Afghan government sets one-month ceasefire as precondition for Taliban talks

In a press conference, National Security Adviser Hamdullah Mohib said that with the ceasefire, the Taliban is expected prove that they have control over their battlefield commanders.
He said that the government has prepared a seven-month peace plan, involving talks with US, NATO, Taliban and Pakistan.
He said that there would be no peace until Pakistan guarantees that it would not support any militant group in Afghanistan.
“Taliban cannot agree on anything unless Pakistan wants, even if it agrees, the war would continue, Taliban might be replaced by Daesh, during US-Taliban talks, we were informed that some Taliban members jointed Deash,” Mohib said.
Asked about US special envoy Zalmay Khalilzad’s visit to Kabul, Mohib said that the visit was not about peace, but the release of two professors from US and Australia, who were kidnapped in Kabul in 2016.
On intra-Afghan dialogue which China has offered to host, Mohib said that it had asked Beijing to hold it after the announcement of Afghan presidential results.