In his first message to Afghanistan on the occasion of Eid al-Fitr, a major Muslim holiday, President Ashraf Ghani has asserted that negotiations with Taliban were the only way to 'end bloodshed' and bring peace to the country.
President Ghani, who spoke at the presidential palace in the capital city of Kabul, thanked the militant group's leader, Mullah Omar, for endorsing the recently concluded peace talks, adding that it was important for the Taliban to want to join the political process, reported the Dawn.
However, even as the president spoke, an explosion hit a mosque compound in northern Balkh province after Eid prayers, which follows the Muslim holy month of Ramzan.
Pakistan hosted the first face-to-face talks between Kabul and Taliban earlier this month. It was supervised by U.S. and Chinese representatives. The meeting is believed to have made progress, with the two sides agreeing to meet again.
