Council head Maulvi Fazl Hadi Shinwari, at a weekly meeting on Sunday, observed it was the most important norm in any democracy that all people participated in elections.

Shinwari added: "I call on all my Muslim brothers, including Taliban, Hezb-i-Islami and Jalaluddin Haqqani men to come forward and be part of the poll process, and stop shedding blood."

He also asked foreign forces to ensure security for the militants willing to take part in the elections. Shinwari also urged the Afghan government to encourage the fighters to vote in the August 20 polls.

The Karzai administration has asked Taliban and other rebel groups several times to take part in the elections. The fighters, however, have spurned such calls.

Shinwari took exception to foreign media reports that elections would run into a second phase and stressed comments that might create misconceptions among the people must be avoided.