US willing to hold talks with Taliban

The United States (US) on Thursday said it is ready to participate in talks with the Taliban.

This comes after Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani announced a temporary ceasefire with the Taliban on June 7.

Deputy Assistant to US President Donald Trump and Senior Director for Central Asia at the National Security Council, Lisa Curtis, said US cannot talk on behalf of Kabul but is willing to be a part of talks.

"The United States is ready to participate in the discussion, but we cannot serve as a substitute for the Afghan government and the Afghan people. A political settlement must be negotiated through a process that is Afghan-lead and Afghan-owned," Tolo News quoted Curtis as saying.

The Afghan Taliban, including the Haqqani network, has sought refuge in Pakistan for over 16 years and now we have asked Pakistan to cooperate and assist in the peace process, she added.

Ghani announced the ceasefire which is effective from the 27th of Ramzan (June 12) to the fifth day of Eid-ul-Fitr (June 19).

Major allies of Afghanistan welcomed Ghani's move.

However, the Taliban spokesman said that the leaders of the group are still discussing the issue.