Taliban rejects offer to attend Afghan peace talks

Taliban outfit once again rejected the offer for peace talks as meaningless practice, saying no official from Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (name of ousted Taliban regime) would attend the process, a statement of the armed group sent to media outlets on Saturday said.

"Neither the Islamic Emirate leader Mullah Akhtar Mohammad Mansoor has authorized anyone to attend the talks nor the Islamic Emirate leadership council decided to do so," the statement categorically stated.

The four-nation talks of Afghanistan, Pakistan, U.S. and China in its fourth round conference in Kabul recently announced that direct talks between Afghan government and Taliban are expected be held in the first week of March in Pakistan.

"Once again we repeat our stance that no talks would deliver unless and until the foreign occupation of Afghanistan is over, name of Taliban leaders deleted from black list and Taliban detainees are freed," Taliban noted in the statement.

It also noted that the political office of Taliban in Qatar has not been taken into account and the U.S.-led coalition of foreign forces are still fighting in Afghanistan and killing Afghan people.

Taliban militants, who have frequently rejected the offer for peace in the past years, in the statement called upon media outlets not to attribute any comment on Taliban with regard to peace talks unless confirmed by the outfit's official spokespersons or its liaison office. Endit