In another bid to push the Taliban towards a peaceful resolution to the Afghan conflict, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani on Thursday announced an unconditional ceasefire with the militant group. The unilateral proposal would be observed from June 12 to June 19.
“This ceasefire is an opportunity for Taliban to introspect that their violent campaign is not winning them hearts and minds but further alienating the Afghan people from their cause,” Mr. Ghani said in a public statement. “With the ceasefire announcement, we epitomise the strength of the Afghan government and the will of the people for a peaceful resolution to the Afghan conflict,” he added.
The move follows a fatwa issued by Afghanistan’s Ulema Council — a gathering of over 2,000 religious leaders from across the country — earlier this week that declared the attacks by the militants “un-Islamic”. The gathering was attacked by a suicide bomber less than an hour after the fatwa was issued, killing 14 people and injuring several others, including religious scholars and Imams.
Read full story in The Hindu
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