Opposition accepts Taliban's proposal

Dawn,

KABUL, Jan 10: Afghanistan's opposition alliance on Saturday accepted the Taliban's proposal for a commission of Islamic scholars to decide a peace settlement, but said other people should also be consulted in the process. An alliance spokesman, Dr Abdullah, speaking to reporters by satellite telephone from the opposition-held Panjshir Valley, said ousted president Burhanuddin Rabbani had consulted all alliance leaders on the proposal on return from a recent visit to Pakistan, Iran and Tajikistan. The Taliban had proposed the formation of the commission of Islamic religious scholars from both warring sides in talks with Pakistani mediating officials during a meeting last month at Kandahar, the Taliban headquarters. "We have consulted all alliance leaders after Rabbani's return, and as soon as we finish the names of the nominees of the delegation, we will send it to Kandahar, and later the time and location of the meeting will be specified," Abdullah said. He said no formal meeting of the leaders of the alliance had been held to discuss the Taliban proposal. But he said Rabbani had spoken to them by telephone and, in principle, all had accepted it. "But we all suggest that in continuation of the commission's work..., other people such as heads of tribes, their delegates and intellectuals at home or abroad can take part for expressing their views." Abdullah said he did not think a recent alliance charge that Taliban massacred 600 civilians in the northwestern province of Faryab would damage peace prospects "There have been killings by the Taliban in the north in the past too, and when we say we are ready for talks, we want to finish people's suffering and calamities," he said. The Taliban, which controls about two-thirds of Afghanistan, denies the massacre and accuses the opposition alliance of maltreating Taliban prisoners. FIGHTING:Taliban forces battling to grab opposition-held northern Afghanistan have suffered setbacks on a major front line, independent sources told AFP on Saturday. Western sources said troops loyal to ethnic-Uzbek warlord Abdul Rashid Dostum have pushed their rivals out of the northwestern province of Faryab following more than a week of heavy fighting. Sources said Taliban troops have retreated to old positions around the Morghab river.-Reuters/AFP