Taliban rejects Afghan President's call for ceasefire

The radical Taliban movement rejected the request of Afghan President Ashraf Ghani for a ceasefire, Report says, citing Tolo News channel.

According to the channel, amid escalating violence in many parts of the country, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani on Thursday--the eve of Ramadan--appealed to the Taliban for a ceasefire, citing the special conditions of the countrywide spread of the coronavirus.

But Taliban spokesman Suhail Shaheen responded on Twitter saying the government's inattention to "thousands" of prisoners--who are especially vulnerable to the coronavirus--made Ghani's appeal insincere, and this and other factors caused a ceasefire improbable.

Taliban spokesman Suhail Shaheen said that asking for a ceasefire is not "rational" or "convincing" as "thousands of prisoners are in danger due to the coronavirus and hurdles are created in the way of the peace process and complete implementation of the (US-Taliban) agreement."

The Taliban is demanding the release of 5,000 prisoners by the Afghan government based on the US-Taliban agreement. The Afghan government has agreed to the release of 1,500 prisoners but through a conditioned and gradual process.