Roundup: Afghans welcome president Ghani's toughened stance against terrorists

Majority of the war-weary Afghans have welcomed the change in government stance with regard to the Taliban and like-minded militant groups, announced by President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani at the joint session of parliament on Monday.

President Ghani in his key address at rare joint session of parliament on Monday described Haqqani network, al-Qaida, Islamic State group, foreign mercenaries and part of Taliban outfit as the enemies of Afghanistan and vowed to annihilate them in his militancy-plagued country.

The president also vowed to mount military pressure on Taliban and like-minded groups and would defeat the terrorists and their backers on battleground, saying the government has no mercy to the terrorists languishing in jails and court's ruling would be implemented even if were capital punishment.

"Virtually it is a bold stance adopted by government vis-a-vis Taliban and terrorists. The new stance announced by president in the national assembly on Monday would boost the security forces' morale to take aggressive position and push Taliban to the wall," a legislator Zekria Zekria told local media on Tuesday.

Afghan president made the key note amid ongoing Taliban-led bloody insurgency and in the wake of the deadly truck bombing in Kabul on April 19, which killed 64 people and injured 347 others, some in critical condition.

In his address, the president said, "The Afghan National Security Forces have outlined inclusive programs to repress Haqqani network and associated groups including Islamic State and al-Qaida, and send the rebels to hell."

The massive truck bombing on April 19 also destroyed 54 vehicles and razed to ground dozens of buildings and houses around the site of the blast in Pul-e-Mahmood Khan locality in central Kabul.

"The new stance adopted by president against Taliban and terrorists is a bold stance and appreciable," political analyst Kako Jan Niazi told local media.

Afghan newspapers have also welcomed president Ghani's bold stance against militants and terrorist groups in the war-torn country.

"What needs to be done on the part of Afghan National Security Forces is to scale up their military pressure on the Taliban and other lunatic fringes so as to reverse their momentum and dismantle their capabilities," Daily Outlook writes in its editorial on Tuesday.

"The new stance announced by president to intensify military pressure on terrorists and give up mercy to enemies is appreciable, but let us see if the government awards capital punishment to terrorists and hang up their bodies on gallows," another paper the Daily Afghanistan said in its editorial. Enditem