former leader Mullah Mohammad Omar had died and said they elected Mansoor as his successor.

The Afghan government announced Wednesday that the reclusive mullah had been dead since April 2013; the Taliban has remained vague on exactly when Mullah Omar died.

“We should keep our unity, we must be united, our enemy will be happy in our separation,” Mansoor purportedly said in the message. “This is a big responsibility for us. This is not the work of one, two or three people. This is all our responsibility to carry on jihad until we establish the Islamic state.”

The new leader of the Taliban is seen as close to Pakistan, which is believed to have sheltered and supported the insurgents through the war.

He is believed to support the peace process initiated by Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and which Pakistan has taken the lead on sponsoring.

The future of the peace talks — postponed indefinitely by Pakistan after the Taliban pulled out of a second round scheduled for Friday — is now in the balance as the Taliban leadership appears to be fracturing amid disagreement over who should inherit Mullah Omar’s mantle.

The new Taliban leader’s call for unity comes a day after one of Mullah Omar’s sons, Yacoob, said he opposed Mansoor’s election, which was held in the Pakistani city of Quetta.

He said the vote took place among a small clique of Mansoor’s supporters and demanded a re-election that includes all Taliban commanders, including those fighting in Afghanistan.

In the meantime, Afghan analysts are said to believe that the reveal of Mullah Omar’s death have created deep gaps among Taliban members and government must do any efforts to bring negotiation table.

While the insurgents have spread their footprint across the northern provinces, the traditional battlegrounds of the south and east bordering Pakistan remain vulnerable to large-scale Taliban attacks that seem designed to destroy the morale of the Afghan forces as insurgents continue to overrun districts, if only temporarily.