Afghan President: Taliban has become more cruel

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. Still, 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,” Ghani highlighted the importance of implementing his six-month plan and said one part of it includes public mobilization 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.

Ghani 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 would witness a change within the next six months.

“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 mobilization,” Ghani said.

A spokesman for the Taliban, Zabihullah Mujahid, commented on President Ashraf Ghani’s speech on Twitter: “Ashraf Ghani’s speech is nonsense, an attempt to control his fears & dire situation. Nation has decided to pursue and bring national traitors to justice. Declarations of war, accusations & lies cannot prolong Ghani’s life. His time has run out, God willing.”