KABUL - The Taliban have no other option but to negotiate with Afghan government, outgoing British Ambassador to Afghanistan William Patey said in an exclusive interview with Tolo news.
Patey stressed that it was impossible for the Taliban to gain power through war and said they should choose the path of negotiation.

"All wars end eventually, people are tired of them and run out of them. They all end in negotiation," he said.
"I actually think that when the Taliban realize that they cannot overthrow this government or the future government or they can't overthrow the Afghan state by force, they will have no choice but to negotiate."

The Taliban have repeatedly rejected the Afghan government's calls to peace, and recently suspended peace talks with the US, accusing it of not having a clear vision or delivering on promises.
But Patey said this did not mean there was no discussion between the parties.

"It is clear that there is no substantive negotiation, but there are talks and contacts about how you would begin to talk. And that is the same in every peace process," Patey said.
"No peace process has a smooth trajectory from the start to the end. There are setbacks and delays. Eventually all wars end in negotiations."

Patey also talked about the vast corruption within Afghan government entities as another major challenge ahead of the government, and the ongoing efforts to combat drug proliferation.
To watch the full interview with Patey, tune in to Tolo news on Saturday at 8pm. (Tolo News)