Afghan assembly calls for peace talks with Taliban

KABUL - The 1,600 delegates of an Afghan peace assembly ended three-day meeting Friday calling on the government and opposition to start peace talks with the Taliban.

The jirga, in a 16-article declaration, also called on the Afghan and NATO-led international forces to release Taliban prisoners against whom no solid evidence exists.

The government was also asked to form a high peace commission, which should include representatives from all provinces and districts, to work on the peace process.

Furthermore, the government was tasked to ensure the safety of those insurgents who join the peace process, the declaration said. It also recommended that Taliban are to be removed from a UN sanctions list, but it was not clear if that recommendation included Taliban leaders such as Mullah Omar.

The Taliban were urged to renounce violence and sever their ties with the Al Qaeda terror network, while the international community was asked to support the reconciliation process.

The meeting’s decisions are non-binding for the government.

The Taliban, who have boycotted the jirga, attacked the meeting with rockets and gunmen Wednesday shortly after it opened.