ISLAMABAD, June 03 (DNA): The US Special Representative for Afghanistan
Reconciliation, Zalmay Khalilzad, on Sunday reacted to the Taliban
leader Mullah Hibatullah Akhundzada’s statement on Eid al-Fitr, and said
it provides “some welcome support for the Afghan process”.

“The Taliban leader’s Eid statement provides some welcome support for
the Afghan Peace Process,” Ambassador Khalilzad said in a statement
posted in Twitter.

Ambassador believes that Akhundzada’s Eid statement also reflects the
group’s desire to participate in dialogue with other Afghans and in a
final political settlement that will require power sharing. ”

In the meantime, Ambassador Khalilzad said “At the same time, the
statement’s bombastic tone is unnecessary.”

Ambassador Khalilzad also added that the bombastic tone of the statement
“only serves to complicate and disrupt as we advance peace talks.”

Furthermore, Ambassador Khalilzad said the statement suggests that the
US seeks violence. “We do not. The level of violence in Afghanistan is
unacceptable and we have no desire to perpetuate it,” he said.

He also added that “Let us find ways to work together to reduce or to
immediately end the violence, as we continue negotiations to end the
war.”

Ambassador Khalilzad also emphasized that “The killing of the Afghans
must stop.”

In an Eid message on Saturday, the Taliban leader stressed on his
previous stance about an end to the presence of the US military in
Afghanistan and said the group is open for talks but they expect
“honesty” from the United States.

He said the Taliban has continued to create a consensus among
neighboring and regional countries in its favor and their participation
in Moscow conference, where representatives of 12 countries attended, is
an example of this “success”.

Akhundzada called for unity and harmony among Afghans to “end the
occupation and strengthen an Islamic system”.

He said “the Islamic emirate is not seeking to monopolize power but it
wants all Afghans to have their real role in ‘government’”.

Taliban leader called on the United States to “honestly” engage in the
ongoing peace talks and accept “the Islamic emirate’s reasonable plan”
to move the process forward.

The two sides have held six rounds of talks – three of them in Doha. In
the last round of talks in April, the two sides made slow but steady
progress on key issues under debate.

According to US officials, the key issues discussed between the US and
the Taliban in Doha were foreign forces withdrawal from Afghanistan,
counterterrorism assurances, ceasefire, and direct talks with the Afghan
government.

In a similar Eid message last year in June, Taliban leader said the
group has “kept the doors of understanding and negotiations open” and
“appointed the Political Office of the Islamic emirate as the exclusive
avenue of activity in this regard”.

Khalilzad continued to say in a tweet that the Taliban leader’s
statement suggests the US seeks violence. “We do not. The level of
violence in Afghanistan is unacceptable and we have no desire to
perpetuate it,” he said.

Khalilzad said that at the same time, the statement’s bombastic tone is
unnecessary and only serves to complicate and disrupt as we advance
peace talks.

“Let us find ways to work together to reduce or to immediately end the
violence, as we continue negotiations to end the war. The killing of the
Afghans must stop,” Khalilzad concluded. DNA