A delegation of the Taliban Political Commission (TPC) in Doha led by Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar on Thursday held an important meeting with Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan as part of negotiations to end persisting deadlock with the U.S. regarding Afghan peace process and – an end to bloodthirsty war in Afghanistan.
Reportedly, Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa and Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Major General Asif Ghafoor among other senior officials were also present in the meeting.
Earlier today, the Taliban held key talks with Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan.
According to Dunya News sources, more than 12 Taliban representatives arrived in Islamabad and a delegation from Qatar is also likely to join the dialogue.
Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi led the talks from Pakistani side of the government and affirmed that Pakistan would continue its efforts to facilitate the Afghan reconciliation process. The team is also likely to meet US Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad, who is already in Islamabad.
Political experts are considering participation of Qatar and Saudi Arabia in the talks at the same time a “breakthrough” to achieve peace in the war-torn country.
In his talk to the media, Mr Qureshi outlined ‘brotherly bilateral’ relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan and stated: “The reconciliation process is a shared responsibility for achieving peace in Afghanistan.”
“For 40 years of instability in Afghanistan, we have been facing equal consequences […] It is a sign of happiness that the international community has endorsed Pakistan’s stance on the situation in Afghanistan,” he said. “For peace and stability of the entire region, achieving peace in Afghanistan is critical.”
Mr Qureshi shared that the Taliban delegation has appreciated Pakistan’s role as the state genuinely believes that the war is not a solution to any of the problems. “Only dialogue is the appropriate and sole solution to the crisis.”
Both sides expressed the need of urgent restoration of halted peace talks. Besides, the meeting has discussed the entire regional peace and security situation.
Importantly, U.S. Special Envoy for Afghan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad has mentioned that the U.S. leadership appreciates Pakistan’s efforts for peace in Afghanistan. He thanked Mr Qureshi for making possible the direct talks between the U.S. and the Taliban leadership.
Taliban spokesman Suhail Shaheen said that the delegation would discuss “important issues” during meetings.
Earlier, Shaheen said that Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, a co-founder of the Taliban and head of their political office in Qatar, will lead the 11-member delegation during talks on important issues with Pakistani officials in Islamabad.
The Taliban’s Doha-based spokesman, Shaheen told AFP that the simultaneous visits to Pakistan of US peace envoy Zalmay Khalilzad and the Taliban were a “coincidence”.
