Afghan government considering new Eid ceasefire offer

Haroon Chakansuri confirmed a report, that the government is considering truce during Eid-ul-Adha

KABUL,: Afghan President Ashraf Ghani may offer the Taliban a ceasefire during next month’s Eid holiday after the truce in June which saw unprecedented scenes of unarmed fighters and soldiers mingling on the streets of Kabul, a spokesperson said on Saturday.

The announcement came amid growing speculation about the possibility of peace talks with the Taliban, following Ghani’s offer in January of talks without preconditions and the three-day truce during last month’s Eidul Fitr holiday.

That ceasefire, which saw unarmed Taliban fighters on the streets of Kabul and other Afghan cities taking selfies with soldiers and police, raised visions of longer-lasting peace 17 years after the US-led campaign that ousted the Taliban.

Ghani’s main spokesperson Haroon Chakansuri confirmed a report in the Wall Street Journal this week that the government was considering a repeat of the truce during Eid-ul-Adha, the second Eid holiday which this year falls on Aug. 22.



“There is the possibility that a ceasefire may be announced over Eid-ul-Adha,” he told a news conference in Kabul. He said further details would be announced later.