Decision taken to hold talks between US, Afghan Taliban in Islamabad

F.P.Report

ISLAMABAD: The decision to hold the next round of talks between the United States and Afghan Taliban in Islamabad was taken on Friday during a meeting between US Special Representative for Afghanistan reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad and Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi.

According to senior journalist and host of Geo News’ Capital Talk Hamid Mir, during the meeting, Khalilzad told Qureshi that the Taliban were not willing to sit with the Afghan administration nor were they willing for a ceasefire. Khalilzad requested that Pakistan should play its role to make the dialogue successful.

Diplomatic sources said Pakistan decided to extend an invitation to the Afghan Taliban to come to Islamabad and hold talks there, hoping that representatives would travel to the city.

It is expected that Saudi Arabia, UAE and Qatar would also be part of the talks. 

Khalilzad, who arrived in Pakistan a day ago as part of his four-nation tour, told Qureshi that the US leadership values Pakistan’s efforts for peace and reconciliation in Afghanistan.

FM Qureshi assured Khalilzad that Pakistan will continue its efforts to facilitate the Afghan-reconciliation process to bring peace and stability to the region. “We have a shared responsibility to work towards bringing peace in Afghanistan,” the minister said.

The US envoy thanked FM Qureshi for Islamabad’s role in facilitating talks between the US and the Taliban.

A US-delegation comprising the representatives of the State Department and Defence and National Security Council also attended the meeting.

Khalilzad is on his fifth visit to the region for Afghan reconciliation since he assumed office.

A day earlier, the US envoy met with Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua at the Foreign Office and discussed progress on the Afghan peace process.