KABUL: Addressing a press conference on Thursday, President Ashraf Ghani said that the Taliban should sever ties with Pakistan and not hole up in Pakistan for safe-havens if they are truly committed to the peace process.
“One of the basic needs for peace in Afghanistan is that the Taliban should cut their ties with Pakistan. If they call themselves Afghans and want to be in Afghanistan, they should not have dual citizenships,” Ariana News quoted Ashraf Ghani.
Meanwhile, the Afghan President urged Pakistan to play a constructive role in the Afghan peace process.  “I urged PM of Pakistan to tell Taliban that there is no solution without a political settlement,” Ghani said.
This comes as Pakistan has been time and again accused of training, supplying and aiding Taliban insurgents against the Afghan government.
On the other hand, Ghani also opposed the interim government notion brought up by some quarters recently, stressing the transition of authority in a democratic process.
He noted that he would transfer the power to the Taliban insurgent group if people voted for and elected them in the election. 
“We hope for peace, but we are ready for every danger,” Ghani maintained while acknowledging that in the final steps, the people of Afghanistan would decide the outcome of negotiations.