Taliban leader announces readiness for peace talks with Afghan gov't

The Afghan Taliban on Wednesday announced that the militant group was ready for peace talks with the Afghan government, the outfit leader Mullah Mohammad Omar said in a congratulatory message ahead of Eidul Fitr festival to celebrate the end of Muslims' fasting month Ramadan, probably falling on Friday depending on moon sight. "If we look into our religious regulations and history, we can find that meetings and peaceful interactions with the enemies of Islam, is not prohibited but what is unlawful in meetings with enemies is overlooking Islamic principles," Omar said in the statement posted on a Taliban website. "Therefore the objective behind our political endeavors as well as our contacts and interactions with Afghans and countries is to bring an end to the occupation of foreign forces and to establish an independent Islamic system in our country," the elusive leader of the Taliban outfit added in the statement. This is the first over the past 14 years that the one-eyed Taliban leader who escaped the US biggest manhunt in the region expressing readiness for peace talks with Afghan government. The comment came as the much-awaited peace talks since the collapse of Taliban regime in late 2001 were held in Pakistan's scenic town Murree near Islamabad earlier this month and both sides agreed to hold the second round of talks after Ramadan, the Muslim's fasting month. "It is our legitimate right to utilize all legal means to achieve peace, because being as an organized setup, we are responsible before our people and we are an integral part of human society and rely upon one another in the country," the statement attributed to Omar said, adding, "All Mujahidin (holy warriors) and countrymen should be confident that in this process, the rights of all Afghan citizens would be safeguarded." "We have established a 'Political Office' for political affairs, entrusted with the responsibility of monitoring political activities and conducting all political negotiations for peace in the country," Omar who has not been seen since the collapse of his regime in late 2001, said in the statement.