The Taliban will show no will for peace and will not get back to the negotiating table unless the situation changes on the battlefield, President Ashraf Ghani said, reiterating that the group has changed compared to 20 years ago, but the change has been negative, and they have become more “cruel.”
Addressing an event at the inauguration of what the Presidential Palace termed “electronic governance,” President Ghani highlighted the importance of the implementation of his six-month plan and said one part of it includes public mobilisation for defending the system under the leadership of the National Directorate of Security.
“A Talib that has changed in the last 24 hours. What is their change? They have become more cruel, more oppressive, more non-Muslim,” Ghani said.
He blamed the Taliban for creating the conditions for the presence of foreign terrorists in Afghanistan and said that based on his plan, the country’s situation will witness a change.
“They will not engage in meaningful negotiations unless the situation changes on the battlefield; therefore, we should have a clear stance. For this, there is a need for a countrywide mobilisation,” President Ghani continued.
One of the problems on the battlefield, according to him is the delay of payments to security force members. He asked government officials to avoid corruption and don’t make him “ashamed” among Afghanistan’s partners.
He also criticised appointments in government institutions and said some employees on key posts have been appointed all from one district, calling it against the principles of the Republic.
“There are some provinces in which one district has monopolised all the government seats. The Republic cannot be made with inherited family,” the president said.
Meanwhile, the hajj and religious affairs minister, Mohammad Qasim Halimi, said those who are spreading pro-Taliban propaganda and are working in the system should be prevented. He asked the National Directorate of Security to avoid arresting religious scholars without consulting with the ministry.
“There are some individuals in society, even government employees, who presume to speak for us, and are making cruel statements,” Halimi said.
Officials called the inauguration of “e-governance” a positive step toward expediting the activities of government institutions.
