WASHINGTON (SW): The US government urged the Taliban on Friday to make peace with the Afghan government.
The State Department deputy spokesperson Mark Toner told journalists it was the right time for proceed with the peace talks. Toner said, commenting on the delay in talks, that Pakistan should go forward with the process
Asked if the US would have preferred the Pakistanis not to postpone the talks, Mr Toner said: “We think they should go forward.”
Meanwhile, referring to the death of Mullah Omar, the White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest has said Taliban can choose to continue to fight their own people and destabilise their own country, or they can choose peace.
"We encourage the Taliban to heed President [Ashraf] Ghani’s call for reconciliation and make genuine peace with the Afghan government," Earnest said in a statement.
"While the exact circumstances of his death remain uncertain, it is clear that his demise, after decades of war and thousands of lives lost, represents a chance for yet more progress on the path to a stable, secure Afghanistan," press secretary of the White House announced in a statement late Friday.
He added the US and international partners will continue to support President Ghani, the National Unity Government, and an Afghan-led reconciliation process as we work together to improve Afghanistan's security, continue to target terrorists, and preserve the gains we have made together over the last 13 years.
ENDS
