In a communique ending the four-day consultation, convened by President Ashraf Ghani to make recommendations for peace talks, the delegates said the government should “arrange a responsible schedule of foreign troop withdrawal” in close coordination with the international community.

It also said Afghan and Taliban officials “should accept the call of an absolute majority of Afghans and announce an immediate and permanent cease-fire,” beginning early next week with the start of Ramadan, and “enforce it across the country.”

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The Taliban, who reopened peace talks with U.S. officials Wednesday in Qatar, immediately rejected the call for a truce. A spokesman for the group, in an email to journalists, said that waging a holy war during Ramadan, the Muslim month of fasting and prayer, brings “more reward.”

In a set of tweets, Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid said U.S. officials should “forget the idea of us putting down our arms.” Instead, he said, the United States should “stop repeating failed strategies” and cease using force to support “the decaying Kabul administration.”

Taliban officials were invited to participate in the assembly but refused. Mujahid called the jirga a “show” by Ghani, who is seeking a second five-year term in September’s elections. Most of Ghani’s rivals also boycotted the gathering, but a variety of leaders from all 34 provinces attended.

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Ghani, speaking as the conference ended, said he accepted the jirga’s resolution and would make it “a major part of government policy.” He called on the Taliban to end the fighting, saying that “the poorest people of this land are in agony and want peace.” He said that he would order a truce if the Taliban did the same and that he would order the release of scores of Taliban prisoners.

He also said a peace plan “will not be the end or cessation of the international presence in Afghanistan — it will be a transition from military presence to development and building.” He said Afghanistan’s relationship with Washington is a “fundamental and long-term one.”

The recommendations of the jirga, while not binding, carry substantial weight and represent a broad cross section of Afghan society. For the most part, they were in line with ideas expressed by Ghani, including the need to ensure women’s rights in any peace settlement.

The call for a cease-fire echoed prior efforts by Ghani, who persuaded the Taliban to agree to a three-day truce last June. The resulting hiatus in fighting and signs of potential amity between insurgent fighters and Afghan civilians led to a surge of public hopes for peace.

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The withdrawal of U.S.-led troops, however, has been a more complicated issue for Ghani, whose government relies heavily on foreign forces for protection. He has not objected to specific troop cutbacks but has told U.S. officials that he should play a role in the withdrawal process.

The Trump administration is eager to reduce the U.S. force here, which at 14,000 troops is a tiny fraction of its peak strength of about 150,000 during the Obama administration. Several senior military officials who pushed for a substantial long-term U.S. military presence have left the government.

The jirga also recommended that the government allow the Taliban office in Qatar to move to Afghanistan, to identify and accommodate the group’s “legal and logical wishes” to accelerate the peace process. The Taliban does not recognize the Ghani government, which it calls a foreign puppet.

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The group said that the continuing conflict was partly due to “various interpretations of Islam,” and it called for the Taliban, the Afghan Muslim clergy and the government to reach a consensus on the proper interpretation. The Taliban’s harsh Islamic code once terrorized the public, but a majority of Afghans are also conservative Sunni Muslims.

On the other hand, the jirga — which included 900 women — said the freedoms and rights protected since the end of Taliban rule in 2001, especially the rights of women and a free press, should be maintained. Many Afghans worry a peace deal could give the Taliban enough power to revive their punitive version of Islam.

After the jirga, several analysts said it seemed to have given Ghani and his beleaguered government a temporary boost and could help nudge the Taliban toward a settlement, especially if Ghani releases prisoners as a bargaining chip. “This resolution will not change the Taliban position significantly, but the outcry for peace was loud and genuine,” said Zabihullah Pakteen, an analyst in Kabul. “This could help the momentum, and with the beginning of Ramadan, the timing is symbolically right for a truce.”

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Several delegates leaving the meeting Friday said they were encouraged by the outcome, though others complained that many participants were government employees who promoted Ghani’s agenda.

“The jirga created a national consensus. It produced a vision and a road map for upcoming talks,” said Muslim Ghaznawi, a delegate from Ghazni province. “We should have peace, but our achievements should also be safeguarded.”