Islamabad: US, Taliban to resume talks on Afghan peace process today
Trump halted the talks with the Taliban last month, following the death of a U.S.
ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – US Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad on Wednesday has arrived in Islamabad for talks with Afghan Taliban to restore peace.
According to details, Afghan Taliban delegation led by Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, one of the group’s founders, will also visit the federal capital to discuss “important issues”, Taliban spokesman Suhail Shaheen said.
The Taliban delegation would inform Pakistan’s leadership of the factors that derailed the talks with the United States aimed at striking a deal allowing U.S. and other foreign troops to withdraw in exchange for Taliban security guarantees, said a Taliban official, who declined to be identified.
U.S. and Taliban said last month they were close to reaching a deal, despite concern among some U.S. security officials and within the Afghan government that a U.S. withdrawal could plunge the country into even more conflict and open the way for resurgence of militant factions.
President Donald Trump halted the talks with the Taliban last month, following the death of a U.S. soldier and 11 other people in a Taliban bomb attack in Kabul.
The Taliban also planned to follow up on Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan’s recent comments ahead of a meeting in New York with Trump, that he would try to convince the president to re-enter talks, the Taliban official said.
Taliban delegation is also expected to hold meeting with PM Khan in Islamabad.
---with input from Reuters
