The Taliban has rejected Afghan President Hamid Karzai's latest call for peace, despite pressure from a NATO offensive and the capture of a leading commander.
Mr Karzai renewed his appeal in parliament yesterday for the Taliban to accept his peace proposal.
At a conference on Afghanistan in London in January, donor nations backed his plans for peace talks with those militants who renounce violence and pledged hundreds of millions of dollars to persuade fighters to lay down weapons.
The Taliban has repeatedly turned down Mr Karzai's peace proposals, saying foreign troops should leave Afghanistan first, but some tentative 'talks about talks' have taken place.
Taliban spokesman Qari Mohammad Yousuf said: 'Karzai is a puppet he cannot represent a nation or a government.
'He is bogged down in corruption and is surrounded by warlords who are making themselves rich.'
The Taliban, who has made a steady comeback since being ousted after the 2001 US-led NATO invasion, is under pressure.
Three senior Taliban officials were captured in Pakistan this month, including the group's number two and top military commander Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar.
NATO is pushing ahead with one of its largest assaults in Afghanistan since the start of the war.
Operation Moshtarak is aimed at driving the Taliban from their last big stronghold in the country's most violent province to make way for Afghan authorities to take over.
'In Marjah, determined resistance is again reported in some areas. The Regional Command-South commander believes the clearing phase is progressing well and will take at least 30 days to complete,' said the International Security Assistance Force.
NATO says 12 of its troops have died in the fighting since the offensive started eight days ago. Mr Yousuf said the Taliban has lost 14 fighters.
