KABUL: Afghan President Ashraf Ghani launched his re-election campaign on Sunday, promising to start peace talks with the Taliban after decades of war and to transform his nation into a trade hub. The 70-year-old US-trained former World Bank official came to power in 2014 after winning a bitterly disputed election marred by accusations of cheating. Tens of thousands of soldiers, police and civilians have been killed in the last five years, leaving Afghans weary of violence and widespread corruption in public life. Underlining the threat, a powerful blast hit Kabul on Sunday evening, killing one person and wounding a dozen more. Earlier, as campaigning began for the 28 September vote, Ghani had told a crowd: “Peace is coming and talks will definitely begin.

Source: Mint July 28, 2019 17:15 UTC