Convened Afghans call for peace with the Taliban

An Afghan grand council convened by President Ashraf Ghani ended Friday with a call for peace with the Taliban and a promise from the president to free 175 Taliban prisoners ahead of Ramadan, the Islamic holy month, which starts next week.

The council, known as Loya Jirga, brought together more than 3,200 politicians, tribal elders and others to hammer out a strategy for negotiations with the Taliban.

Ghani said the message of the fiveday gathering was clear: “Afghans want peace.” He offered a cease-fire, though he stressed it would not be unilateral.

In a statement Friday, the Taliban rejected a cease-fire, saying U.S. and NATO troops must withdraw from the country first.