AFGHAN PRESIDENT CALLS ON PAKISTAN TO BATTLE TALIBAN

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) -- Afghanistan's president on Monday called on Pakistan to battle the Taliban rather than try to bring them into peace talks.

Ashraf Ghani made the remarks during an address to parliament a week after a Taliban assault on the Afghan capital, Kabul, killed 64 people and wounded another 340.

Afghan officials have long accused Pakistan of turning a blind eye to the Taliban, the leadership of which is widely believed to be based in the Pakistani cities of Quetta and Peshawar, near the border.

Ghani said there are "no good or bad terrorists, they are just terrorists," and that "Pakistan must understand that and act against them."

Afghanistan, Pakistan, China and the United States have been trying to revive peace talks between Kabul and the Taliban in recent months, but have made little progress.

"We don't expect Pakistan to bring the Taliban to the negotiating table," Ghani said. "What we want is for Pakistan, based on the four nations' agreement, to keep its promises and launch military operations against insurgents."

Dawa Khan Menapal, deputy spokesman to the president, said that there has been no contact with the Afghan government regarding the peace talks from the Pakistani side.

"We have made our decision and the decision was announced by the president today," he said. "Now it is Pakistan's turn to fulfill their promise according the decision of the four nations meetings." - Read More

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) - News from The Associated Press