The deputy leader of the Taliban Sirajuddin Haqqani has said that despite the peace negotiations to repeal the conflict in Afghanistan, the militant group will continue to move further on the path of jihad and will strengthen its military power.
In a message to mark the completion of training of the suicide bombers of the Taliban at an unknown location, Haqqani clarified that peace talks do not mean that they will abandon the path of Jihad.
As per the report, in footage uploaded on the group’s social media page, it was seen that a group of militants wearing suicide vests are passing in a parade in front of the Taliban’s military commission.
Haqqani said, “We believe that the talks are the solution, the politics of sharia (Islamic) law is one of the paths of our jihad and struggle, but no one should miscalculate our politics and willingness for talks — they shouldn’t expect (the Taliban) to abandon jihad and their military capabilities.”
UN report said that the Taliban failed to fulfill the core parts of the peace agreements
The remarks of the deputy leader of the militant group came after the report of the United Nations was released that revealed that the Taliban failed to fulfill the one of the core parts of the US-Taliban agreement that may be resultant in breaking ties with Al Qaeda.
The UN report suggests that a new militant group named Hizb-e-Wilayat-e-Islami has been formed outside Afghanistan which recruits the members of the Taliban who are against the peace agreement between the US and the Taliban. The report further reveals that the senior leadership of Al-Qaeda remains present in Afghanistan with hundreds of armed operatives. Al-Qaeda present in the Indian subcontinent and other groups of foreign terrorist fighters are allies of the Taliban.
US-Taliban agreement
On 29 February 2020, the United States and Taliban signed a peace deal in Doha, Qatar after months of negotiations between both sides, potentially ending the war in the country that is going on for 18 years.
The deal was signed by US special envoy Zalmay Khalilzad and Taliban political chief Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar with US Secretary of State Mr. Mike Pompeo as a witness. Representatives from India, Pakistan, Qatar, Turkey, Indonesia, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan were present during the signing of the deal.
The deal has four parts including promises of full withdrawal of American and NATO Troops from Afghanistan within 14 months, a guarantee that the Taliban will not launch attacks on the USA and its allies from Afghanistan, beginning of intra-Afghan negotiations between Taliban and Afghan government, and a permanent and comprehensive ceasefire.
The deal also includes a process of the prisoner swap. Around 5000 Taliban and 1,000 Afghan security forces, prisoners were to be interchanged by 10 March, the day when talks between the Taliban and the Afghan government started. Also, the US will lift sanctions against the Taliban and work with the UN to lift its separate sanctions against the group.
The agreement also stated that Taliban members will not use Afghanistan to threaten the security of the USA and its allies, and they will not have any ties with anyone who poses such a security threat for the USA and its allies.
