Taliban not interested in working together for peace: Ghani

President Ashraf Ghani said Tuesday after a prayer ceremony at the Presidential Palace marking Eid al-Adha, an event marred by a rocket attack, that the Taliban has no intention of working for peace.

Despite the rockets falling, Ghani and other high-ranking officials calmly continued praying.

Mirwais Stanekzai, a spokesman for the Ministry of Interior, stated that the first rocket hit close to the Edgar mosque, the second one landed close to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the third one landed in the Chaman-e-Hozori area of the city.

He said that the rockets were fired from the Parwan-e-Se area of Kabul.

Addressing a ceremony after the prayers, Ghani stated: “The Taliban have no intention and will for peace… We sent the delegation to convey our last words [to tell them] that we are sure, we have the will and we are ready to sacrifice for peace.”

Ghani added that the Taliban showed that they have no will for peace and “we have to make decisions based on that.”

“I have told the world that the release of 5,000 prisoners [Taliban] was a big mistake. At that time I told them and our politicians that it [the release] will have dire consequences; I told them that this Taliban will deceive you and they are not such people to hold commitments.”

“You cannot capture this country through rockets… come to participate in a national process [election] and convince people [to elect you] and see how people will make you heroes,” he said.

Referring to the formation of public uprising forces, Ghani stated all forces should be registered in the framework of the Afghan security forces, “neither formation of militias is acceptable nor arbitrariness in the country.”

Ghani stated that the Taliban should be questioned why they are destroying buildings, “why the love of homeland is a dishonor for you [Taliban], why they execute [people] in dessert [court], they blew up roads and houses, why they use car bombs, why they blew up mosques.”

He added that the Taliban destroyed more than 260 government buildings as they were public facilities.

Ghani asked the Taliban if they had any positive message for the people of Afghanistan “especially for Afghan women”.

The president, meanwhile, stated that the Afghan Security and Defense Forces (ANDSF) must stay out of politics.

“When a soldier is being hired through mediators [politically] the result is a cowardice defeat and escape from the battlefield.”

“Why our sacred uniform was disgraced? Because there was political interference… I don’t accept any interference [in the Afghan forces],” Ghani said.