Afghan-Taliban peace talks stalemate to end soon

Afghanistan's Presidential Palace on Friday said that the peace talks stalemate between government and Taliban will end in the near future as the Kabul administration is adamant to establish peace in the regions.

The spokesman for the Presidential Palace, Shahussain Murtazawi believes that people of Taliban are interested in joining the peace negotiations process instead of living in the war-weary situation.

"In the past even Pakistanis used to say that (their) political leaders are ready for talks, but the military officials are not. But currently Taliban announce that they are tired of war and are ready for talks. This itself is a fundamental change," Tolo News quoted Murtazawi as saying.

Taliban, however, has not officially showed any interest in peace talks with Afghan government.

NATO Chief Jens Stoltenberg on Thursday said the organisation is not going to leave Afghanistan and that Taliban should know they will not win on the battlefield.

A negotiating group has also been formed in Washington which will work with the US embassy in Kabul.

NATO forces in Afghanistan had earlier said that the military pressure on the Taliban is important to establish peace in the region.

After the truce that lasted for the duration of Eid-ul-Fitr, the Taliban immediately took up arms again.

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani on June 17 announced a 10-day extension on government's ceasefire. The Taliban, however, has not yet responded and instead continues to carry out attacks across the country.

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani on June 16 announced an extension of the government's week-long ceasefire with the Taliban which was otherwise due to end on June 19, urging the Taliban to extend their three-day ceasefire.

This came in the backdrop of an initial truce which was observed by both sides over the Eid festival period.

The Taliban on June 9 announced a three-day ceasefire over the Eid holiday, two days after Ghani announced the ceasefire from the 27th of Ramzan (June 12) to the fifth day of Eid-ul-Fitr (June 19).

It is the first time the Taliban has agreed to a ceasefire for Eid since the US invasion in 2001.