Taliban Afghan govt in talks on peaceful transfer of power

The Taliban insurgents and the officials of the Afghan government are in talks for a “peaceful transfer of power” after the armed group surrounded the entire capital Kabul, reports Al Jazeera. “Afghanistan will have a peaceful transfer of power to a transitional government, says Afghan Interior Minister Abdul Sattar Mirzakwal, after the Taliban has instructed its fighters to “refrain from violence” and “offer safe passage” to anyone wishing to leave Kabul.

A spokesman for the Taliban said in a tweet that the Afghan government currently has the responsibility for the security of Kabul until the power transitional process is completed. The Afghan government soon after signaled there were “negotiations underway” to avoid bloodshed in Kabul, and to give the Taliban control.

The Taliban, on the other hand, promised not to attack as handover talks were underway. Earlier, the Taliban fighters began advancing on Kabul shortly after Afghan President Ashraf Ghani tweeted that  the situation in Kabul is still under the control of the Afghan government. Taliban fighters quickly took over almost the whole of Afghanistan. Now they are advancing to occupy Kabul as well, resulting in anxiety and fear among the Afghan people.

Earlier on Sunday morning, the Taliban insurgents captured the western Afghan city of Jalalabad without a fight. Before this, on Saturday, the armed groups occupied the northern city of Mazar-i-Sharif. The Taliban began to dominate Afghanistan soon after the United States announced its withdrawal from the country. They took over most parts of the country within a very short time. Now only the fall of Kabul will ensure the victory of the Taliban in Afghanistan.

Source: Al Jazeera