Quoting diplomats, Reuters reported on Friday that the UN Security Council is discussing a draft statement that would condemn Taliban attacks on cities and towns causing high civilian casualties and threaten sanctions for abuses and acts that risk Afghanistan's peace and stability.

The formal statement, drafted by Estonia and Norway and seen by Reuters, has to be agreed by consensus by the 15-member body, the report said.

According to Reuters, the text also “strongly affirms that the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan is not recognized at the United Nations and declares that it does not and will not support the establishment of any government in Afghanistan imposed through military force or restoration of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.”

Meanwhile, Abdullah Abdullah, head of the High Council for National Reconciliation, said on Thursday that participants at an international meeting on Afghanistan in Doha agreed on the need to accelerate the Afghan peace process and call for an immediate end to the ongoing violence in the country.

He said that representatives and envoys of international and regional countries and members of the Expanded Troika in their meetings in Doha made it clear that the Afghan issue has no military solution, they shall not recognize any regime taking over by force and insisted on the acceleration of peace talks.

US special envoy Zalmay Khalilzad said that after two days of intense consultations and discussions with the Afghan negotiating teams, Qatar, as chair, issued a Chairman’s Statement on behalf of regional and international stakeholders.

“We demand an immediate end to attacks against cities, urge a political settlement, and warn that a government imposed by force will be a pariah state,” Khalilzad said.