Karzai welcomes Baradar’s presence in peace talks as ‘effective’

KABUL (Afghanistan Time): Former President Hamid Karzai welcomed the joining of Taliban’s deputy chief Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar in the peace talks with the US representatives, calling it “effective”.

Baradar joined the fifth round of the peace negotiations with the US representative Zalmay Khalilzad for the first time since he was freed from Pakistan custody in last October.

Karzai expressed hope that the current deadlock would be resolved through intra-Afghan negotiations as soon as possible so that Afghans would be witnessing a nationwide and long-lasting peace.

The fifth round of talks began on Tuesday in the Qatari capital of Doha.