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Afghans want peace, closure of terrorist sanctuaries in Pakistan: Afghan president

Xinhua, August 10, 2015 Adjust font size:

Afghanistan President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani said Monday in a strong voice that the Afghan people are in urgent need of long-lasting peace in their country and closure of terrorist sanctuaries in neighboring Pakistan. "The doors of government are open for peace, peace with those who are Afghans and believe in humanity and renounce terrorism," President Ghani told reporters at a press conference held in Arg or Presidential Palace.

However, the president noted"There is no peace with those who declared war against us from Pakistan."

Afghan president made the remarks in the wake of a string of deadly suicide attacks which have claimed more than 50 lives and injured hundreds others in Kabul since early Friday.

Another deadly Taliban blast took place at the entrance of Kabul International Airport three hours ahead of Ghani's press conference, leaving five dead and 16 injured.

That is the fourth of such kind within four days.

Pointing finger at Pakistan as supporter of Taliban militants, the Afghan president said that Taliban's safe haven is in Pakistan. "Pakistan is in a status of undeclared war with Afghanistan over the past 14 years,"Ghani said. "The training center of suicide attackers are in Pakistan, the undeclared war should come to end and this is the basic demand of Afghanistan."

Terming terrorism as the common enemy of the region and the world at large, Ghani said that stable Afghanistan would benefit the region and the whole world.

The first round of Afghan government's face-on-face talks with Taliban representative was held in the scenic city of Murree in Pakistan in mid July and the second round was scheduled for July 31 but has been postponed due to the death of Taliban leader Mullah Omar.

Taliban new leader Mullah Akhtar Mohammad Mansoor in his audio message released recently vowed to continue wage of terror against Afghan government and since then series of deadly attacks have been launched in different parts of Afghanistan including capital Kabul and Taliban outfit has claimed responsibility.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif during visit to Afghanistan months ago categorically stated that"the enemy of Afghanistan is the enemy of Pakistan,"Ghani told the press conference, adding that it is the time to act upon word. Endi