Ghani hopeful of ending 40-year insurgency in Afghanistan

Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani on Saturday said that he was optimistic in ending the four-decade-old insurgency crisis in the country, adding that ongoing efforts for a peace plan was on for national consensus.

"The national consensus for peace will be implemented. The people who think they can damage the national will (for peace) should rethink about peace. The way that the country comes to a consensus on will be followed until we achieve peace," said President Ghani.

Hizb-e-Islami leader Gulbuddin Hekmatyar underscored that he offered a peace plan to the Afghan government and that the plan is now on the table of President Ghani and senior US officials, TOLOnews reported.

"Based on the plan, a political office should be opened for the Taliban in Kabul and then parts of the country should be handed over to the group as safe zones where they will live with their families," Hekmatyar said.

"Taliban leaders and their families should live in non-war zones which are far from military personnel and are safe. Facilities should be provided for them, rockets should not be fired on them and should not be under prosecution," he added.

Meanwhile, some Afghans have questioned the willingness of the Taliban on joining President Ghani's peace process, adding that the "militant group can join the peace process, but no province or region should be handed to them because they have killed many people".

Last month, the Afghan President had made a peace offer to the Taliban group in the Kabul Process Conference, which also included the recognition of the militant group as a political entity.

However, the group is yet to respond to President Ghani's offer.