Mullah Abdul Salam Rcoketi, a former Taliban commander and member of Afghanistan's post-Taliban parliament, on Saturday called on his former comrades to give up militancy and join government.

"War is not the way to serve our people. I urge the Taliban to lay down arm, to give up resistance and join the government to serve the nation through the government platform," he told Xinhua in an exclusive interview.

The bearded ex-militias commander, who earned the name of Rocketi for his skill in using rockets against helicopters, was of the view that fighting government would further damage the country's interests.

"Afghans have to get untied and should work for stabilizing durable peace and security in the country," he stressed.

Commenting on his possible problem with his former foes in the parliament, the 49-year-old former Taliban commander emphasized " forgetting the past," adding that "We should bury the past and serve our nation through parliament."

Majority of the members of the two-chamber parliaments are associates of the former regimes, anti-Soviet Union resistance groups and Taliban's former loyalists who fought each other for power and were involved in the past 25 years of war and civil strive.

Remnants of the ousted Taliban regime who staged a violent comeback have vowed to overthrow the Karzai-led administration and expel the US-dominated foreign troops from Afghanistan by Jihad or holy war.

The maiden session of the 249-seat Wolsi Jirga or Lower House and 102-member Mushrano Jirga or Upper House of parliament would be held amid tight security soon.

Source: Xinhua