Afghan president repeats call on Taliban to join peace process


Source: http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/world/2012-07/12/c_131711768.htm
KABUL, July 12 (Xinhua) -- Afghan President Hamid Karzai repeated his offer for talks with Taliban on Thursday and once again called upon the armed outfit to give up fighting, join the peace process and helps rebuild their country.
"I once again call upon Taliban militants to give up fighting, stop killing people and join the peace process," President Karzai said at a press conference in his Palace after returning home from Japan.
He said that Taliban elusive leader Mullah Mohammad Omar can return home and begin political activities instead of fighting.
Taliban militants fighting the government had in the past conditioned any talks with the withdrawal of NATO-led troops from Afghanistan, a pre-condition unacceptable to both the Afghan government and the military alliance at the moment.
President Karzai attended a one-day international conference on Afghanistan in Tokyo on July 8. During his stay in Japan, he revealed that a Taliban senior leader, Qari Din Mohammad, had contacted his government for peace talks.
However, the outfit in a sharp reaction rejected the claim as groundless, saying no Taliban had approached the Karzai administration for dialogue.
The international community has pledged 16 billion U.S. dollars to Afghanistan for the next four years. President Karzai at the press conference also said his government is determined to fight against corruption and ensure good governance.
More than 3,000 Taliban militants, according to Afghan officials, have laid down arms and joined the government-backed peace process over the past one year, a claim rebuffed by the armed outfit as baseless.
AFGHANISTAN-KABUL-KARZAI-PRESS CONFERENCE

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