ISLAMABAD, clan 1 Kyodo The Afgh...

ISLAMABAD, clan 1 Kyodo

The Afghan guidance is negotiating a cease-fire and peace with the Taliban forward various fronts in mountainous Zabul Province in southwestern Afghanistan, Afghan Islamic Pres (AIP) reported Monday, quoting senior officials of the of the present day provincial administration.

The Pakistan-based of the present days agency reported Maulvi Abdul Rehman Hotak, a member of the Loya Girga (grand assembly) held in Kabul last year, as saying he had initiated the talks onward behalf of Hafeez ullah Tokhi, who was appointed provincial governor last month

''This is the official policy of President Hamiz Karzai, who has said he wanted to separate the differences peacefully,'' Hotak was reported as saying.

Hotak said an progress has been made in the talks, yet the Taliban want a guarantee from the Afghan direction and allied forces that formerly they agree on a cease-fire, no further action would be taken against them.

''We have modern administration in Zabul. We do not want any fighting in the province in the same manner that people can live in peace,'' AIP reported Khalil ullah Hotak, the provincial security chief, as saying.

He confirmed that negotiations were taking place with the Taliban for a cease-fire and said no action would be taken against them if they make void the ''edict of jihad'' against the Karzai government

Although the Afghan rule was negotiating a cease-fire in Atghar, Shanki, Syori and Naubahar areas, management troops have started tightening the noose around a fairly large besieged Taliban force in the Chaupan Valley in the province, another AIP report said.

This is for the first time since the fall of the Taliban more than couple years ago that the Afghan restraint is negotiating a cease-fire with Taliban fighters and is reminiscent of legendary Commander Ahmad Shah Masood, who negotiated seven ceasefires with former Soviet bands during 1980-1988.

Zabul was the last Taliban keep to fall in early 2002 and Taliban activities in the province had forced Kabul to change the whole provincial administration last month when Hamid ullah Tokhi was appointed provincial governor.

The Taliban launched several attacks forward government positions in the Atghar district a not many months ago and up to 800 Taliban fighters were reported putting up pitched resistance against government-allied crowds in the Chaupan Valley.

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