An Afghan government spokesperson on Sunday called for the Taliban to reject violence and return to the stalled intra-Afghan peace process in the wake of weeks of bloodshed across the country.
"The time has come for the Taliban to renounce violence and enter the peace process in a realistic way," spokesperson Seddiq Seddiqi wrote on Twitter on Sunday.
Seddiqi's comments came the day after six civilians were killed and a further 12 were wounded in a roadside bomb in south-eastern Ghazni province.
Meanwhile, an online spat escalated on Sunday after spokesperson for the Afghan Security Council, Javid Faisal slammed the Taliban for recent violence which had killed 23 civilians in the past week.
Taliban spokesperson Zabiullah Mujahid responded that it was illogical to expect the group to agree to a ceasefire before intra-Afghan talks had begun.
Pointing the finger at the Afghan government for the delayed start to the talks, Mujahid said the Taliban was "left with no option but the continue the war."
Talks have stalled over an agreed prisoner exchange part of the US-Taliban agreement, which both sides signed in Doha at the end of February.
The deal provides for a withdrawal of the international troops remaining in the country and is intended to pave the way for intra-Afghan peace talks.
Mujahid said that talks would begin after the government had released all of the agreed five thousand Taliban prisoners.
Faisal said on Thursday that close to 600 Taliban prisoners charged with women stoning, drug trafficking, or assassination would not be released.
