Atmar urges Taliban to fulfill its commitments, agree to ceasefire

Afghan Minister of Foreign Affairs Haneef Atmar said the Taliban has to agree to a ceasefire if the group wants to exonerate itself of being responsible for the high levels of violence across Afghanistan.

In an interview with the Asharq Al-Awsat, an Arabic international newspaper, Atmar called on the Taliban to comply with its obligations and fulfill the commitments it made at the time of signing the US-Taliban deal in Doha last year.

Atmar stated that the Afghan government has met its obligations and has “released over 6,000 detainees and met all the demands made by the Taliban.”

He said that now the Taliban has to prove its “good intentions” in bringing peace to the country.

“Now the Taliban must prove to the Afghan people and the international community that they are fulfilling the promises and obligations they signed,” Atmar told Asharq Al-Awsat.

“The Afghan government sees that a ceasefire agreement would serve as the best evidence of the Taliban not seeking violence and that they are not responsible for the current level of violence in the country,” Atmar stated.