SLAMABAD, Jan. 10, Reuter: Afghan rebel leaders are due to meet on Monday to discuss the Kabul government’s new peace drive, an official of the main guerrilla alliance said today.
Leaders of the seven parties in the Islamic unity of Afghanistan Mujahideen will gather in the northwest Pakistani city of Peshawar, the official, an aide to alliance spokesman Mohammad Nabi Mohammadi, told Reuters.
Afghan communist leader Najibullah launched an initiative to end the eight year old conflict two weeks ago, offering to talk to the rebels and declaring a ceasefire from January 15.
1he Mujahideen guerrillas rejected the offer at once, saying Soviet troops estimated by the West to number some 115,000 must be withdrawn before any halt to the fighting.
Mohammadi, who heads the Harakat-I-Inquilab-I-Islami party and is alliance spokesman for the three months up to January 20, dismissed the proposal as a fraud. Other Guerrilla leaders also pledged to fight on until the communists were ousted But commentators and analysts in Pakistan said the alliance seemed to be taken somewhat by surprise by the breadth of Najibullah’s proposals.
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