Pak must understand there is no difference between good and bad terrorists, Afghan president

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani on Monday said that his government will no longer call on Islamabad to bring Taliban to the peace talks table.

Addressing a joint session of the Afghan Parliament here on Monday, President Ghani said Pakistan should realize that there is no difference between good and bad terrorists and added that Islamabad should act as a responsible government.

TOLO News further quoted him, as saying that the government wants peace with all groups that denounce violence, accept the Constitution and cut ties with terrorists.

The response from the Taliban, who have already rejected peace talks while Western forces remain in Afghanistan, was scornful, he added.

"Pakistan had promised to aid peace talks, but we no longer expect Islamabad to bring the Afghan Taliban to the negotiating table," said President Ghani.

"Since the Taliban and Haqqani network, in harmony with other terrorist groups, are fighting in Afghanistan to ensure each other' s interests, therefore, it is our obligation to stand against them, " President Ghani said.

He also made a reference to the April 19 terror strike that killed 64 people and injured 347 others, and categorically clarified that his government would stand firm against all hardliners support the path of violence to establish their own writ over Afghanistan.

President Ghani promised that all militants would be defeated in the battleground and they would finally beg for peace. He predicted that the Haqqani network, al-Qaida and Islamic State groups would soon be in a diminished state.

Pakistan denies harbouring and aiding the Taliban but Ghani urged the Pakistan government to 'fulfill promises and carry out military operations against those whose bases are in Pakistan'.

Ghani's comments come as the relationship between the two neighbouring countries deteriorates once again following a deadly attack on Afghan security agency headquarters in Kabul on April 19.

An Afghan presidential spokesperson accused the Haqqani Network of planning the attack in Pakistan with help from foreign intelligence circles. Afghan Taliban had claimed responsibility for the attack.