Halt offensive immediately, negotiate in good faith, UN to Taliban

UN Chief António Guterres urged the Taliban to end its offensive against government forces and negotiate in good faith, keeping in mind the interest of Afghanistan citizens. The UN chief made the remarks while addressing the media at the UN headquarters in New York.

Hyderabad:António Guterres, the Secretary-General of the United Nations on Friday urged the Taliban to end its offensive against government forces and negotiate in good faith, keeping in mind the interest of Afghanistan citizens. He added that the reports of terror outfit having imposed curtailment on human rights have deeply disturbed him.

"Even for a country that has tragically known generations of conflict, Afghanistan is in the throes of yet another chaotic and desperate chapter, an incredible tragedy for its long-suffering people. It is particularly horrifying and heartbreaking to see reports of the hard-won rights of Afghan girls and women being ripped away from them," Guterres said, adding, that in July around a thousand people were killed or injured in the random attacks against civilians, especially in the provinces of Helmand, Kandahar and Herat.

The UN chief further said that the intra-Afghan talks could still be held in Qatar, backed by the global community and this would help ensure peace. He also appealed to the international community, to make it clear to the Taliban that seizing power by using military force, would only lead to a civil war and Afghanistan being totally isolated.

“I call on all parties to take heed of the conflict's heavy toll and its devastating impact on civilians. They all must do more to protect civilians," the UN chief added.

Read:Taliban appreciates India's capacity building efforts in Afghanistan, cautions on any military role

Meanwhile, in the latest development, appreciating India's humanitarian and developmental efforts in Afghanistan such as building the Salma Dam, roads, and other infrastructure projects in the country, the Taliban has asked India to refrain from playing a military role in Afghanistan. It is known that India has infused more than USD 2 billion in assistance to the war-torn nation.

"What do you mean by military role? If they come to Afghanistan militarily and have their presence. I think that will not be good for them, they have seen the fate of military presence in Afghanistan of other countries. So it is an open book for them. And about their help to the Afghan people or national projects, I think that is something which is appreciated," said Suhail Shaheen, a Qatar-based spokesperson of the Taliban.

Read:Taliban take over radio station after capturing Afghan city

On the other hand, fearing an escalation of violence between Afghan forces and Taliban, many countries including India and the US have evacuated their staff from consulates located in provinces that the Taliban has taken control of. Many countries have cut the number of staff even as the Taliban said that the diplomatic community will not be targeted.