PTI

Islamabad, Nov 6: Hoping that a new era of peace will dawn with the election of Barack Obama as the US President, the Taliban has asked the President-elect to change his country's policies towards it and end the war in Afghanistan.

Reacting to Obama's victory in the American polls, top Taliban spokesman Qari Muhammad Yousaf Ahmadi told reporters: "We want to tell the world and the West to pull out their troops from Afghanistan as the (party of US President George W Bush) has lost the race because of their flawed polices."

Another Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said it would be "unwise" if Obama tried to solve the Afghan problem militarily. He said it would be "wrong thinking" if Obama tried to increase US forces in Afghanistan to "make Afghans slaves".

Mujahid pointed out that the Russians too tried to suppress Afghans by deploying thousands of soldiers but could not succeed.

"We are hopeful that Obama will withdraw forces from Afghanistan. The US should try to solve its financial crisis instead of keeping troops in Afghanistan," he said.

Ahmadi said the new President should bring an end to fighting and begin a new era of peace in the world. "The US President should end the continuing era of war and begin a new era of peace," he said.

Asked whether he thought Obama would pull out troops, Ahmadi said: "We do not have much expectations. But despite that we will see. If Obama sends more troops to the war-ravaged country, jihad and resistance will be continued."

Ahmadi said there was neither joy nor sorrow in the Taliban ranks over the election of Obama.

Obama should respect the mandate from the public and spend the taxpayers' money on social welfare and development rather than weapons and war, Pakistani Taliban spokesman Muslim Khan said.