ISLAMABAD: As Pakistan is closely following US-Taliban peace talks, it sees a good development in a reported readiness by the Taliban to reduce violence, and is hopeful it will lead to intra-Afghan negotiations, the Foreign Office said on Thursday.
“We have considered this a step forward towards the peace agreement and we hope that US Taliban peace talks would come to its logical conclusion leading to intra-Afghan negotiations,” Foreign Office spokeswoman Aisha Farooqui said in a weekly media briefing in Islamabad.
She added the issue was discussed during the US special representative for Afghanistan reconciliation, Zalmay Khalilzad’s recent visit to Pakistan.
Last week, Khalilzad held talks with Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and Army chief Gen. Qamar Javed Bajwa in Islamabad. He briefed the Pakistani officials about the ongoing talks with the Taliban and “appreciated Pakistan’s role,” the Foreign Office said in a statement on Jan. 31.
Both sides agreed to continue consultations for the joint peace efforts at a time when the Taliban and American officials were wrangling over the definition of “reduction in violence,” which for the US has been a necessary condition for an agreement with the militant group.
Negotiations to end the 18-year war were called off by US President Donald Trump in September, after an American soldier was killed in an attack by the Taliban.
Talks have since resumed but have suffered setbacks due to multiple attacks, including a suicide bombing at a US military base near Kabul in December.
Pakistan hopeful US-Taliban talks will lead to intra-Afghan peace – FO
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Pakistan hopeful US-Taliban talks will lead to intra-Afghan peace – FO
- US special representative for Afghanistan reconciliation visited Islamabad last week
- Reduction in violence is a necessary condition for a US agreement with the Taliban
