by Our Foreign Desk

AFGHAN President Ashraf Ghani hailed peace talks with the Taliban yesterday as the only way to “end the bloodshed.”

Speaking at the presidential palace in the capital Kabul on the Eid al-Fitr Muslim holiday marking the end of Ramadan, Mr Ghani said: “The negotiations are the solution, the way and this is what our nation wants, to end the bloodshed.”

He also thanked reclusive Afghan Taliban leader Mullah Mohammad Omar for endorsing the peace talks and said it was important that the Taliban “want to join the political process.”

But his message of peace was marred by a bomb attack on a mosque in the northern Balkh province after Friday prayers.

Sholgara district governor Sarajuddin Abid said two people had been killed and 12 wounded by the blast. No-one immediately admitted responsibility for the attack.

Earlier this month, neighbouring Pakistan hosted the first face-to-face talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban, supervised by US and Chinese representatives.

The meeting was said to have made progress, with the two sides agreeing to work on confidence-building measures and hold more such sessions after Ramadan.

In the wake of Nato combat forces’ departure at the end of last year, the Taliban have stepped up attacks on Afghan troops, which are now in charge of security in the country, and are also targeting government officials.

Mr Ghani has, in the past, sought Pakistan’s help in bringing the Taliban to the negotiations, since Islamabad is believed to exercise influence over the group.