Hyderabad: After the Taliban took over ten provincial capitals in Afghanistan, which roughly constitute 65 per cent of the country, including Ghazni today -- a city 150 kms from the capital Kabul -- the Afghan government has offered to share power with the hardened Islamists. The government's offer comes in the wake of the Taliban adding provinces and cities to its kitty in a ruthless manner. If experts are to be believed the day is not far when they will conquer Kabul.
The scale of violence in the country, courtesy of the Taliban, is terribly deteriorating as the terror group has been looting people and killing civilians after capturing multiple areas from the government. Taliban forces have already captured cities like Sar-e-Pol, Sheberghan, Aybak, Kunduz, Taluqan, Pul-e-Khumri, Farah, Zaranj, Faizabad and most recently Ghazni.
In the midst of intense and large-scale fighting between Afghan forces and the Taliban, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan dropped a bomb today. Talking to foreign journalists in Islamabad, Khan said that the terror group would not talk to the Afghanistan government until Asharaf Ghani remains the country's president.
Read: Afghan officials: 3 more provincial capitals fall to Taliban
The News International quoting Imran Khan said that a political settlement was "looking difficult" under current conditions. "I tried to persuade the Taliban... three to four months back when they came here," Khan said, adding, "The condition is that as long as Ashraf Ghani is there, we (Taliban) are not going to talk to the Afghan government."
No sooner had the US pulled out its last troops from a major airbase in Bagram airbase than the Taliban forces made forceful strides and started attacking Afghan government forces. Kabul has been criticising Islamabad for raising instability in the region and holds Pakistan squarely responsible for assisting the Taliban in escalating violence in Afghanistan.
The Taliban escalated its offensive against the Afghan forces soon after the US forces started withdrawing Afghanistan in large numbers after the peace deal signed between Washington and the Taliban in February last year.
The Taliban-Pakistan (and probably China) axis is now becoming more clearer to the outside world with Islamabad becoming the mouthpiece for the Taliban.
The Taliban had entered into negotiations with United States after the Qatari Government brokered negotiation between it and western powers in Doha. The Taliban has been pursuing an Emirate and has captured 2/3rds of the country in its latest offensive against the government forces.
Read: 'Peace in Afghanistan unlikely as China, Russia, Pak seem to be toeing Taliban line'
