WASHINGTON: Afghan President Ashraf Ghani said on Wednesday he was “confident” Afghanistan can find a path for members of the Taleban to return to society.

In a speech to the US Congress, he described his push for national reconciliation, but said the militant fighters must break from Al-Qaeda.

“The Taleban need to choose not to be Al-Qaeda, and be Afghan,” he said.

US President Barack Obama on Tuesday reversed plans to withdraw around 5,000 US troops from Afghanistan this year, an overture to the country’s new president.

Also on Wednesday, a suicide car bomber killed seven people in Kabul as the Taleban warned that Washington’s decision to slow the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan will hamper peace efforts.