Afghan leader proposes peace road map in three phases

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani will put forward a three-phase peace roadmap for Afghanistan during a proposed meeting in Turkey, seeking an agreement with the Taliban and a ceasefire before elections, a document seen by Reuters shows.

Washington is pushing for a conference to be hosted by Turkey, with UN involvement, this month to finalise a peace deal between the government and the Taliban as a May 1 deadline looms for the withdrawal of all foreign troops.

Ghani's plan will be presented as a counter to proposals put forward by Washington, rejected by the Afghan government, that envisage immediately drawing up a new legal system for an interim administration to include Taliban representatives.

READ MORE: Taliban warns against foreign troops staying beyond withdrawal deadline

Phases 

The document shows Ghani's "Reaching an Endstate" proposal will include, in the first phase, a consensus on a political settlement and an internationally monitored ceasefire.

The second phase will be holding a presidential election and the establishment of a "government of peace" and implementation arrangements for moving towards the new political system.

The third phase will involve building a "constitutional framework, reintegration of refugees and development" for Afghanistan moving forward.

A senior government official said Ghani has already shared his road map with foreign capitals.

READ MORE: Afghan government, Taliban agree to accelerate peace talks

A date for the Turkey meeting is yet to be decided, but multiple sources told Reuters it could take place in two weeks' time.

The Afghan government and a number of politicians said they would have to agree on an agenda with the Taliban before the meeting.

May 1 deadline

In a statement last month, the Taliban threatened to resume hostilities against foreign troops in Afghanistan if they did not meet the May 1 deadline envisaged in an agreement between the insurgents and the Trump administration last year.

READ MORE: Biden: 'Hard' to meet May 1 Afghanistan troop exit deadline

US President Joe Biden said this month it would be "hard" to withdraw the last US troops from Afghanistan by May 1 "just in terms of tactical reasons", but he said he did not think they still would be there next year.

A senior government official said the Taliban was willing to extend the May 1 dateline and would not resume attacks against foreign forces in exchange for the release of thousands of their prisoners held by the Kabul authorities.

Mohammad Naeem, a Taliban spokesman in Qatar, said no such offer had been made.