Taliban of today are not those of Mullah Omar, must be brought to peace talks: Zakhilwal
Says peace cannot be brokered under duress, but it needs good and positive intentionsAfghan Ambassador to Pakistan Omar Zakhilwal on Saturday said the Taliban have largely devolved into groups of criminals and terrorists but they must be brought into the peace process. In an interview with VOA Deewa in Islamabad, Zakhilwal said, “Peace cannot be brokered under duress, but it needs good and positive intentions because there is no other way to resolve the conflict but to negotiate peace. Today, the country has made strides in catching up to the rest of the world, but conflict continues. However, Afghan leaders hope that some Taliban can be convinced to be pragmatic and act in the country’s best interest by renouncing terrorism. “The Taliban today are not the Taliban of Mullah Omar because they had some religious commitments and certain values,” Zakhilwal said.
Source: The Express Tribune December 16, 2017 09:22 UTC
