President Ashraf Ghani said on Sunday during his visit to Jalalabad, in Nangarhar province, that government is ready to sit with the Taliban where ever they want. 

Speaking at a gathering to mark the start of construction of a new medical complex, Ghani said that 40 years of war is enough and that he has a responsibility to end the war. 

Ghani once again said government was ready for any type of ceasefire. 

“We are ready to sit and talk with Taliban where ever they want and me along with Dr Abdullah will go and talk with them,” Ghani said. 

Ghani said the ceasefire proved all cynics wrong when both sides respected the truce.  

“You saw that all the prevailing hypotheses about peace turned out to be false as a result of the ceasefire and I don’t accept anyone’s negative opinion regarding peace,” Ghani said. 

Ghani once again thanked religious scholars for their recent support at the Kabul Peace Process and said: “Taliban announced a ceasefire because they (Taliban) could not face up to the religious scholars.”  

Ghani also called on the nation to stand up and ask the Taliban why they are killing the people. 

Security: 

During his visit, Ghani also praised the Afghan National Army for their attempts to eliminate Daesh in the province but criticized the police for not succeeding in their missions in the province.  

“I thank security forces for suppressing Daesh, but our police are not successful yet in Nangarhar and this is a fact that everyone knows,” Ghani said.

Ghani also warned if necessary reforms are not brought, both the provincial police chief and National Directorate of Security (NDS) chief will be replaced.  

“Both police chief and NDS director! Clean up the province, you both came for three months, otherwise I will remove you,” Ghani said. 

“Make Jalalabad safe and get rid of the vehicles that have black-tinted windows,” Ghani added.

Reforms: 

Ghani said government will provide all facilities to tackle the issue of land grabbing and improve rule of law in the province. He also ordered the governor to establish a commission to probe the land-grabbing problem. 

In turn he called on the residents to work with government to fight corruption and to resolve the land-grabbing issue.  

On the issue of administration, Ghani ordered the provincial governor to review all the directors in the province and to recommend replacements for those that are not suited to the job. 

He also warned groups and individuals against any interference in the upcoming elections and said in the event of any MPs interfering in the process, they will immediately be disqualified as a candidate. 

During the event, Ghani also laid the first foundation block for a new medical complex in the province. 

The medical complex will be on 200 acres of land and will include a 200-bed gynecological hospital, a 150-bed hospital for the treatment of disabled people, and a 40-bed unit for tuberculosis patients. In addition a new 600-bed provincial hospital will also be built at the complex.