PRESIDENT GHANI VOWS TO PREVENT FURTHER INSTABILITY IN AFGHANISTAN

0
529

ISLAMABAD, Aug 14 (DNA): President Ashraf Ghani in a pre-recorded message to the nation on Saturday said that remobilization of the Afghan National Defence and Security Forces (ANDSF) is his top priority and that required measures are underway to reach this end, but he vowed to prevent further bloodshed in the country.

President Ghani thanked the Afghan forces for their bravery in defending the country and said he will not allow the imposed war to bring more devastation and death to the people.

“Under the current situation, remobilizing of the security and defence forces is our top priority and required measures are underway for this purpose,” Ghani said.

“I know that you are concerned about your present and future but I assure you as your president that my focus is to prevent further instability, violence and displacement of my people,” Ghani said.

“To do this, I have started widespread consultations within and outside the government, with political leaders and international partners and I will soon share the results with the people,” he elaborated.

“We have held extensive consultations with everyone within the government and international partners… Consultations are ongoing and the results will be shared soon,” the president said.

Ghani said he will not allow the imposed war on Afghans to bring further killings, loss of the gains of the last 20 years, destruction of public property and continued instability. Ghani said he would also find ways to help the thousands of people displaced by fighting across the country.

President Ghani’s plane came as Taliban fighters inched closer to the capital after routing the country’s defences over the past week. Afghan President Ashraf Ghani has addressed the Afghan people after keeping largely silent on the Taliban taking over 18 of the nation’s 34 provinces in eight days.

Until Saturday’s short address, Ghani and his government had been largely silent as more and more of the nation’s provinces, including Kandahar and Herat – the nation’s second and third-largest cities, respectively – fell to the Taliban.=DNA

==============