Taliban leader Mullah Omar has backed peace talks with the Afghan government, saying, "Concurrently with armed jihad, political endeavors and peaceful pathways for achieving these sacred goals is a legitimate Islamic principle and an integral part of Prophetic politics." The message was released on the eve of Eid celebrations to mark the end of Ramadan on Wednesday, reports CNN.
The Taliban leader also said he had ordered the formation of a "Political Office" that was "entrusted with the responsibility of monitoring and conducting all political activities." "The objective behind our political endeavors as well as contacts and interactions with countries of the world and our own Afghans is to bring an end to the occupation and to establish an independent Islamic system in our country," he said, after explaining at length why negotiating with "infidels" is permitted by the Quran and actions of the Prophet Mohammed.
Mullah Omar, while making no specific mention of the first face-to-face Kabul-Taliban talks that were hosted by Pakistan earlier this month, urged Muslim leaders of the world to unite and pledged to continue armed struggle until foreign troops leave Afghanistan.
The talks, supervised by U.S. and Chinese representatives, were said to have made progress, with the two sides agreeing to work on confidence-building measures and hold more such meetings after Ramadan, according to Al Jazeera.
Analysts feel that Mullah Omar's message may serve only to give ammunition to the Islamic State (IS), who are out to undermine the Taliban's jihadist credentials.
The IS has been spreading speculation that Mullah Omar is dead and that the Taliban are no longer capable of leading the jihadist movement in the Afghan-Pakistan region. Mullah Omar appears unfazed by IS criticism in his message. His openness to talks could win him favor among the wider Afghan public, who he seems to court in his message by promising better governance, while costing him the support of more conservative elements within the jihadist movement, reports the BBC.
