More than 70 Afghan tribal elders are asking the Taliban to surrender their southern stronghold of Kandahar.
The leaders are urging the Islamic militia to give up the city in an attempt to avert further bloodshed. The appeal was issued following a meeting of tribal elders in Quetta, a south-western Pakistani city.
Izatullah Wasafi, an influential Pashstun tribal leader, said any attempt by the Taliban to fight at this stage would be "madness". "It's a last chance for them to quit power peacefully and avert bloodshed," he said.
The appeal came ahead of a UN-sponsored meeting of four major Afghan factions in Bonn, Germany, where they will try to map out a plan for a broad-based government in their war-ravaged country.
Wasafi said a delegation of tribal elders would leave soon for Kandahar in an attempt to persuade the Taliban to relinquish power. "It is unclear who is running Kandahar, but the delegation would talk to anyone who is ready to listen," he said.
In recent weeks, Quetta and Pakistan's north-western border city of Peshawar have become the hub of political manoeuvring by anti-Taliban Pashtun leaders who want to replace the Taliban.
Wasafi said that tribesmen won't fight the Taliban, but would try to persuade them to give up power.
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