A prominent former Taliban commander named Mawlavi Manzoor Hussaini on Saturday said that the war is not the solution to the conflict in Afghanistan, insisting that diplomacy and peace negotiation talks are the only way to end the conflict.

Hussaini, who fought alongside the Taliban against the Afghan government for years, abandoned the war four years ago and has joined the peaceful life in the southern Kandahar province.

“Who is controlling the peace process today? The peace process is not in the hands of the Afghans. The agents are controlling the peace process. If the process was controlled by the Afghans who really love their country, this would help the Taliban and the government reach a settlement,” he said.

He suggested his fellow Taliban halt the war and enter into a political process.

“There are war and destruction--we should stop the further bloodshed now and start a political life. In today’s world, people are no longer willing to pursue their objectives through war. It is time to pursue our objectives through politics. But only in Afghanistan, the mentality for war is more prevalent--in other countries, it is not like that,” added Hussaini.

Meanwhile, Kandahar's police chief General Tadeen Khan has said that those Taliban fighters who abandon the war will be treated well by the provincial government.

“70 commanders (ex Taliban commanders) are friends of ours now, they are cooperating with us, they came to Kandahar over the past three or four years. We call on others, too, to stop the war and return to their homes, we are providing them with the important necessities of life,” said Tadeen Khan.

Tadeen Khan said that the Taliban now have the historic opportunity to denounce violence and enter into the political process to end the war in the country.