DOHA: The Taliban said on Wednesday they are not seeking a “monopoly on power” in a future administration in Afghanistan but are looking for ways to co-exist with Afghan institutions — the most conciliatory statement to date from the militants. Suhail Shaheen, a spokesman based in Qatar where the Taliban have a political office, said that once US forces withdraw from Afghanistan, the Taliban want to live with other Afghans, “tolerate one another and start life like brothers”. US troops invaded Afghanistan in November 2001 in response to the September 11 attacks and ousted the Taliban, who had harboured Al Qaeda and its leader, Osama bin Laden. The Taliban, who had ruled Afghanistan since 1996, had imposed a harsh form of Sharia law. “The withdrawal of all foreign forces from Afghanistan is a shared responsibility and a pride for all Afghans,” Shaheen said.

Source: Pakistan Today January 30, 2019 20:03 UTC