KABUL (Xinhua) -- Afghan President Hamid Karzai Sunday announced a plan to form a peace council, aimed at accelerating the reconciliation process with Taliban militants.

“To bring peace and accelerate the reconciliation process, we are determined to form the High Council of Peace and Reconciliation,” Karzai told a press conference here at the Presidential Palace.
He said the members of the peace council will be governmental officials and tribal elders. He also disclosed the plan to call a national Jirga, or a national assembly, on peace in the near future to discuss on the ways of implementation of the peace process.
Karzai, at the press briefing, repeated his offer for talks with Taliban and called on the insurgent group and other anti- government elements to renounce violence and accept the country's constitution.
“We continue our efforts for talks with those Taliban who are not part of al-Qaeda network and accept the constitution,” said the president.
However, the president said his peace offer will not extend to anyone within the al-Qaeda, saying that “our policy for the al-Qaeda and other terrorist groups is clear fighting and foiling, but no talks.”-