A dissident Taliban faction led by Mullah Abdul Manan Niazi on Wednesday said that Pakistan made deliberate attempts to take the Afghan peace process hostage, adding that Taliban will no longer take directions from the Pakistani military generals.
Referring to a recent peace agreement signed between the Afghan government and Gulbuddin Hekmatyar-led Hizb-e-Islami party, Niazi called the move a plot by Pakistan.
In reference to Niazi's allegations, meanwhile, a Hizb-e-Islami official has rejected the assertions made by him as baseless bluffs, saying the peace accord was clinched following intense efforts and peace initiatives by the people, the High Peace Council (HPC) and the public.
"The recent peace negotiations which were brokered in Kabul with Hizb-e-Islami was fabricated by Pakistan. We had been skeptical about the peace process with Hekmatyar which takes root from Peshawar and we have not endorsed the process," said Niazi.
Manan also said that Pakistan will not be allowed in the future to teach the Taliban the lesson of Jihad.
"I prefer my Afghan generals hundreds of times to Pakistani generals, I will no longer accept the calls of the Pakistani generals to direct us to do Jihad, but I will teach the Pakistanis the Jihad," he added.
The statement comes at a time amid rumors that following the finalization of the peace agreement with Hizb-e-Islami, the dissident faction under Mullah Rassoul will also enter similar peace negotiation talks with the Afghan government.
"The Taliban do not have the authority and independence to come and sit with the Afghan government. Who are preventing Mullah Rassoul or Mullah Manan to come and hold direct talks with the Afghan government," said Nadir Afghan, a member of Hizb-e-Islami.
"The peace negotiation talks are facing very complicated layers, unless there is a regional consensus on peace, peace will not be restored in Afghanistan, Taliban are currently enjoying ties with a number of regional countries, unless these countries feel that their interests are preserved in Afghanistan, they will not support the peace process," said Abdul Latif Nazari, a university lecturer.
Despite the controversial remarks Niazi reportedly shined a green signal to enter peace talks with the Afghan government, but relating it the complete withdraw of foreign forces from the country.
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