Afghan president seeks to end fighting, Taliban advance toward major cities

Kabul (Afghanistan), August 15: Afghan President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani said on Saturday that he wanted to end the intensified fighting in his country as the Taliban militants are making rapid advances across Afghanistan in the past months.
In a televised address, his first public remarks following the Taliban's major advances in recent days, the Afghan president said, "In the current situation, the re-mobilization of our security and denfense forces is our top priority, and serious steps are being taken in this regard."
The president pledged that he would not allow further instability in the country.
"I have started extensive consultations inside the government with the elders, political leaders, representatives of people, and international partners on achieving a reasonable political solution in which the peace and stability of the people of Afghanistan are envisaged."
"The Afghans are suffering due to the imposed war and I assure you to prevent the further suffering of the people of Afghanistan and this is my historic responsibility," the president said.
As the U.S.-led forces are withdrawing from the war-torn country, the Taliban militants have intensified their offensives and made rapid advances in the past months.
The Taliban have reportedly captured 20 provincial capitals in the country's 34 provinces, including Afghanistan's second biggest city of Kandahar. According to reports, most of the provincial capitals have fallen to the hands of the Taliban without much assistance.
In a latest development, Asadabad city, capital of Afghanistan's eastern Kunar province, fell to the Taliban militants on Saturday, locals said.
Earlier in the day, Sharan city, capital of eastern Paktika province, was captured by the Taliban. Head of the provincial council Bakhtiar Gul Zadran said, "Sharan fell to the Taliban Saturday morning and at the moment all Paktika province is under Taliban control."
A more complex and challenging humanitarian catastrophe is shaping up in Afghanistan after the United States started hastily withdrawing its troops from the country, leading to an immediate conflict escalation and a rapid deterioration of security.
More than 5,800 internally displaced persons arriving in Kabul between July 1 and Aug. 5 need food, household items, water and sanitation support and other assistance, the UN said.
At the invitation of Qatar, special envoys and representatives from China, Russia, Pakistan, the United States and the United Nations, as well as other regional countries and international organizations gathered in Doha earlier this week for talks over the situation in Afghanistan.
On Thursday night, representatives issued a joint statement, calling on the Afghan warring parties to expedite the peace process, and reach a political settlement and comprehensive ceasefire as quickly as possible.
The participants said they would not recognize any government in Afghanistan that is forcibly imposed and are much concerned about the ongoing violence.
Source: Xinhua