The survival and unity of Afghanistan is in danger, said Abdullah Abdullah, chairman of the High Council for National Reconciliation (HCNR) of Afghanistan.
Abdullah made these remarks at the council's leadership committee meeting at the Afghan Presidential Palace on Wednesday which was attended by President Ashraf Ghani, other government officials, TOLOnews reported.
"The truth is, today the survival, security and unity of Afghanistan is in danger." Abdullah said. "There is no better way than peace."
"With the withdrawal of foreign troops from the country, the war has escalated. Unfortunately, the Taliban side has taken advantage of this, and the foreign troop withdrawal has naturally left a vacuum in some areas," said Abdullah.
As the deadline of the US drawdown is approaching, Abdullah has said that the Taliban are taking very slow steps in the peace talks but have increased the war on the battlefield. "Although teams from both sides are in Doha and in contact, we have not witnessed any progress," Abdullah said.
"Unfortunately, the Taliban wasted time in the peace process over the months, and there was concern among the people that the Taliban had no intention or will to seek peace," he said.
On a despondent note, Abdullah said the truth that Afghanistan is facing is the escalation of the war.
As the Taliban have taken control of several districts across the country, US intelligence assessments have suggested the country's civilian government could fall to the terror group within months of US forces withdrawing.
The top US general in Afghanistan, Austin Miller, warned on Tuesday that the worsening violence could lead to civil war. US officials expect the entire withdrawal of their forces from the country will be completed in less than a week by the July 4 national holiday, New York Times reported.
As deadly clashes in Afghanistan continue to intensify, hundreds of more civilians have taken up arms against the Taliban in support of the government forces in several Afghan provinces.
( With inputs from ANI )
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