Ghani plants a tree to ring in the new year

As millions of Afghans ushered in a new year Sunday, in the Persian calender, President Ashraf Ghani marked the occasion by planting a tree at the Presidential Palace in Kabul.

Later, Ghani and First Lady Rula Ghani, along with First Vice President Amrullah Saleh visited a Nawroz exhibition of locally produced goods.

In his new year message, Ghani called on the Taliban to stop killing Afghans and not to let “strangers” manipulate them.

“The Taliban have no legitimacy for this war. They are [Taliban] proud that they did not attack the foreign forces, but who gave them the legitimacy to kill their Afghan brothers? It is enough and don’t be the hand tool of strangers,” Ghani said.

Ghani also said the New Year, 1400, would be a year of digitization for Afghanistan.

“Today is a happy day that in the shortest time all our civilian salaries and air and defense will be electronic and will be done by phone,” Ghani said.

“Distribution of electronic IDs distributions has surpassed three million, and Afghanistan will see a major digital boom this year,” Ghani added.

Rula Ghani also said she hopes that the war will end this year.

“I hope that violence and war should stop in the New Year,” said Rula Ghani.

Participants at the expo, who displayed goods and crafts, said that besides other benefits peace will provide economic growth for the country.
Some politicians, meanwhile, voiced concerns about the lack of consensus for peace among politicians and government.

“From the president to low ranking officials should be united and represent Afghans, without this peace talks is waste of time,” said Noorulhaq Olumi, a politician.

“I am optimistic but still there are some issues that concern me. The lack of unity among Afghan leaders has led to us not having a comprehensive plan for peace,” said Zabihullah Mojadidi, another politician.

This comes after security forces from Takhar province said Sunday that Taliban fighters carried out the first attack of the New Year – in Dasht-e-Qala district.
Khalil Asir, a police spokesman, said the Taliban carried out a series of attacks on the Dasht-e-Qala district center before noon today, which were pushed back after several hours of fighting. No casualties were reported.