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In his traditional Eid Greeting message to the Afghan Nation, President Karzai took the stage to extend his invitation to the Taliban Militant Supreme Leader, Ameer-ul-Mominen, Mullah Muhammad Omar to put an end to the ongoing war and come to the negotiation table.
Speaking to the media at his fortified presidential palace, Arg, Friday at the customary post-prayers gathering of government ministers and officials to honor the first day of the Eid holiday, which marks the end of the Islamic fasting month of Ramadan, the holiest month in Islamic Calendar, President Karzai invited Mullah Omar to talks saying, “I wish Mullah Muhammad Omar Akhund joins the peace process, stop the fratricide, and take off hands from explosions and bringing deaths to the children, men and women.”
Earlier this month, Mr. Karzai's government set out plans to open peace talks with the Taliban and just before the official announcement of Eid holidays, the presidential spokesman informed the nation of the establishment of a High Council for Peace to talk to the militant group and formulate a peace formula with the militants. Referring to the same council the President termed it "a significant step" in efforts to finish a war that is nearing the end of its ninth year. The 60 member council is to include former members of the Taliban, leading ex-Jihadi leaders, leading Afghan civilians and at least seven women.
President Karzai’s rhetoric of invitation for peace talks comes in a time when in a separate message issued before Eid-ul-Fitr, the Taliban Supreme Leader had called on the Jihadi leaders to join forces with him and help Taliban gain the ultimate success of which Mullah Omar was pretty confident. In the same message Taliban Leader showed least interest in Talks with Karzai administration.
In the same message President Karzai explicitly expressed his desire for an end to bombings of Afghan villages calling on NATO to strike the safe havens of the terrorists. He said, “I wish NATO forces to understand it that the war against terror is not in Afghan villages, not in Afghan houses, they should go after the safe havens of terrorists.” Though President Karzai didn’t clearly say where these ‘safe havens’ were, his purpose was clearly Pakistan, that Afghan officials normally refer to as ‘safe havens’ of the Taliban, Hizb-e-Islami and Haqqani groups referred to as enemies of Afghanistan and terrorists.
