Kabul
The Afghan Taliban on Saturday cautioned the US-led NATO forces in the war-torn country to not extend their “occupation” beyond May. The group categorically denied it has violated February 29, 2020 Doha accord.
In a detailed statement issued against the backdrop of reports that the US and NATO forces intend to prolong their stay in Afghanistan and spike in violence, the Taliban listed a number of steps they took to implement the Doha agreement.
The statement came just days before the meeting of NATO defence ministers, where the US would present its plan for the future of Afghanistan. NATO officials earlier indicated that it was unlikely the foreign forces would leave Afghanistan by May 1, deadline set in the Doha agreement for the withdrawal of all international forces.
Responding to the allegations, the Taliban’s Doha office in a statement said the Doha agreement signed after 18 months of intricate and hard negotiations is the sole political roadmap out of the ongoing US-Afghan conflict that no one should treat lightly. “The Islamic Emirate (Afghan Taliban) on its part is seriously committed to its implementation, has taken effective steps in this regard, and also wants the other side to stringently implement the accord,” the statement said.
The statement further said the American side attests that no foreign trooper had been killed over the past 12 months in Afghanistan, showcasing firm commitment of the Islamic Emirate to the agreement. In a similar fashion and in line with the text of the deal, no entity has taken any steps against the United States of America and its allies from the soil of Afghanistan nor is anyone allowed to do so, and as per the accord, intra-Afghan talks were launched and ceasefire made a topic of the agenda.
“The Islamic Emirate has significantly decreased the level of operations, and in breaking with past practice, no annual spring offensive was announced or launched the previous year. That no district headquarters were conquered in succession like the years past, no numerous and complex attacks targeted the enemy in major cities, nor were plans sketched for the takeover of cities, if this does not constitute a reduction in violence than what does?”
It further said: “This is even before we reach any kind of an agreement with the internal opposition about ending operations against their military personnel. On the other hand, fighting which has occurred is mostly cases where our Mujahideen have been forced to defend their areas, or where the public has been safeguarded from harmful check posts, or where gunmen that extorted passenger vehicles and supply trucks on main highways were suppressed.” Agencies
