SHIBERGHAN (Pajhwok): A large number of militants joined the government-initiated peace process following hectic efforts by first-vice-president in northwestern Jawzjan province, an official said Tuesday.
Eighty militants joined the peace drive on Monday in presence of first vice-president Gen. Abdur Rashid Dostum in Darzab district of the province.
Local officials said that 120 more rebels had joined the process in the district on Tuesday.
Provincial police chief Faqir Mohammad Jawzjani told Pajhwok Afghan News the rebels joined the peace process were led by militant commander Maulvi Niamtullah who surrendered their weapons to the police.
He said Niamatullah was previously active as a shadow governor and military director of militants in Jawzjan.
Jawzjan peace council director Maulvi Mohammad Akram said the reconciliation of the militants would help improve security of the province and Sar-I-Pul provinces.
Niamatullah promised to encourage other militants to leave insurgency and join the peace process, Akram added.
He said that the men would receive 6,000 as their salaries for six months and the council would help them provide with job opportunities.
Presented on the occasion, Gen. Dostum said that the initiative would be the beginning of security maintenance in Jawzjan.
However, a Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said that the commander Niamatullah who he claimed was torturing people in collecting Zakat had already been expelled from the group.
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