A delegation of tribal elders representing six Afghan provinces are to go to Kandahar to negotiate the peaceful surrender of the Taliban, aides to former King Mohammed Zhair Shah said. We are sending a delegation to Kandahar to find a peaceful solution to this matter. We do not want to fight, commander Abdul Khaliq, a senior aide to the former king told a press conference in this southwestern Pakistani border city.
The present government of (Taliban leader) Mullah Omar is finished, he said. The nation of Afghanistan wants to see this delegation.
We want to solve the problem with tribal elders and by tribal techniques as we have in the past. Khaliq, speaking on behalf of 12 tribal representatives present, said the message to Taliban commanders in their southern stronghold was that they should give up.
We are completely sure they are ready to give up, he said.
We are sure that the present government will give up fighting. It is time to stablise another government. We need to think about the future of Afghanistan and we believe they are thinking the same. He said all Afghans were brothers, one blood.
We should have one Afghanistan under one leader, like Zahir Shah, that represents not just one part of Afghanistan but all parts, he said.
He added that tribal leaders were in contact with Taliban commanders but had not yet touched base with Mullah Omar.
Bureau Report