Afghan president offers year of ceasefire to Taliban

By Shadi Khan Saif

KABUL, Afghanistan (AA) – President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani told the participants of a historic peace march on Tuesday the government is willing to extend the cease-fire with the Taliban for a year, if they agree on talks.

Activists who joined the peace march reached Kabul late on Sunday after covering a distance of some 700 kilometers (435 miles) on foot from restive Helmand province to the capital in over a month urging the warring sides to end the bloodshed.

Welcoming the marchers, the president warmly embraced each of the war-weary marchers -- most of whom are peasants -- and thanked them for raising the peoples’ voice in their landmark peaceful struggle.

“I am ready to sit with them [Taliban leadership] in the desert, in the mountains, in the mosque…wherever they want."

He directly addressed the Taliban leader as ‘Mawlawi’ [religious scholar] Hibatullah Akhundzada while inviting the rebel leader to come and meet him.

Ghani said the government can extend the cease-fire for a year.

Sunday was the third and last day of truce by the Taliban and the sixth day of the cease-fire by the government after which the militants resumed their offensives.