October 20, 2001	Saturday	Shaba'an 2, 1422

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QUETTA/ISLAMABAD, Oct 19: Taliban leadership has drawn up a “ceasefire plan” and a “workable solution” to all the troubles in Afghanistan, Taliban Ambassador to Pakistan Mulla Abdul Salam Zaeef said here on Friday.

Mulla Zaeef was in Kandahar for almost a week and had consultations with Mulla Omar and other Taliban leaders. He returned to Pakistan through Chaman late Thursday and was here in Quetta on Friday to fly to Islamabad.

“Yes, I am carrying a peace plan to Islamabad,” he told newsmen at the airport, adding that the plan would delivered to the Pakistan government.

The envoy gave no details of the ceasefire plan, saying it would be unfolded in due course. In response to repeated questions, he sounded an optimistic note, stating he was hopeful of getting a positive result from the Pakistan government.

“It is not a retreat plan,” he clarified, adding the peace plan should not be interpreted as their weakness. “We are very positive and expect a positive response.”

In reply to a question, the envoy said that Foreign Minister Wakeel Ahmad Mutawakil was in Kandahar, and asserted that he (Mutawakil) “can die but would never betray Taliban”.

“I did not see any American troops in Kandahar,” he said, adding “in case USA sends its troops in Afghanistan they will find Taliban ready to give them a tough fight.”

“In fact,” he said, “we are waiting for them.”

OSAMA BIN LADEN: Mulla Zaeef reiterated that the Taliban were not ready to budge on their stand on Osama bin Laden, because the matter was a “faith issue”.

He told a crowded news conference in Islamabad: “There was no proposal for any negotiations on turning over Osama bin Laden to Americans, nor did I gone there (Afghanistan) with any message from Islamabad on this issue.”

“On the issue of Osama we have no change. Osama is an Islamic issue and a faith issue and we are not going to change our faith for anyone.”

However, he did not rule out the possibility of a meeting with Pakistan officials in the next couple of days.

Mulla Zaeef said that Mulla Omar had a narrow escape as a bomb had exploded only 20 metres from his Kandahar residence.

In reply to a question why the Taliban forces had failed to counter the US attacks, Mulla Zaeef said: “It will be a lengthy war and we have decided to keep our fighting might intact so that to hit at the right time”.

He rejected the American propaganda that its air attacks had broken the defence might of the Taliban and said that, in fact, most of the air raids had been misdirected and had hit civilian population.

Commenting on reports that Mutawakil had visited Islamabad a couple of days back and held negotiations on a broad-based government excluding Mulla Omar, the envoy said: “These reports are rubbish, fabricated and mere propaganda”.

The envoy said there were no moderates in the ranks of Taliban nor could the term ‘broad minded’ be used for anyone of them as the impression being given in the press, nor will any from them be party to any broad-based government.

Referring to the Northern Alliance and any chance of its cooperation with the Taliban, Mulla Zaeef said: “It is a war of faith and one can hope that all Afghans will join hands against foreign aggression.”